Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
- How can I find out what private forest lands are open to hunters?
- I have a question about caring for my forest land. Can you help?
- Where can I buy aerial photographs of my forest land?
- How can I get trained to fight forest fires?
- Where can I find some basic statistics on WI forests?
- I have a really big tree on my property. How can I nominate it as a possible "champion"--the biggest tree of its kind?
- What is a "legal description" of my land?
Buying/Selling Trees
- How do I sell that big black walnut tree in my front yard?
- Does the State provide tree seedlings for forest landowners to plant?
- Read this publication for more information on marketing urban trees.
Emerald Ash Borer
Forest Health Issues
Forest Tax Laws
Karner Blue Butterfly Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP)
Wisconsin's Forestry Best Management Practices for Water Quality
- What are Wisconsin's Forestry Best Management Practices for Water Quality?
- Why were Forestry BMPs developed?
- Is it required by law that Forestry BMPs are used during timber harvesting?
- Where do I find information about Forestry BMPs?
- Why should I use Forestry BMPs?
- What should I do if I decide to use Forestry BMPs on my property?
- What should I do if I encounter a unique situation that is not covered in the Forestry BMP manual?
- Has any monitoring been done to show that Forestry BMPs are effective in protecting water quality?
- What is the monitoring process?
General
How can I find out what private forest lands are open to hunters?
The lists of open lands are available for free download from the open lands page. There is also a form available to order the lists if you would prefer them to be mailed to you. The lists only show survey descriptions; you may need plat books that map ownership boundaries, roads, rivers, lakes, and some other physical land features.
I have a question about caring for my forest land. Can you help?
The DNR service foresters work with private forest landowners and are excellent resources for all your forest land concerns. Consulting foresters are another source of assistance. If the service or consulting forester cannot help you directly, he/she can usually put you in contact with someone who can.
Where can I buy aerial photographs of my forest land? Ordering aerial photos
How can I get trained to fight forest fires?
Basic training for agencies with wildland or prescribed fire responsibilities requires S-190 Introduction to Fire Behavior and S-130 Firefighter Training, with I-100 Incident Command System (ICS) Orientation recommended. These are the entry-level courses. In Wisconsin, these courses are generally held during the winter months, prior to fire season. An agency may sponsor you to attend these courses, if you are willing to assist them during fire season in Wisconsin. Contact your local Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or National Park Service office to see if this is an option.
A number of the vocational schools and a few of the universities in Wisconsin offer these courses during their school year, and most DNR Areas host this series annually. If you are willing to travel to receive the training, check Training Schedules and Training Academies on the following site for other opportunities. http://www.na.fs.fed.us/firetraining/trngsched.htm (exit DNR)
Taking the courses without sponsorship does not mean you will automatically be hired by one of these agencies, but it does give you the basics for fire suppression training.
There is also a fitness requirement. Each agency does its own staff fitness testing, and certifying (red carding).
After assisting an agency in-state during fire season, most will help you coordinate an out-of-state assignment, if that is of interest to you.
For additional information, contact:
Suzann (Su) DaWalt
WI Dept. of Natural Resources
Division of Forestry - Training Officer
107 Sutliff Avenue
Rhinelander, WI 54501
Phone: 715-365-8912
Fax: 715-365-8962
I'm looking for some basic facts on Wisconsin Forests. Where can I find them?
We have answers to 20 different questions on our Basic Facts pages. If you don't find what you are looking for there, email us at: DNR Division of Forestry.
I have a really big tree on my property. How can I know if it's the biggest tree of it's kind?
The Wisconsin DNR maintains records on the largest trees in the state. We call them champion trees. For information on records, champion tree nomination, other statewide resources visit the champion tree pages. The champion tree records are a result of the work of many people such as yourself. Please keep the nominations and updates coming!
What is a "legal description" of my land?
A legal description is used to describe the location of your
land in legal documents (for example, the deed to your land). The Public
Land Survey System (PLSS) is used in legal descriptions. It employs a
grid system based on township, range and section numbers. Click to examples
and more descriptive information.
Forest Health
I think my trees are sick. What should I do?
Follow these steps.
Buying/Selling Trees
How do I sell that big black walnut tree in my front yard?
The marketing of shade trees is difficult and in most cases impossible. There are four basic factors that affect the value of a tree: its size, quantity of wood, quality of wood, and location. Any or all of these factors might combine to make a shade tree of no value to a forest products firm.
Generally, a tree must be at least 44 inches in circumference and 9 feet from the ground to the first limb to be considered as possibly saleable. Defects such as improper pruning, damage from nails, spikes, birds, lawnmowers, etc. reduce the tree's market value. Most urban or residential lot trees have to be taken down one branch at a time to avoid disrupting telephone lines, power lines and other buildings. This is often too time consuming and costly to the purchaser.
If you believe your tree has the size, quality and location to be sold, contact your county forester.
Read this publication for more information on marketing urban trees (exit DNR).
Does the State provide tree seedlings for forest landowners to plant?
The state owns three forest nurseries and sells seedlings to Wisconsin landowners at our cost of production. Each fall season, you may buy seedlings until inventory is depleted.
Marketing urban trees (exit DNR).
Forest Tax Laws
How can I lower the property taxes on my forest land?
By enrolling in the Managed Forest tax law program, you can defer your property taxes until a harvest is completed (as prescribed and required in the Forest Management Plan).
Karner Blue Butterfly
Go to Karner Blue Butterfly...
What do adult Karner blues look like?
Karner blues are small, with a wingspan of about one inch. The wing top sides of male butterflies are deep sky blue, while those of the female are darker blue and brown with orange spots on the edges of both hind wings. Both sexes can be identified by the bands of orange spots on the underside edge of their wings.
What do Karner blue caterpillars look like?
Karner blue caterpillars (larvae) are pale green and 2 to 14 millimeters long, depending on their age. They are usually found feeding on wild lupine leaves and are often guarded by ants that collect a sugary solution secreted by the caterpillars' bodies. It is very difficult to distinguish between Karner blue caterpillars and similar butterfly larvae.
How many eggs are there in a Karner blue clutch?
Females release 1-3 eggs at a time and can release up to about 10 eggs per day.
Where do Karner blues lay their eggs?
Karner blues typically lay their eggs on or near wild lupine plants, on the lower parts of the stems and petioles.
How long does a Karner blue caterpillar feed before it pupates?
Caterpillars feed on wild lupine leaves for three to four weeks before pupating.
What does a Karner blue pupa look like, and how long is the pupation period?
The pupa of a Karner blue is a small, brown, cocoon-like body attached to a firm surface, usually a wild lupine stem or a clump of leaf litter. Karner blues pupate for 5-11 days before they emerge as adults.
How far do Karner blues travel?
Most Karner blues stay within about 200 meters of their home lupine patch, though some may disperse as far as 1.4 miles in a very open landscape.
Where do Karner blues go in the winter?
The second annual generation of Karner blues lays eggs on lupine or nearby grasses at the end of summer. The eggs remain attached to the plants through the fall and winter, when the plants die back and are covered by winter snows. Snow cover may insulate the eggs and cushion them from impact. These eggs hatch in mid-April to produce the first Karner blues of the year. For more information about the Karner blue life cycle, see the DNR Karner Blue Ecology fact sheet.
How long do adult Karner blues live, and what do they eat?
Adult Karner blues usually live about 5-7 days, but may live longer. They feed on the nectar of wildflowers and get minerals from drying water puddles or dung.
What is the Karner taxonomic classification?
The Karner blue butterfly is one of six subspecies of Lycaeides melissa, commonly known as the Melissa blue. It is in the Lycaenidae (Gossamer-Winged Butterfly) family.
Where are Karner blues found?
The Karner blue (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) currently occurs in at least seven states — Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, New Hampshire, New York and Ohio. The Karner blue lives in open areas with sandy soils that support the wild lupine plant.
Karner Blue Butterfly Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP)
What are incidental take permits and habitat conservation plans?
When a non-Federal land manager plans an activity that may inadvertently "take" (harass, harm or kill) a federally threatened or endangered species, that land manager must apply to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for an incidental take permit. The incidental take permit application must be accompanied by a habitat conservation plan (HCP) that outlines a conservation program for avoiding, minimizing, mitigating and monitoring the take. An incidental take permit allows take at levels that do not threaten the long-term survival and recovery of the species. Intentional take (e.g., collection, hunting, intentional habitat destruction) is never allowed.
What is "take"?
"Take" is defined in the Endangered Species Act as harassing, harming, pursuing, hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, trapping, capturing, or collecting a threatened or endangered species. Harm includes habitat destruction or degradation that impairs essential behavioral patterns such as breeding, feeding, or sheltering.
Why is the Wisconsin Karner Blue HCP a statewide program?
Because Karner blues are distributed across such a large area of Wisconsin, and because there are so many landowners in the Karner blue range, the HCP and associated incidental take permit were designed to cover the entire state. A statewide HCP requires only one permit application (in lieu of many separate applications) and provides for a landscape conservation approach. HCP conservation activities focus on the central and northwest parts of Wisconsin, where the wild lupine plant supports the Karner blue.
If I have wild lupine on my property, do I have to participate in the HCP?
Not necessarily. Land managers in the Karner blue range whose activities include: 1) permanent habitat destruction (e.g., roadway or subdivision construction), 2) right-of-way management, or 3) commercial forestry on more than 1,000 acres need to apply for an incidental take permit. In general, the easiest and least expensive way for these land managers to obtain incidental take permit coverage is to become a partner in the HCP. Land managers who are HCP partners, include utility companies, road managers, commercial foresters, county forest managers and others.
Small private landowners, farmers, and foresters with less than 1000 acres generally do not need to apply for an incidental take permit. They are automatically covered by the statewide permit and may participate in Karner blue conservation voluntarily. Landowners in this voluntary participation group generally face no legal penalties if they choose not to participate. The 3-Year Participation Strategy Review Report highlights the achievements of this voluntary participation group.
Contact the HCP Coordinator at the Wisconsin DNR (608) 261-6451 for detailed participation opportunities.
If I'm not required to participate in the HCP, can I still help the Karner blue?
If you own land in the Karner blue range, you can do a few things to create and maintain butterfly habitat on your property. These activities may include brush clearing, planting of lupine and nectar species, and invasive species control.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has a program that provides technical and monetary assistance to private landowners who would like to help conserve the butterfly on their property. For more information on this landowner assistance program, call the FWS at 608-221-1206, ext. 21, and read the FWS fact sheet on Restoring Habitat for the Karner Blue Butterfly on Private Lands in Wisconsin. More information is available on the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program website . The DNR fact sheet on Growing Wild Lupine offers some technical advice.
If you live in the Karner blue range, chances are good that HCP partners and participants manage land in your county. You may be able to assist an HCP partner with their conservation efforts. Check the online HCP partner list for participating land managers in your area. You can also help by talking to other landowners and educators about Karner blue conservation.
What effect will the HCP have on existing management practices on partner lands?
The HCP allows land managers to continue land management (e.g., forestry, roadway and corridor maintenance) in and around Karner blue habitat, provided they modify their activities to minimize negative impacts on Karner blues and their habitat. Karner blue conservation is not incompatible with land uses in central and northwestern Wisconsin. In fact, long-term maintenance of Karner blue habitat requires the types of periodic clearing (e.g., mowing and logging) that are common in Wisconsin's Karner blue range.
HCP partners employ several techniques to protect Karner blues and their habitat. These include: timing of mowing and herbicide applications to protect summer-flowering lupine and nectar plants, creation of dispersal corridors between Karner blue-occupied sites, and maintenance of "shifting mosaics" on forest land. Shifting mosaics are arrangements of forest parcels, logged on a rotating basis to maintain Karner blue habitat.
Permanent take (e.g., road or subdivision construction on Karner blue-occupied land) requires a mitigation plan to avoid or minimize take and recreate Karner blue habitat elsewhere.
Why is the Karner blue butterfly so important?
Frequently, species become endangered because their habitats are diminished or degraded. The Karner blue butterfly is no exception. The Karner blue needs open oak savannas and pine barrens to live, and these ecosystems have become increasingly rare in its natural range. Central and northwestern Wisconsin contains much of the Karner blue's last remaining habitat.
By protecting the Karner blue, we are protecting imperiled grassland ecosystems and many other rare species that depend on them, including the Kirtland's warbler, slender glass lizard, eastern massasauga rattlesnake, wood turtle, powesheik skipper, regal fritillary, yellow gentian and Hill's thistle. Ecosystem conservation helps maintain biological diversity and stable, resilient landscapes.
Wisconsin's Forestry Best Management Practices for Water Quality
What are Wisconsin's Forestry Best Management Practices for Water Quality?
Wisconsin's Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Water Quality are easy, cost effective practices that allow for successful and sustainable forest management, including timber harvesting, while protecting water quality. Forestry BMPs provide guidance in the following categories:
- Riparian Management Zones
- Forest Roads
- Timber Harvesting
- Wetlands
- Mechanical Site Preparation and Tree Planting
- Prescribed Burning and Wildfire
- Fuels, Lubricants, Waste and Spills
- Chemicals
Why were Forestry BMPs developed?
Forestry BMPs were developed in response to federal legislation. Section 208 of the 1977 Clean Water Act required each state to develop plans and procedures to control "silviculturally related nonpoint sources of pollution…to the extent feasible." In addition, Section 319 of the 1987 Water Quality Act required that each state develop and implement a program to reduce nonpoint source pollution to the "maximum extent practicable." To adhere to the legislation, Wisconsin developed its Forestry Best Management Practices for Water Quality Program which officially began in 1995.
Nonpoint source pollution occurs when surface water runoff from rainfall or snowmelt moves across the ground, picking up and carrying pollutants into streams, lakes, wetlands and groundwater. Nonpoint source pollution results from a variety of activities in Wisconsin, including fertilizers from agricultural land and residential areas, toxic chemicals from urban runoff and energy production, sediment from improperly managed construction sites, croplands, and forest lands, and bacteria and nutrients from livestock and agriculture.
Sediment is the primary pollutant associated with forestry activities. Stream crossings for forest roads and skid trails usually cause the most damage to water quality. It is estimated that only about three to five-percent of the state's nonpoint pollution comes from forestry activities on Wisconsin's 16 million acres of forest lands. Nevertheless, individuals involved with forest management activities in Wisconsin are committed to protecting the state's water resources. Nonpoint source pollution is now regarded as the largest remaining pollution threat to Wisconsin's waters, so this commitment from forestry professionals to protect Wisconsin's waters through the use of Forestry BMPs is quite remarkable.
Is it required by law that Forestry BMPs are used during timber harvesting?
Forestry BMPs are required on county and state owned forest lands in Wisconsin. A number of Forestry BMPs are required on private (industrial and non-industrial) lands that are enrolled in the Managed Forest Law (MFL). In addition, county, state, and MFL lands are now certified as sustainable, and this certification further reinforces the use of Forestry BMPs.
Forestry BMPs are voluntary on other forest lands in the state, although it is strongly encouraged that landowners implement them. This will provide adequate protection to water quality while engaging in forest management activities.
Where do I find information about Forestry BMPs?
The primary source of information about Forestry BMPs is the field manual entitled, Wisconsin's Forestry Best Management Practices for Water Quality - Field Manual for Loggers, Landowners and Land Managers (Publication # FR-093). This field manual details all of the Forestry BMPs with information regarding how, where and when to implement Forestry BMPs. This manual can be received by contacting:
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Division of Forestry
P.O. Box 7921
Madison, WI 53707-7921
phone: 608-267-7494
The field manual is also available electronically at: http://dnr.wi.gov/forestry/Usesof/bmp/bmpfieldmanual.htm.
Why should I use Forestry BMPs?
Forestry BMPs are especially important if there are lakes, rivers or wetlands on your property. Even if these water resources do not exist on your property, forestry activities can potentially impact groundwater or water resources outside the boundaries of your property. Not only do Forestry BMPs protect water quality, but they are also guidelines that will promote a healthy and sustainable forest that will be enjoyed by future generations. They will promote good forest management practices, control erosion, and protect the aesthetic value of your forest.
What should I do if I decide to use Forestry BMPs on my property?
If you are going to be harvesting timber on your property and you are interested in implementing the Forestry BMPs, you can include your intent as an item in your management plan. You should definitely include your intent as a condition in the timber sale contract so the forester/logger is required to implement Forestry BMPs. It is up to you though, to monitor the timber harvest to ensure that Forestry BMPs are being implemented.
What should I do if I encounter a unique situation that is not covered in the Forestry BMP manual?
Forestry BMPs are guidelines and the manual definitely does not cover all situations. Forestry BMPs may be modified for specific site conditions, but it is imperative that this be done under the guidance of a forester or other natural resource professional. It must be ensured that the modifications of Forestry BMPs provide equal or greater protection to water quality.
Has any monitoring been done to show that Forestry BMPs are effective in protecting water quality?
Forestry BMPs have been monitored in Wisconsin since 1995. Monitoring provides the opportunity to determine the application and effectiveness of Forestry BMPs across the state. Qualitative monitoring provides the opportunity to determine the effects of either applying or not applying Forestry BMPs on water quality. To date, monitoring has shown that BMP application and effectiveness is quite good in Wisconsin. When applied correctly in the situations where they are needed, Forestry BMPs have been 99% effective in preventing adverse impacts to water quality.
What is the monitoring process?
The process of monitoring a timber sale consists of a monitoring team traveling to various timber sales sites and visually evaluating the application and effectiveness of Forestry BMPs on each site in a one or two hour visit. Monitoring teams are made up of people from a variety of interests, backgrounds and expertise, including public and private institutions, industry, conservation organizations, and the University of Wisconsin system. Teams are calibrated in a two-day workshop, so that monitoring assessments between teams are the same. The teams fill out a worksheet as they assess the site, and consensus must be reached for each question before the team leaves the site.
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