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Monitor Your Trees For Spongy Moth-Related Decline And Mortality

Posted on by akabelowsky
A photo taken June 20, 2025, shows dead and dying oaks near Whitewater Lake in Walworth County, following a period of defoliation and summer drought.

A photo taken June 20, 2025, shows dead and dying oaks near Whitewater Lake in Walworth County, following a period of defoliation and summer drought. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

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

Property owners are encouraged to monitor their trees for signs of decline and mortality, as the last few years have been marked by drought and spongy moth defoliation.

Landowners who have oak, birch, crabapple, aspen, willow, tamarack and basswood (linden) trees should be particularly watchful, because the caterpillars of this invasive insect prefer these species. Many other tree species are not preferred by the caterpillars and are less likely to be heavily defoliated, but are more likely to die if heavy defoliation should happen.

This article focuses on oak impacts.

The 2021-24 spongy moth outbreak has now collapsed statewide; no defoliation has been observed as of late July 2025. Only a few reports of single caterpillars were received by Wisconsin DNR Forest Health staff. (Note: Parts of Wisconsin may be experiencing a continuing outbreak of different caterpillars known as “oak leafroller” and “larch casebearer.”)

Continue reading “Monitor Your Trees For Spongy Moth-Related Decline And Mortality” →

Avoid Ash Trees When Placing Deer Stands

Posted on by akabelowsky
Photo showing a Wisconsin hunter climbing into his tree stand.

A Wisconsin hunter climbs into his tree stand. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources urges hunters to avoid placing their stands on or near ash trees because the trees may experience breakage of stems or branches due to damage from the emerald ash borer. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

By Wisconsin DNR

It’s time for deer hunters to begin scouting properties to identify potential locations for their deer stands this hunting season.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) cautions hunters to avoid placing deer stands in or near ash trees – a practice that presents a clear safety hazard.

Most ash trees in the southern two-thirds of Wisconsin are dead or dying due to the emerald ash borer (EAB), and infestations in the northern part of the state are rapidly expanding. Some areas already experience decline and mortality of ash trees. EAB has been confirmed present in all 72 Wisconsin counties, and unreported infestations are also likely to be present.

Continue reading “Avoid Ash Trees When Placing Deer Stands” →

Golden Oyster Mushrooms Aren’t Friends To Native Fungi

Posted on by akabelowsky
Closeup photo showing golden oyster mushrooms growing on a dead American elm tree in Green County in June 2025.

Golden oyster mushrooms grow on a dead American elm tree in Green County in June 2025. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

By Kyoko Scanlon, DNR Forest Pathologist
Kyoko.Scanlon@wisconsin.gov or 608-235-7532

Golden oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus citrinopileatus) have eye-catching bright-yellow caps with branch-like white gills. Recently, more people have been noticing these gorgeous-looking clusters of mushrooms growing on trees in Wisconsin, especially in southern Wisconsin.

These mushrooms, prized for culinary delicacy, are native to eastern Asia. However, they are found in forests throughout the Midwest and northeastern United States, including Wisconsin.

Continue reading “Golden Oyster Mushrooms Aren’t Friends To Native Fungi” →

Keep An Eye Out For Beech Leaf Disease

Posted on by akabelowsky
Photo showing symptomatic striping from beech leaf disease, seen from under the canopy.

Symptomatic striping from beech leaf disease, seen from under the canopy. / Photo Credit: Kyoko Scanlon, Wisconsin DNR; taken in Cleveland, Ohio

By Kyoko Scanlon, DNR Forest Pathologist
Kyoko.Scanlon@wisconsin.gov or 608-235-7532

Forest owners and land managers should look for beech leaf disease (BLD), a destructive beech tree disease in the United States, this summer.

Although it has not yet been found in Wisconsin, recent discoveries of the disease in Michigan and other nearby states highlight the continued importance of monitoring BLD’s expansion. There is potential for BLD to move into Wisconsin, as the eastern portion of the state overlaps with the native range of American beech.

Continue reading “Keep An Eye Out For Beech Leaf Disease” →

Forest Health Specialists Plan Public Talks

Posted on by akabelowsky

By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167

Photo showing Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health specialists (from left) Bill McNee, Paul Cigan and Linda Williams discuss a tree during the Cambridge Tree Tour in July 2025.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health specialists (from left) Bill McNee, Paul Cigan and Linda Williams discuss a tree during the Cambridge Tree Tour in July 2025. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

Two Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Health specialists will give presentations that are open to the public in the coming weeks:

  • Thursday, Aug. 7: Alex Hornung, Wisconsin DNR Forest Health specialist for central Wisconsin, will discuss the DNR’s Forestry program at Farm Technology Days. The event will run from noon to 5 p.m. at Clinton Farms, E8351 State Hwy 22, Bear Creek (Waupaca County). Admission is $15 per adult.
  • Friday, Sept. 5: Paul Cigan, DNR Forest Health specialist for northwest Wisconsin, will give a presentation on “Fungal Pathogens of the Wisconsin Forest” as part of the Wisconsin Mycological Society’s “Northwoods Foray” in Cable (Bayfield County). Cigan’s talk will run from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Northwoods Foray will run from Sept. 4-7. Those interested in attending can visit the event’s webpage to obtain more information and sign up for a fee.

Identify Water Resources With Surface Water Data Viewer

Posted on by akabelowsky

By Wisconsin DNR

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' online Surface Water Data Viewer layers panel.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ online Surface Water Data Viewer layers panel. / Graphic Credit: Wisconsin DNR

From recreation, to aesthetics, to ecosystem function and everything in between, there are many ways that water is an important aspect of owning and managing a property. It could be the showcase feature of a property such as lake frontage or a scenic river, or as subtle as a seasonal waterway or forested wetland.

Many landowners own woodlands because they want to enjoy the scenic beauty and protect nature and water. A first step toward achieving those goals is understanding what is present on the respective property. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has a useful tool called the Surface Water Data Viewer (SWDV) to help landowners and land managers identify water resources.

Continue reading “Identify Water Resources With Surface Water Data Viewer” →

Common HRD Treatment No Longer Available

Posted on by akabelowsky
A pine stump with a Heterobasidion root disease fruit body with old brown growth in the center and new, bright white growth along the edges.

A Heterobasidion root disease (HRD) fruit body with new white growth observed in the fall. Photo: Wisconsin DNR

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health Newsletter reports that the fungicide Rotstop® C is no longer available in North America.

Rostop® C is commonly used to protect against Heterobasidion root disease (HRD) during conifer timber harvests. It has been discontinued in the North American market. Cellu-Treat® is now the only registered and available to prevent HRD in Wisconsin. Check out the article from DNR Forest Health for more detail.

As always, remember to report your pesticide use when applying these or any other pesticides on property in the MFL Certified Group. You can use the online reporting form or send the required information to MFLForestCertification@wisconsin.gov.

New Forest Service Publication Translates Research For Landowners

Posted on by akabelowsky
The cover of a USDA Forest Service publication called "Managing Your Woodland: Forestry Research Translated for Landowners"

The cover of a U.S. Forest Service publication called “Managing Your Woodland: Forestry Research Translated for Landowners.” / Graphic Credit: USDA Forest Service

By Wisconsin DNR

Have you ever heard a forester talk about shelterwood or group selection and found yourself wondering what they are talking about?

Or maybe you read those terms in your forest management plan and aren’t entirely clear what they mean? If so, you might want to check out a new publication called Managing Your Woodland:
Forestry Research Translated for Landowners [PDF].

The U.S. Forest Service recently released the publication, which breaks down forest ecology, silviculture and various forest management systems for landowners and other non-forestry experts. Although the publication comes out of the Northeast United States, the tree species, forest types and forest management are not entirely different from the forests and forestry practices in Wisconsin.

Collaborative Reforestation – Sheboygan Area School District

Posted on by janness

By Tony Fessler, Co-Coordinator – Restoration Of Our Trees Sheboygan, www.sheboyganrotary.com or 920-946-6770.

Photo Credit: Tony Fessler

A collaborative urban reforestation project involving the Sheboygan Area School District, the Sheboygan Rotary Club Restoration of our Trees Sheboygan (ROOTS) and the Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership (LNRP) completed a second major milestone on May 10, 2025.  This first-of-its-kind urban reforestation collaboration was initiated in 2024 through a matching $25,000 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban Forestry Grant to ROOTS and LNRP.  Continue reading “Collaborative Reforestation – Sheboygan Area School District” →