Necedah Hosts Urban Forestry Seminar For Neighboring Communities

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By Patricia Lindquist, DNR Urban Forestry Communications Specialist, patricia.lindquist@wisconsin.gov, 608-843-6248

Part of our mission at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is to bring community foresters together to learn from one another and to provide training opportunities. Recently, one village administrator took it upon himself to do just that within his county.

We were thrilled when Roger Herried of Necedah approached us with his plans to hold a Juneau County Area Urban Forestry Seminar this fall. Roger’s intent was to provide much-needed training for his public works department and other small communities that don’t have a lot of resources. With some help from the DNR and other partners, Roger hosted a well-rounded, day-long program to help strengthen urban forestry programs in his area.

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A New Way To Measure Tree Equity

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By Dan Buckler, DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist, Madison, daniel.buckler@wisconsin.gov or 608-445-4578

One needs only to look outside their window or at an aerial image to see that trees are not distributed evenly in their community. Of course, this is often expected and not indicative of any significant problem. One would expect, for example, for many parks to have more trees than densely developed parts of town.

However, sometimes uneven canopy distribution reveals something more harmful – that some neighborhoods and communities, often more wealthy ones, enjoy more canopy cover and thus more of the benefits trees provide. To help identify and mitigate this issue, American Forests recently released Tree Equity Score.

Figure 1 – an example of Tree Equity Score used in Oshkosh, WI. See the score along with demographic and environmental information on the left column.

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ISA International Virtual Conference

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The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) is holding its 2021 International Virtual Conference from Dec. 13 – 16 bringing together practicing arborists, urban foresters, top researchers and educators.

Industry leaders from around the globe will teach more than 40 educational sessions on current research, practice and technology. This year’s keynote speaker is Valerie Trouet, author of “Tree Story,” and professor in the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the University of Arizona. Attendees can earn more than 20 CEUS while networking with fellow industry experts. View the full agenda here.

Sessions will be available to watch during the conference and up to 30 days on demand after the event.

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National Urban Wood Academy 2021

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The Urban Wood Network (UWN) will host its second annual Urban Wood Academy on Nov. 19 in Louisville, Kentucky in conjunction with the Partners in Community Forestry Conference.

Attendees will have the opportunity to network, share and discuss the newest strategies to overcome challenges and build successful local urban wood economies. Cities, entrepreneurs and advocates are leading initiatives to ensure that when urban trees are removed, there are opportunities for the material to be put to its highest and best use. To view the full agenda, click here.

Who Should Attend: Property owners, municipalities, arborists, sawyers, wood workers, manufacturers, retailers, educators, researchers and advocates are invited to participate in this year’s interactive sessions by bringing information about their own efforts to support peer learning and insights into lessons learned.

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SAWW Training In The Driftless Area

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Driftless Area Land Conservancy will host Safety and Woods Worker (SAWW)-certified chainsaw safety and efficiency training near Muscoda, Wisconsin. Luke Saunders of Adaptive Restoration LLC will be the trainer.

Levels 1 and 2 are currently at full capacity. Level 3 will be held on Saturday, Dec. 11. Please note that participants should have completed Level 2 before registering for Level 3.

Participants in Level 3 training will spend most of the day in the field practicing techniques to operate chainsaws safely, comfortably and productively. Topics covered include reviewing information from Levels 1 and 2, focusing on planning and executing difficult tree felling, introduction to segments, precision at the stump and planning and executing limbing and bucking.

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Urban Wildlife Damage Abatement And Control Grants

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Photo credit: USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Bugwood.org

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is accepting applications for Urban Wildlife Damage Abatement and Control (UWDAC) grants. UWDAC grants are available to any town, city, village, county or tribal government located within an urban area. For a complete list of eligible urban areas, click here.

Applications must be received on or before Dec. 1, 2021.

UWDAC grants help urban areas develop wildlife plans, implement specific damage abatement and/or control measures for white-tailed deer and/or Canada geese. Eligible projects include:

  • Developing an urban wildlife population control plan
  • Monitoring wildlife populations and establishing population estimates
  • Removing deer using sharpshooters as part of a DNR-approved project

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New Funding Opportunity: People, Parks And Power

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A new national initiative will provide $7 million in funding for community-based organizations to work on park equity and racial justice.

People, Parks and Power (P3) focuses on supporting community-based organizations to build power to take on the policies, institutional practices and power dynamics that produced park inequities in the first place. P3 seeks to fund local-level, community-driven initiatives to work on issues such as public finance measures for parks and green infrastructure, assessments of park needs and inequities, joint use policies to open school grounds for recreational use, land use policies that facilitate equitable access to parks and green space, community engagement units within government agencies and anti-displacement protections, among others.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will award grants of up to $500,000 over a 24-month grant period. Awards will be made to up to 14 sites, and the Foundation reserves the right to make more awards should additional funding be made available.

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DNR Opens Additional Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Grant Application Period

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has opened an additional application period for Knowles-Nelson Stewardship grants to eligible nonprofit conservation organizations (NCOs). These grants help fund the acquisition of land.

Applications are due Friday, Nov. 19, 2021 for the following subprograms:

  • Natural area grants 
  • Habitat area grants
  • Stream bank protection grants
  • State trail grants

The DNR will consider all complete applications received or post marked by Nov. 19. Any organization considering a fall application should contact the regional project manager before applying. Acquisitions that will require multiple appraisals or a more comprehensive review may be deferred until the 2023 funding cycle, which opens in early spring 2022. 

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Casehardening Of Lumber: What It Is And How To Relieve It

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By Scott Lyon, WI DNR Forest Products Specialist

Lumber manufactured into interior wood products (e.g., furniture, flooring, millwork, cabinets) typically requires kiln drying to reach a targeted moisture content to minimize dimensional changes. In Wisconsin, this dry-basis moisture content is 6-8%. Not only does kiln drying allow the wood to equalize to desirable and usable moisture content, it kills fungi and insects that might be present in the lumber.

However, drying stress—commonly called casehardening or tension set—occurs during the drying process. Casehardening is a normal part of the drying process of lumber. It is critically important to relieve this stress as it can lead to warping and twisting when lumber is later re-sawn or machined.

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Merchandizing Urban Trees

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By Scott Lyon and Alex Anderson, WI DNR Forest Products Specialists

An urban tree is most valuable while it’s living. However, if that tree is killed or damaged, there are ways to recycle it. As the “buy-local” movement continues to gain momentum, urban wood recycling efforts have increased in Wisconsin. Historically, urban trees were utilized by only a few mills in the state. With the increased number of trees killed by invasive insects and disease, though, municipalities and arborists are seeking alternative uses for urban wood materials, and interest has grown among traditional forest products manufacturers (sawmills, bolt and pallet mills, pulp mills, etc.) to procure this ever-growing resource. 

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