Division of Forestry Strategic Direction
Statewide Forest Strategy 2010
Statewide Forest Assessment 2010
Forest Sustainability Framework
Statewide Forest Plan 2004
A11. Issue: Stands of old forest are rare
Comment #: 1
The old forests you speak of are a result of proper forest management.
Comment #: 2
It would be nice to someday have areas scattered through out Northern Wisconsin and areas of Central Wisconsin that resembled pre sttlement forests. Wisconsin residents only know young and middle-age forests, and most cannot or do not see any value in old forest. Maybe if generations could experience these old forests, they may see and realize the value of them.
Comment #: 3
With the larger number of landowners not conducting any sort of management on their properties, this situation will definitely reverse itself. We currently have many acres of "old growth" aspen converting to other species. I disagree with premise.
Comment #: 4
You need to manage and leave "old growth forests" meaning NOT 60 years old but up to 150 years old and older. I have noticed the definition of "old growth forest" has been changed by the forestry service.
Comment #: 5
Keep what you have
Comment #: 6
We have loved best "old forest" a splendid example not in swamps, but dry land, is near southeast end of Squirrel Lake (which is south of Hwy 70). I am glad the nature conservancy tries to buy and protect some. I splendid bit is at southwest end of Clear Lake (completely unmarked, to protect it and also on dry land, but I know the State of WI owns this parcel. I understand the Aug. 14, 2000 storm did severe damage to it, as it did on our 15 acres, but I cannot go there to verify it (I'm not (?) 3.5 yrs.)
Comment #: 7
Old forest is a unique habitat that should be preserved
Comment #: 8
At least presence what we have.
Comment #: 9
Go to the Menominee, they have reams of old growth studies, I know of 13 since 1980.
Comment #: 10
There are also old-growth forest stands within Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
Comment #: 11
Vanishing due to ineffective enforcement of forest tax law lands. Effectively managed forests will have old trees and the designated wilderness areas throughout the stable are adequate.
Comment #: 12
But don't make rules/laws that hinder the owner of the land. Remember the and prior owners did a better job of preserving then we did. He should not be punished for it.
Comment #: 13
small % invovled
Comment #: 14
Work to preserve there stands through forest management practices; create incentives?
Comment #: 15
A old forest is a dying forest. New growth is needed to have good forest. Animals need new growth for food and cover.
Comment #: 16
Management (old forests ) should be for final wood product improvement not just to "save the environment"
Comment #: 17
Let the Menominee Nation manage their own - they've done a beautiful job so far. We could learn from them when it comes to managing forests.
Comment #: 18
Old forests should be for learning - but young, vibrant forests need to be encouraged for they are the most productive of clean air and water in addition to wood.
Comment #: 19
When you consider the cut over of the past and old growth of today you have to remember that it takes a long time to grow old growth forests. We will get there. Natural old growth I desirable.
Comment #: 20
I DON'T BELIEVE THE MENTIONED STANDS QUALIFY AS OLD GROWTH SINCE THEY ARE HEADED TO BEING ACTIVELY MANAGED FOR TIMBER PRODUCTION. Furthermore, the trees won't be that big the next time you look USFS will take their place.
Comment #: 21
This is a BIG issue - we need more old forests for a variety of reasons
Comment #: 22
save whats left - no roads
Comment #: 23
Old growth forests take too long to grow to be a practical thing to manage for, they would likely burn b-4 done. They are also relatively sterile and devoid of wildlife.
Comment #: 24
It is a pleasure to go into the woods and see older trees
Comment #: 25
Not to spend too much time.
Comment #: 26
More stands and larger one of old forest are important as a goal
Comment #: 27
Old growth/mature forests are an important component. Old growth adds biodiversity. Tourism opportunities but need to be strategic in the sense of our managed forests.
Comment #: 28
And they will stay reare, because of human rise and emands on the resources.
Comment #: 29
I hold 40 acres of oak in Jackson County which is scheduled for clear cutting in 2008 under MFL Plan Practices - I'd rather not cut but I've been told this is mandatory under the "Plan"
Comment #: 30
Don't think this possible anymore for Wisconsin.
Comment #: 31
Poorly written question. We should manage for old growth and not lock up areas to convert to old growth. A forest is renewable and ever changing. The isolated areas of old growth in gobs and swamps are excellent areas to leave. Not stands that are commercially available, they can be managed.
Comment #: 32
Do not cut.
Comment #: 33
It is unfortunate that many people, particularly in activist groups, do not realize that trees reach maturity and actually die. Just because some trees reach ages several times as old as humans, they think trees live forever. Their decisions are based on fantisy and emotions rather than biological fact.
Comment #: 34
And educating the public that old growth began as young growth and that today's young growth can and will become old growth if so managed and barring natural disaster.
Comment #: 35
Can't create old forest. Preserve what we have.
Comment #: 36
Old growth timber should be left on a section 640 acres ever so often on Federal land and a road to it so people. Who want see it can. Not thousands and millions of acres to rot.
Comment #: 37
Excellent opportunity to point out benefits managed old growth vs stockpiling
Comment #: 38
Manage for more old forest.
Comment #: 39
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Comment #: 40
Identify and encourage protection and growth of "old forests" save for future generations.
Comment #: 41
I think its wrong not to manage a forest to yield a product. To let an old forest just age for the sake of aging - is wron
Comment #: 42
try to get areas of more old growth in WI even more around farmlands
Comment #: 43
Need for inducement for landowners to be more interested and cooperative - beyond present managed forest plan/laws
Comment #: 44
What is considered old 100-200 years? When was the last ice age? That might be old. We know under intense management, we can grown trees twice as fast, so when they get to acertain size, does that make them an old forest?
Comment #: 45
Some old growth needs to be preserved for study.
Comment #: 46
Examples are fine but we certainly don't need additional acreage set aside for this purpose.
Comment #: 47
Although early successional forests (white birch, aspen, and jack pine) are very important, so are "old-growth" forests. However, it should be emphasized that logging is an essential tool.
Comment #: 48
We cannot bring back forests which people 100 years ago cut down. There are many stands of relatively old trees in WI, and they are getting older all the time! What is the point of addressing this issue?
Comment #: 49
More old forest would be nice. Tax breaks to privates to expand this. Public Access.
Comment #: 50
Need old forest for wildlife and for study.
Comment #: 51
Older stands of trees need to be protected throughout the state, not all stands but a widely dispersed section of forested areas would be beneficial to all. Example recently the Wood County board wanted to harvest a small area of old forest on Power Bluff. Why? Just for a few dollars? We need to protect areas like this.
Comment #: 52
I'm sure that the stands you mention above have been managed properly for many years (MTE over 100 years).
Comment #: 53
part of our plan needs to be achieving a balance among forests of all ages and stages.
Comment #: 54
Be patient, your own report indicates that the forest is aging. By 2100 this shouldn't be much of an issue - esp. if the National Forests morph into National Parks.
Comment #: 55
The beauty and biodiversity of old growth is a treasure. We need to allow old growth areas. The amount of old growth in WI is a shame.
Comment #: 56
Moratorium on logging in old growth.
Comment #: 57
Old trees should have a place in managing for natural/historic biodiversity.
Comment #: 58
The last againt giants - Hemlocks, Yellow Birch - Red and White Pines - Oaks - are treasures and should be protected from cutting on State Land and purchased or traded to keep them for posterity.
Comment #: 59
We have some old forests in this area. Old trees take up room; usually growing on the outside, rotting on the inside, also preventing new young growth.
Comment #: 60
Old forest have to be managed
Comment #: 61
If the issue of "old" forests is just a surrogate for non-management, it should be stated as such.
Comment #: 62
Agree that such stands may be rare, but that setting aside the stands from harvest.
Comment #: 63
Not very clear. You are assuming that all people understand your lingo. This is not true.
Comment #: 64
Our aging forests provide opportunities to manage for old forest.
Comment #: 65
Also poor habitat for game birds and animals. Old growth and unmanaged forests are sick forests and a haven for ?
Comment #: 66
Keep acreage small 1% or less.
Comment #: 67
Management is good for both old and not so old woodlands.
Comment #: 68
Successional again.
Comment #: 69
Remnants are essentially not reasonably renewable and have incredible worth where they are most valued.
Comment #: 70
Wisconsin's "Second Forest" is becoming older. It's now 80 yrs old!!
Comment #: 71
Yes, yes, yes; an issue for future generations.
Comment #: 72
Old growth may serve a purpose to certain extent. It should be harvested at specific age, otherwise it is wasted and turn-around is longer.
Comment #: 73
Nothing lasts forever, bue-it forests or human, or animal. These things cannot be controlled, or kept forever. Its better to utilize the resource then to let it to age and decay!
Comment #: 74
We need to manage for mature forests not old forests.
Comment #: 75
forrest are meant to be harvested unless yu want to watch them rot
Comment #: 76
Toward old forest - strive for old forest.
Comment #: 77
Tot truly manage these areas as "Old Forest" fire suppression efforts would have to be eliminated from these areas. This may be a danger to surroundings.
Comment #: 78
Old trees don't support new life well, provide diversifcation and limits income. If the state wants old growth, it manages more than enough timberland to do it in.
Comment #: 79
Must preserve current old growth and develop methods to ensure future old growth
Comment #: 80
must preserve current old growth and develop methods to ensure future old growth
Comment #: 81
Visiting an old growth forest is a spiritual experience for me
Comment #: 82
In small areas only, not lart tracts
Comment #: 83
Even where trees are harvested - some should be left to stand to maturity. I oppose clear cut harvesting.
Comment #: 84
At sometime an aging stand has to regenerate. My feeling is that harvesting is an essential tool.
Comment #: 85
It is unlikely that future forest management plans will extend beyond 50 or 100 year tree cycles.
Comment #: 86
We need to preserve our old growth.
Comment #: 87
Give tax breaks to those who work toward stand of old growth
Comment #: 88
Here is where foresters did their "job".
Comment #: 89
The DNR foresters need to permit management for old forest as an option in managed forest program plans.
Comment #: 90
We need to preserve a small % of our forests as old growth
Comment #: 91
Nothing the state can do about this issue.
Comment #: 92
How can we study something if it doesn't exist? We need to keep a study old stands.
Comment #: 93
I find more "stuff" to enjoy in an "old" stand of aspen or birch that an old reloc stand of pine or maple.
Comment #: 94
Everything has to die = I believe they should be used while still healthy.
Comment #: 95
A prominent trend is that WI's forest stands are already aging. With properr management certain types will simply grow into old forests. The only "issue" here is do we help that along as Connor & Goodman have or make more areas off limits to management.
Comment #: 96
Address this but maintain a perspective that in todays world a large percentage of forest need not be maintains as "old" (or cannot be).
Comment #: 97
What a shame that we don't have left want a major area of the white pine stands. We should protect and preserve some areas for future generations as time goes on.
Comment #: 98
As a forester on the Connor timber it is important to stress that these forest reached their appearance through continuous "active management". The same results CANNOT be attained through set aside preserves.
Comment #: 99
We need to identify how much, what kind, and where to encourage old growth.
Comment #: 100
I feel the public is more concerned about seeing large trees than old trees. Good management can grow young, healty, and large trees.
Comment #: 101
It must be stressed that harvest can coexist with this issue.
Comment #: 102
What do you mean by "old forest"? Many people have different ideas including foresters. I think we need to defind the term "old forest" before we can manage for it.
Comment #: 103
But there is a great deal of opportunity to manage for old forests on county, state, and federal lands. Remember, it takes time to "get there".
Comment #: 104
But we still need the younger successional stages, more old forest would be nice
Comment #: 105
Let's make sure we realize those opportunities at the appropriate scale.
Comment #: 106
I think for the most part, if people see forests with small sawtimber size trees, that is an old growth forest to them.
Comment #: 107
Why is "old" better in this instance, isn't it a sign (or could be) of a mis-managed, un-healthy stand?
Comment #: 108
This is fine in moderation. We have enough corridors along rivers to work with. Let's not use too broad of a brush with old growth. Afterall, we've done pretty well for 100 years without it.
Comment #: 109
Difficult to address on county forest lands where economics dictate. These are working forests helping to pay for schools, jails, ect..and provide jobs in the area Old forests are available for people to see if they want to walk in cedar swamps.
Comment #: 110
Old forest is a term that should be used sparingly if at all. Is there really such a thing? Some chunk of forest that wasn't burned, diseased or wind damaged? Do we try and manage for old and dying? Sterile? Those who think they know old forest probably don't, or wouldn;t recognize it if fell around them.
Comment #: 111
This is true, but don't take on a preservationist mentality just because trees are getting older. Manage the forests wisely, don't lock them up in a misguided attempt to "save the old trees". Trees die like every other living thing.
Comment #: 112
As long as managed old forest does not mean no management! We can manage for charactoristics of mid-successional and late-successional forest structure, composition and function.
Comment #: 113
I don't think we need to "manage" our old forests. It seems we should simply protect them and allow them to continue to age. Preserve them for future generations.
Comment #: 114
Old growth is a talsman of our heritage and a benchmark for forest ecological study. However, care should be taken that old growth management not become the standard, for it can be counter-productive to biodiversity, multiple-use and "wise-use" of the forest.
Comment #: 115
Again, this will probably focus on education. Many old cedar stands, for example, have little economic value, but great wildlife and diversity benefits.
Comment #: 116
These areas probably have more intense and comprehensive plans already. Can't bring back the old growth white pine in the publics time frame.
Comment #: 117
Old growth forests were common before European settlement, so today's forests is naturally converting back to what it used to be.
Comment #: 118
But the functional aspects of these stands must be considered. A remnant block of old trees may not serve any ecological function.
Comment #: 119
This needs to be addressed carefully. Too many people want old growth everywhere, and there are many areas where this is not a viable option!
Comment #: 120
Now or lose them!
Comment #: 121
Now or lose them!
Comment #: 122
I would like to see this plan identify and address old growth mgt opportunities within our forests.
Comment #: 123
However, people associate old with big and to get big we need to harvest our trees and let some stands and trees get big. I know of several Co. Forest where 18" hardwood is commonly marked because it's economically mature and the foresters where hired to make the County Money. What happened to biological and pathological maturity and managing the whole resource not just the $ resource. Some of us foresters like real big trees and don't see a problem with leaving old large trees within a forest.
Comment #: 124
My opinion is that most of the public considers an old forest as park like setting. The values that are placed on old growth are more likely visual and aesthetic rather than scientific. Old growth just for the sake of old trees is not a healthy way to manage a forest. It is important to have benchmark stands that are left alone but not to mange for this on any type of large scale.
Comment #: 125
Obviously, I am pro-biodiversity. Using aging forests to provide ecosystem needs once met by virgin forests should be done where feasible.
Comment #: 126
Some increase in old forest would add diversity to the overall composition of forest in the state, much like managing for or encouraging an increase in savanna.
Comment #: 127
The rest of the world asks the Menominee for advice on managment. Perhaps the state should too.
Comment #: 128
Should plan to achieve more acrage of old age forests in the future.
Comment #: 129
Target areas that will be preserved for old-growth forests. Try and encourage large preserves of this type of forest.
Comment #: 130
We need to manage for large and old timber. It's important for biodiversity, economics, and aesthetics.
Comment #: 131
these communities are special / valuable for diversity and habitat, being a marinette native i see these areas regularily
Comment #: 132
These biological legacies provide us with a sense of the past and should be embraced through understanding of these rare forests, and enhancement of other forests to this level.
Comment #: 133
These biological legacies provide us with a sense of the past and should be embraced through understanding of these rare forests, and enhancement of other forests to this level.
Comment #: 134
Old growth and old stands should be preserved and utilized as an educational tool for future generations.
Comment #: 135
Try to maintain a variety of forests, from young to old.
Comment #: 136
The aging forest provide the opportunity to manage for old age, but at what expense?
You will be excluding early successional communities, such as aspen, which are declining in the region because of the aging of the forests.
Comment #: 137
These places are special in aestethic and spiritual dimensions. We could decide to design some places to become old growth forests for the 22nd century.
Comment #: 138
These areas need to be left alone and studied to see what happens to them. Succession will naturally occur, but let's not speed the process up!
Comment #: 139
These are just as important as new stands, so if there is some way to help preserve or conserve them, why not try it?!?!?
Comment #: 140
Tis topic will come up so address it. Again, it's not a matter of good or bad, it's how much of the pie will be in this piece.
Comment #: 141
Save what we have.
Comment #: 142
We need to manage more forest acreage for old growth.
Comment #: 143
Important of aesthetic reasons.
Comment #: 144
There needs to be areas where old growth is the primary goal.
Comment #: 145
These older stands will likely help support the biodiversity we are losing, too.
Comment #: 146
Unique areas should be preserved. However, dead and dying material as well as damaged timber from wind, disease, insects, etc. should be salvaged and utilized within a short timeframe.
Comment #: 147
Interesting problem from the perspective
of productivity of forests and their
effect on global climate, wildlife, and
economy. Ecological considerations aside,
old growth is important for the human spirit!
Comment #: 148
The DNR should adopt a comprehensive statewide policy to restore and maintain large stands of old-growth. These should not be cosmetic stands of a few acres, but rather large habitat patches of several hundred or even thousands of acres. These stands should also be embedded in older second growth stands whenever possible, to provide for natural disturbances and connectivity for movement by interior sensitive species.
Comment #: 149
The DNR should adopt a comprehensive statewide policy to restore and maintain large stands of old-growth. These should not be cosmetic stands of a few acres, but rather large habitat patches of several hundred or even thousands of acres. These stands should also be embedded in older second growth stands whenever possible, to provide for natural disturbances and connectivity for movement by interior sensitive species.
Comment #: 150
YES YES These areas must preserved for future
generations. How did they make through the Cutover?
Comment #: 151
The public needs to understand that the old growth forest remnants are the result of active forest management.
Comment #: 152
Even fragments are important for local genetic integrity and aesthetically for a break in the "urban," man-made community.
Comment #: 153
USFS and Menominee Forest are heading in this direction.
Comment #: 154
It is clear that we need a statewide policy to protect and restore old-growth stands, and to maintain adjacent stands in a complementary fashion whenever possible.
Comment #: 155
these old forrests are very good ecosystems for many animals
Comment #: 156
With out forrest we die.
Comment #: 157
I Live in three lakes and the olny stand of old pines is in the scott lake wilderness area. I miss the historic value of these trees and feel there should be more of them
Comment #: 158
Yes, these areas can be addressed in a tiny portion of the plan with the realization that we already have many areas of the state that are classified as "wilderness" or "preservation" areas and they are suitable for this type of forest management.
Comment #: 159
Big deep forests are my favorite thing about Wisconsin.
Comment #: 160
Forests need to be managed yet harvested at times.
Comment #: 161
Preserve stands of old forest. Do not harvest in these areas since these trees are rare.
Comment #: 162
The E.M. Griffith Forest Restoration Area is a proposal I am in support of for the Northern Highlands master plan. I believe the state of Wisconsin (DNR) has done an excellent job of maintaining the Northern Highland area and feel that it is an ideal location for preserving the remnant hemlock,sugar maple and pine forest that remain in northern Wisconsin.
Comment #: 163
The E.M. Griffith Forest Restoration Area is a proposal I am in support of for the Northern Highlands master plan. I believe the state of Wisconsin (DNR) has done an excellent job of maintaining the Northern Highland area and feel that it is an ideal location for preserving the remnant hemlock,sugar maple and pine forest that remain in northern Wisconsin.
Comment #: 164
Protect stands of old forest at all costs. I have visited the Menomonee Forest. It is wonderful.
Comment #: 165
This is part of the forest conitinuum that should be studied and preserved.
Comment #: 166
Harvest when mature and new groth will succeed
Comment #: 167
Harvest when mature and new groth will succeed
Comment #: 168
Why were the forest all cutover? The goverment has so many rules yet look what has happened.
Last Revised: Monday July 30 2007
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