Listed below is a great link for people in the State of Wisconsin who own private forest land and would like to make use of financial incentives and expertise provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The best part is, most of what you are likely to do anyhow to maintain your private forest land can benefit from the expertise and incentives that are available through the DNR.
DNR foresters are employed by the state and are stationed throughout Wisconsin to get you started with forest management. They also administer forest tax and cost sharing incentive programs. Statutory priorities, workload and annual work plans may limit the time available or make some of the listed services unavailable. If significant delays are anticipated, the DNR Forester may encourage you to contact a Cooperating Forester.
Landowner Services Offered by DNR Foresters include:
- Initial forest management guidance (woodland walk-throughs, clarification of objectives, office visits, publications)
- Brief to detailed written forestry plans that address sustainable forestry goals including timber, grasslands, wetlands, wildlife, endangered resources, recreation, soil erosion and other concerns
- Timber harvest advice
- Forest tax law programs (MFL, FCL)
- Technical and administrative assistance for cost sharing programs
- Forest protection measures (fire, insects and disease)
- Tree and shrub planting plans and sources of materials
- Tree and shrub shipments from the state nursery and facilitation of county tree planting machine use
- Demonstrations to improve growth and value of immature forests
- Forestry education through conferences, school programs, public speaking and news releases.
- As time permits, timber sale marking (Limitations: DNR foresters may set up harvests less than 20 acres for sawtimber or 40 acres for pulpwood, or for larger areas if private consulting foresters decline to provide the service)
- As workload permits, up to 24 hours (three working days) of service to a landowner per year
- Referrals to a private cooperating forester for more detailed services
Link to the Wisconsin DNR private forest management web site
