Wisconsin's 16 million acres of forest need careful management and protection --- for public enjoyment, the tourism industry, the timber industry and wildlife.   Forested watersheds also help to filter rain and snowfall to produce clean flowing rivers and underground aquifers. 
 

Wisconsin Forest Challenges Conflicting Uses --- Wisconsin's forests serve conflicting needs, with loggers often at odds with wildlife and recreational users.  And recreational users often conflict with each other, as snowmobiles annoy cross-country skiers in the winter, and all terrain vehicles annoy hikers and birdwatchers in the summer.  Northwoods worthy of wilderness designation are shrinking steadily, with new calls for timber road building every year.  The U.S. Forest Service recently proposed a plan to increase the timber harvest rate in the Chequamegon and Nicolet National Forests in Wisconsin, to widespread opposition.  Their decision on the issue is expected soon. Diseases and Insects --- New insects and diseases threaten Wisconsin's forests in several ways.  The gypsy moth, tent caterpillar, and birch borer are firmly entrenched, along with oak wilt.  These pressures combined with climate change will change Wisconsin's forests.

Global Warming and Air Pollution --- Climate projections show a definite warming trend ahead for Wisconsin, which could dramatically impact the forests of the state.  Declining rainfall, increasing evaporation and declining snowcover could conspire to weaken or kill several important tree species.  The changes may occur fairly rapidly, making adaptation or gradually tree line migration difficult.

Links to More Wisconsin Forest Information

The Forest Fragmentation Project - 1000 Friends of Wisconsin

http://www.1kfriends.org/landuse/forestfrag.shtml
 

Eastern Forests Face Multiple Threats - American Lands

http://www.americanlands.org/forestweb/eastern_forest_issues.htm
 

All Terrain Vehicle Concerns - Wisconsin Nordic Network

http://xcskiwinn.org/default.aspx?tabindex=6&tabid=8
 

Intelligent Forest Consumption - Wis. Academy of Sciences Arts and Letters

http://www.wisconsinacademy.org/programs/icp/summary.html
 

Forest Issues - Ecological Economics, Values and Policy

http://www.rpi.edu/dept/sts/eevp/links/12.html

• Wisconsin Forest Management - Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/forestry/Index.htm
 
• Wisconsin Profile - North Central Research Station - U.S. Forest Service

http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/hottopics/fpwi.asp

• Wisconsin State Forests

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/forestry/StateForests/meet.htm

• Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forests

http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/cnnf/

• Presque Isle Wisconsin --- Local Forests

http://www.presqueislewi.org/forests.shtml
 
• Wisconsin County Forests

http://www.wisconsincountyforests.com/
 
• Wisconsin School Forests: Their Origin

http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/forest/edwischf.htm
 
• Who Owns Wisconsin's Forests? - Friends of the Brule

http://www.friendsofthebrule.com/Who_Owns_Wisconsins_Forests.cfm
 
• Who Owns Wisconsin's Forests? - UW Extension

http://clean-water.uwex.edu/woodland/primer/owns.htm

• Changes in the air;  Both carbon dioxide and ozone levels are increasing - UW-Madison

http://www.cals.wisc.edu/sciencereport/02SRstories/Changes_in_the_Air.html

• Forests in the Age of Global Warming - Rhinelander Wisconsin - TomPaine.com

http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/6171
 
• Global Warming Impacts on Wisconsin Forests - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/ImpactsStateImpactsWI.html#forests
 
• Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Budgets for Wisconsin Forests - UW Madison

http://cheas.psu.edu/projects/forestbudget.html
 
• Global ReLeaf Projects in Wisconsin

http://www.americanforests.org/global_releaf/projects/project.php?state=wisconsin
 
• Great Lakes Ecological Assessment - Air Pollution impacts on forests

http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/gla/pollute/purpose.htm

• Wisconsin Family Forests

http://www.wisconsinfamilyforests.org/
 
• Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association

http://www.wisconsinwoodlands.org/

• Wisconsin Forest Resources Educational Alliance

http://www.wfrea.org/index.shtml

• Wisconsin Forest Productivity Council

http://www.wisconsinforests.org/
 
• Forest Stewardship Program

http://www.foreststeward.org/
 
• PrivateForest.org

http://www.privateforest.org/states/wisconsin.htm

• Primer on Wisconsin's Forests - UW Extension

http://clean-water.uwex.edu/woodland/primer/

• Fall Foliage in Wisconsin - Wis. Dept.of Tourism

http://agency.travelwisconsin.com/PR/Travel_News/Seasonal_PressKit/Fall/2003FallColor.shtm

• Wisconsin State Parks, Forests and Recreation Areas

http://www.wisconline.com/attractions/parks.html
 
• Lumber History in Wisconsin -- scroll down

http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~dalbello/FLVA/background/economics.html

• Certified Woods - Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine

http://www.wnrmag.com/supps/2002/feb02/intro.htm
 
• Wisconsin Forest Tax Laws - UW Extension

http://clean-water.uwex.edu/woodland/manage/part3/tax.htm
 
• Forests and Forestry in the Great Lakes Region

http://www.great-lakes.net/envt/flora-fauna/forests.html
 
• Plants of the Great Lakes Region

http://www.great-lakes.net/envt/flora-fauna/plants.html
 
• Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative

http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/