Forest products

Wisconsin Forests – Rooted In Our Lives, Rooted In Our Economy

Posted on by Kirsten Held

By Kelly Martinson, Program and Policy Coordinator, DNR Forest Products Team

Governor Tony Evers proclaimed the third week in October as Forest Products Week in Wisconsin to recognize forests’ essential role in the state’s environment and economy. This week celebrates Wisconsinites who work in the forest products industry while considering the many ways forest products can improve our lives. Forest Products Week also highlights Wisconsinites working in and caring for our state’s forest land. Continue reading “Wisconsin Forests – Rooted In Our Lives, Rooted In Our Economy” →

Wood Energy – Renewable And Locally Available

Posted on by grace.hershberg

Did you know that wood energy makes up a large percentage of Wisconsin’s renewable energy consumption? In 2017, biomass (including wood) accounted for an estimated 70% of the state’s renewable energy use.  Are you a business, school or institution interested in learning more about whether wood energy is a good fit for you?  See how the Forest Products Services program can help!

Graphs displaying renewable energy use by source.

Source: https://psc.wi.gov/Pages/Programs/OEI/WisconsinEnergyStatistics.aspx

Careers In The Forest Products Industry

Posted on by grace.hershberg

The forest products industry employs more than 63,000 workers in every corner of the state. Jobs in forest management, logging and wood and paper manufacturing are an important part of our state’s economy. Consider a rewarding career in the forest industry, with occupations including:

Pictured above is a cabinetmaker at a custom cabinet company in northeastern Wisconsin. Credit: Wisconsin DNR

  • Logger
  • Forester
  • Truck driver
  • Log scaler
  • Lumber inspector
  • Mill production worker
  • Maintenance technician
  • Electrician
  • Process engineer
  • Quality control specialist
  • Sales representative

Working To Improve Forest Utilization

Posted on by grace.hershberg

DNR forest products staff work closely with businesses and organizations to use Wisconsin wood more profitably and effectively.

This work ranges from connecting buyers with suppliers of timber and other wood products, to directly assisting both rural and urban forest businesses to improve their profitability and marketing position. In addition, staff partner with members of the forest industry to host and teach workshops on lumber grading, kiln drying, workplace safety and marketing. They also provide technical assistance to improve mill productivity and product quality and collect data for assessing business development opportunities.  Learn more about Wisconsin’s forest businesses here.

Forest Products Specialist assessing moisture uniformity of dried hardwood lumber during a mill assessment. Credit: Wisconsin DNR

Participants practicing railway tie grading procedures at an industry workshop hosted by the Forest Products Services team. Credit: Wisconsin DNR

A Day Without Forest Products

Posted on by grace.hershberg

By Grace Hershberg, DNR Forestry Associate Communication Specialist

Last week Oct. 17-23 we celebrated Forest Products Week!

This week championed our forests and the products they create to enhance our everyday lives. What would your day look like without wood to build houses, furniture to sit on, paper to write on, tires on your car and even toothpaste to brush your teeth?  All of these (and more than 5,000 others) have a connection to wood products!

Forest products make our lives a little easier while promoting sustainability.

Interested in learning more about forest products? Visit https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/ForestBusinesses.

Forest Socioeconomics: An Introduction

Posted on by grace.hershberg

By Grace Hershberg, DNR Forestry Associate Communication Specialist

Take a walk through a forest on a fall day and what do you see? Probably a lot of trees. Some may be vibrant, their leaves painted shades of orange, yellow and red while the conifers hold tight to their striking green needles. But amidst the beauty and tranquility it may not dawn upon forest users to consider the socioeconomic impacts of forests.

Wisconsin is home to almost 17 million acres of forest land, making it a hub for diversified forest markets and non-market benefits a like. From the lumber and paper industries that fall under the forest products sector, to the ecosystem services provided by forests such as carbon sequestration, forests play a crucial role in our lives through the goods and services they provide.

Continue reading “Forest Socioeconomics: An Introduction” →

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

Posted on by grace.hershberg

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.

Continue reading “Casehardening Of Lumber: What It Is And How To Relieve It” →