Heterobasidion Root Disease Found In Door County

Posted on by akabelowsky
Two photos of the same spot on a tree in Door County, showing Heterobasidion root disease fruiting bodies (left) and the basal wound beneath them (right).

Two photos of the same spot on a tree in Door County, showing Heterobasidion root disease fruiting bodies (left) and the basal wound beneath them (right). / Photo Credits: Bill McNee, Wisconsin DNR

By Bill McNee, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Oshkosh;
Bill.McNee@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0942

Heterobasidion root disease (HRD), formerly known as annosum root rot, was recently found in Door County for the first time.

In mid-September, several suspected HRD fruiting bodies were spotted in a white spruce plantation on privately owned land in the town of Sevastopol. One cluster of fruiting bodies located at the base of a dead spruce was confirmed as Heterobasidion irregulare, the fungal pathogen that causes HRD. The other fruiting bodies were identified as a native decay fungus that has a similar appearance.

Continue reading “Heterobasidion Root Disease Found In Door County” →

Larry Krueger Shares Insights From Forest Products Industry Career

Posted on by wjaroch

Photo credit: Larry Krueger.

The people who make Wisconsin’s forest products industry function are vast and varied. It’s estimated that more than 123,000 jobs in the state are tied to the forest industry. From the foresters and woodland owners caring for the forest to the loggers and truckers getting the logs from the forest to the sawmills and pulp mills throughout the state to the workers creating finished wood and paper products, it takes a wealth of passionate people to produce the many forest products you depend on every day.

Larry Krueger, a co-owner and sawmill manager of Krueger Lumber, is one of those working in the heart of Wisconsin’s forest products industry – fitting, as Krueger said he was born into it.

“My father Herb Krueger started Krueger Lumber in 1969,” Krueger continued. “The more you see the beautiful, natural products from our forest, the more you grow to love and appreciate its beauty.”

In his role, Krueger wears many hats. His day at the mill begins at 6:15 a.m. with a hard hat as he tours the sawmill to ensure smooth operations.

“I speak to various workers at different production points, checking for any problems and to see what’s new. I walk from the sawmill to the dry kilns and warehouses. I stop at the different lumber grading areas, speaking to the graders about any questions or issues they are seeing in the kiln-dried lumber being re-graded for quality,” he said.

Selling kiln-dried lumber is one of Krueger’s top priorities; after ensuring everything is running smoothly, he trades in his hard hat for a sales pitch.

“Throughout the rest of the day, I speak with and email regular and potential customers,” Krueger said. Continue reading “Larry Krueger Shares Insights From Forest Products Industry Career” →

How Wisconsin’s Forests And Climate Initiatives Are Shaping A Sustainable Future

Posted on by wjaroch
A man in a reflective vest stands next to a large stack of tree logs in a snow-covered yard.

Wood stores carbon throughout its life. Photo credit: DNR

Wisconsin’s forests and forest products have a dual role in climate change. They are impacted by climate change, but also help mitigate its effects by storing carbon in wood products from sustainably harvested forests.

Sustainably managed forests in Wisconsin provide essential raw materials for more than 1,200 wood product companies and 280 logging businesses. Annual forest growth in the state significantly exceeds the volume harvested. In 2013, Wisconsin’s primary wood-using mills received 307 million cubic feet of industrial roundwood, while net growth reached 576 million cubic feet — an impressive 18 cubic feet of wood growing every second – and enough to fill Camp Randall Stadium roughly 108 times over.

When sustainably harvested wood is used in long-lived products such as lumber, furniture, windows and doors, it stores carbon throughout its life, only releasing it back into the atmosphere when it decays. Compared to concrete and steel, wood is gaining popularity as a building material due to its carbon-storing capacity ­– about half of dry wood is carbon – and its renewability. Additionally, it requires a less energy-intensive manufacturing process.

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The Economic Powerhouse Of Wisconsin’s Forest Products Industry

Posted on by wjaroch
A man wearing a yellow hard hat and safety glasses measures a piece of wood in a lumberyard with stacks of wood in the background.

Wisconsin exported around $1.3 billion worth of forest products in 2022. Photo credit: DNR

The economic impact of Wisconsin’s forests cannot be understated.

The annual value of products from Wisconsin’s forest industry is over $24 billion, representing 2.3% of the state’s gross domestic product. Forest industries in Wisconsin employ around 58,000 individuals.

The economic influence of Wisconsin’s forest products industry extends to other sectors through inter-industry transactions and household spending. The forest products industry contributed an additional 66,000 jobs and $13.1 billion in output, bringing the total to over 123,000 jobs and $38 billion in production tied to the forest products sector. To help contextualize the scale of that impact, consider this: For every ten jobs in the forest products industry, 11 jobs were created in other areas of the economy.

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The Everyday Impact Of Wisconsin’s Forest Products

Posted on by wjaroch

It’s estimated 10 to 15 billion cubic feet of wood are used by Americans each year. Photo credit: DNR

Would you be able to name all the wood products you use daily? Paper is the most obvious, but wood products are all around you. From the insulation in your walls to the gum you chew after lunch, wood and forest products are almost everywhere you look, and many of them originate right here in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin’s primary forest products industry consists of firms that process logs and pulpwood into wood and paper products. Examples include sawmills, plywood mills, veneer plants, pulp mills, firewood processors and companies that manufacture log cabins, smoking pellets and other similar products.

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Another Year Of Successful Audits For The MFL Certified Group

Posted on by wjaroch

A logger, a consulting forester, an auditor and DNR staff discussing an active timber harvest. Photo Credit: Allen King

Each year, the MFL Certified Group participates in two audits – one internal and one external – to maintain forest certification status and continually improve as a forest management organization. The internal audit, as the name would suggest, is conducted internally by DNR staff. The external audit is when a team of third-party auditors visits Wisconsin to evaluate the MFL Certified Group to American Tree Farm System® (ATFS) and Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) requirements.

Highlights From The Internal Audit

The internal audit took place on April 29 and 30 and included site visits to 40 certified MFL properties in Ashland, Barron, Buffalo, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pierce, Sawyer, Trempealeau and Washburn counties within the Northwest Tax Law Team. The internal audit showcased a lot of superb forest management and several other positive outcomes, including:

  • High level of landowner satisfaction with the MFL program and local MFL staff.
  • Investment in landowners, loggers and consulting foresters both through one-on-one engagement and larger efforts such as mandatory practice workshops.
  • Commitment to improving understanding and consistency through peer-to-peer check-ins and consulting with subject matter experts such as the DNR forest hydrologist and silviculturists.

The internal audit team also observed three instances where post-harvest road construction best management practices were absent or not fully implemented. None of these instances, however, generated any negative on-the-ground impacts. One instance of failed regeneration was also observed. All four of these findings are being addressed locally between landowners and Tax Law staff.

The discussions and corrective actions that occur during and after these internal audits contribute to shared understanding and improved implementation of forest certification among the DNR staff, landowners and external partners that play a role in the MFL Certified Group. Continue reading “Another Year Of Successful Audits For The MFL Certified Group” →

MFL Certified Group Pesticide Reporting Reminder

Posted on by wjaroch

As a Certified Group, we aim for 100% pesticide reporting on certified MFL Lands. Recent articles have described the pesticide reporting requirements for forest certification. As we approach the end of the year, this is a reminder to submit your report if any pesticides have been applied to your certified MFL property in the past year. Certified MFL landowners are encouraged to report pesticides soon after they are applied, or on an annual calendar year basis. You can use the worksheet to track pesticide applications to facilitate reporting.

Thank you to everyone for submitting their pesticide report(s).

Submit a pesticide-use report.

If you have questions about pesticide reporting, please email DNRMFLForestCertification@wisconsin.gov.

Updated Guidance Brings Timely Reminders For Landowners Enrolling Land In MFL

Posted on by wjaroch

Did you know that Certified Plan Writers (CPW) received new Forest Tax Law Handbook procedures earlier this year for creating approvable MFL applications and management plans? CPWs are required to follow DNR guidance, and as the voice of the MFL program during the enrollment process, the CPW is required to discuss and confirm your, the landowner’s, understanding of a lengthy list of MFL program requirements and conditions of enrollment. Please see below for some timely reminders of the MFL landowner’s roles and responsibilities as we head into the plan writing season for 2026 enrollments.

Delinquent Property Taxes Must Be Paid

  • Lands with delinquent property taxes are ineligible for designation. Any delinquent taxes must be paid by Oct. 1 the year before the land is designated.
  • If split payments are made or if there are delinquent taxes, the landowner, upon request of the DNR, must provide proof of full payment.
  • By Aug. 15 of the year in which the MFL order will be issued, the DNR will notify each county treasurer of MFL applications to determine if there are unpaid property taxes. Notifications are sent after the July 31 split property tax payment date. If the department is notified of delinquent taxes, Tax Law Forestry Specialist will assist the landowner and determine if taxes are paid or if the application will be denied entry.

Continue reading “Updated Guidance Brings Timely Reminders For Landowners Enrolling Land In MFL” →

Open MFL Maps Now Available In Public Access Lands Web Map

Posted on by wjaroch

This summer, the DNR rolled out the new Public Access Lands web map. This new web mapping application consolidates various types of public access land information. It also incorporates open Managed Forest Law (MFL) and Forest Crop Law (FCL) properties and replaces the previous Private Forest Lands Open for Public Recreation application. You can learn more about this tool by checking out the press release.

There are a couple of easy steps to follow to view the open MFL and FCL properties. There is also an “MFL/FCL Help” button located on the right side of the top toolbar, if you’re having problems viewing the open MFL/FCL layer.

Good luck this season, and please refer to the open tax law lands page for more information and to find answers to common questions about hunting and access to these properties.

NRCS Funding Available For MFL Landowners

Posted on by wjaroch

Need funding for the conservation practices in your forest plan? Join thousands of woodland owners, many of them MFL landowners, who have secured cost-sharing from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). A historic amount of funding will be made available to woodland owners through landowner assistance programs implemented by the NRCS and made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act. See more information here.

What Does This Mean For You?

This funding is a rare opportunity for MFL landowners. NRCS has identified that “shovel-ready projects identified in a Forest Management Plan are more likely to secure funding.” Examples of projects include invasive species treatment, timber marking and native tree/shrub planting (note that activities such as costs associated with building pole sheds or creating food plots are not projects that NRCS funds).

How To Get Started

Contact your local USDA service center to learn how NRCS can help fund practices on your MFL property and help you accomplish your forest management objectives. Be sure to contact the service center for the county where your property is located, and please be patient with the NRCS staff. The increased funding is driving increased demand at NRCS field offices.

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