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.

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” →

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.

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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