Emerald Ash Borer Found In Bayfield County

By Paul Cigan, DNR Forest Health Specialist

Paul.Cigan@wisconsin.gov or 715-416-4920

Emerald ash borer (EAB) has been discovered in Bayfield County for the first time in both the city of Bayfield and Bayview township to the south. This marks the 63rd out of Wisconsin’s 72 counties to have an EAB discovery since its initial detection in 2008.

Dead white ash with woodpecker damage in a park

Figure 1: First known infested ash tree in Bayfield County with characteristic woodpecker damage (i.e., flecking).
Photo: Wisconsin DNR

Several white ash trees (Fig 1.) were observed in and around a roadside park in the city of Bayfield, and larval specimens were subsequently lab-confirmed. In Bayview, a black ash swamp had several infested black ash (Fig 2). 

After introduction, EAB populations remain low for at least several years as most larvae in newly infested, healthy ash require two years to complete their life cycle. The abundance of healthy ash at each site suggests EAB populations have remained low since their introduction at least three years ago. However, EAB will kill ash more quickly as beetle numbers mount and more larvae transform from egg to adult in a single year. Unfortunately, many ash in the area are expected to die within four to seven years based on detection-to-impact timeframes observed from the Superior and Duluth area and research conducted in midwestern states. Continue reading “Emerald Ash Borer Found In Bayfield County”

Annual State Forest Property Plans Available

Each spring, Wisconsin State Forests develop Annual Property Implementation Plans (APIPs) and Monitoring Reports identifying the major scheduled and completed forest and habitat management treatments, recreation and infrastructure developments and other property management actions.

These plans are shared with the public online for review, questions, and comment; fiscal year 2023 APIPs are now available on the DNR website.

All planned treatments and developments in the annual plans are approved and consistent with the property master plans developed with additional public input. Annual Property Implementation Plans do not include routine maintenance or minor actions including mowing, building maintenance, inventory or field surveys.

Comments on APIPs can be directed to the property manager.

Help Protect Oak Trees From Oak Wilt

Contact: Paul Cigan, DNR Forest Health Specialist

Paul.Cigan@wisconsin.gov or 715-416-4920

As April brings a high risk of the often-fatal oak wilt disease, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recommends not pruning or cutting oaks from April through July.

A large oak tree in a wooded area has fresh wounds from branches being sawed off.

Do not prune, cut or wound oaks April through July.
Photo: Linda Williams

Continue reading “Help Protect Oak Trees From Oak Wilt”

Squirrel Damage Mayhem

By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff

Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665

Finger pointing at tooth marks on the wood of a maple that squirrels stripped of bark.

Narrow grooves are left when squirrels chew the bark off a young tree or a branch.
Photo: Wisconsin DNR

In late winter, it’s common to see tree branches that have been freshly stripped of their bark. Damage can be extensive where entire branches, and sometimes entire small trees, can be stripped of bark. This damage, believe it or not, is from squirrels! While primarily found on sugar maples, you can also find squirrel damage on red maples and the occasional oak. So far this year, the damage has been noted in Langlade, Shawano, Oneida and Vilas Counties. 

On sunny days, the pale wood of branches where the bark has been stripped off stands out in the forest. This type of feeding can remove enough bark to girdle the branches or the main stem, causing the tree to die from that point to the end of the branch. Branches that are not entirely girdled will continue to grow, and callus tissue will begin to grow over the wounds. If branches are nearly girdled, they may leaf out in the spring only to have the leaves suddenly wilt and die as hot weather hits because the tree can’t move enough water to keep the leaves alive. Continue reading “Squirrel Damage Mayhem”

It’s Wildfire Prevention Week! Do You Know Where Wildfires Occur In Wisconsin?

By Catherine Koele, DNR Wildfire Prevention Specialist

It’s a fact – wildfires do happen in Wisconsin! Spring is wildfire season in the Great Lakes region, and the third week of April is designated Wildfire Prevention Week (April 17-23, 2022). Visit the DNR’s Wildfire Dashboard to view real-time and historic wildfires throughout the areas where the DNR has forest fire protection responsibility. They may happen more often and closer to your backyard than you think!

Continue reading “It’s Wildfire Prevention Week! Do You Know Where Wildfires Occur In Wisconsin?”

Career Opportunities At The DNR: Become Our Next Urban Forestry Council Liaison And Outreach Specialist

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hiring a Limited-Term Employment position – Urban Forestry Council Liaison and Outreach Specialist located at our central office in Madison, Wisconsin.

This dual LTE appointment is made of two 20-hour positions for an expected work schedule of 40 hours per week. The intention is to hire one candidate for both positions.

Applications are due April 27, 2022. Keep reading for more information on the positions and how to apply.

Continue reading “Career Opportunities At The DNR: Become Our Next Urban Forestry Council Liaison And Outreach Specialist”

Kiln Drying In The Lake States – What Happens Inside A Lumber Dry Kiln

By Scott Bowe, Professor of Wood Products at the University of Wisconsin’s Kemp Station and Scott Lyon, DNR Forest Products Specialist, Green Bay

The Great Lake States region produces some of the best hardwood and softwood lumber globally. Most of us have driven by a sawmill or concentration yard and have seen lumber dry kilns — rows of large rectangular buildings with massive doors.

What goes on inside these kilns? What value is added during drying? How many days does it take to dry lumber? Why dry lumber at all?

We dry lumber for several reasons. The first is to prevent fungal degradation and insect attack—a tree in the forest lives in a tough world. Decay fungi, stain fungi and insects are always looking for their chance to use the tree for a food source, home or both. Continue reading “Kiln Drying In The Lake States – What Happens Inside A Lumber Dry Kiln”

New Technology Highlighted In Publication

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Products Services recently worked with UW-Extension and the Department of Agriculture Forest Products Lab to develop a technical primer highlighting vacuum drying technologies for lumber manufacturing.

This research was completed by using the vacuum kiln at Northcentral Technical College. Vacuum drying technology has recently gained attention in Wisconsin because of the availability of lower-cost vacuum kilns for smaller wood product manufacturers.

Vacuum drying utilizes a pressure vessel, a heat source and a vacuum pump to control the drying conditions under less-than-atmospheric pressure. This process is an economical alternative to conventional drying for many species under various environmental and economic conditions.

Vacuum drying can reduce drying time and be more energy-efficient than conventional steam drying. However, there are many factors to consider when comparing the two technologies. Ideal applications for vacuum kilns include high-value wood species, difficult-to-dry species (e.g. oak), timbers, large sections of logs and lumber (including live-edge slabs and wooden rounds), decorative or thick veneer and small-scale woodworking operations.

The new report describes the principles and practices of vacuum drying and discusses its advantages and disadvantages. To learn more about this technology and drying lumber, please view the recent technical report by visiting this webpage.

Lake States Woodshed Mapping Project

A group of researchers and Extension professionals from Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are working on a “Woodsheds” mapping project (similar to the concept of a watershed) to develop an interactive web-based mapping application they hope will be useful for forest landowners, forestry professionals, and wood products industry professionals. A 5-10 minute survey is intended to find out what your information needs are, and to see if you’d like to be part of a user testing group that helps them refine this tool. Direct any survey questions to ehuff@msu.edu. Please use this link to complete the survey by April 18th:
https://msu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bQTG51T8YwRmUM6

Restoring Coastal Wetlands With Low-Value Woody Material

By Scott Lyon, DNR Forest Products Specialist, Green Bay

Conservation partners, including Ducks Unlimited, Wisconsin DNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, City of Green Bay and UW-Green Bay, worked together to construct a woody breakwater to restore and enhance wetlands for wildlife and more.

The project took place in fall 2021 at the mouth of Duck Creek, offshore from the Ken Euers Nature Area in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The project involved several years of planning that brought together a team of fish and wildlife biologists, wetland and aquatic plant scientists, foresters and engineers to discuss ideas and plans to restore wetland vegetation in the Duck Creek Delta.

Steve Kaufman, DNR Forester on the Oconto Falls team, and Scott Lyon, DNR Forest Products Specialist with Forest Products Services, participated in technical advisory committee meetings and assisted in connecting the project coordinators with woody materials to be used in the structure.

The resulting breakwater structures were predominantly trees rather than a traditional breakwall composed of mostly rock and is one of the first for the bay of Green Bay and the broader Great Lakes system. Continue reading “Restoring Coastal Wetlands With Low-Value Woody Material”