Other Sources of Guidance
- The American Tree Farm® System
- Community Forestry Resource Center
- Cooperative Development Services
- University of Wisconsin-Extension
- Wisconsin Family Forests
- Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association (WWOA)
- Master Logger Certification
- Wisconsin Forestry Cooperatives
American Tree Farm® System
The American Tree Farm® System is a nation-wide program encouraging private forest owners to do an effective job of growing trees as a crop. You may have seen a green and white Tree Farm sign on your travels around Wisconsin. Tree Farm is sponsored by professional foresters working for government agencies, industry, and as consulting foresters. Tree Farm inspectors must meet minimum education and experience requirements.
If you are interested in becoming a Tree Farmer, contact the Wisconsin Tree Farm Committee or your local DNR forester. They will arrange to have a state, private or industrial forester look at your property to prepare a Tree Farm management plan. Once certified as a Tree Farm, you can display the sign and subscribe to the American Tree Farmer magazine. You'll receive notices of conferences, conventions, field days, and study tours on forestry. Certified Tree Farm landowners are also eligible to compete in annual Outstanding Tree Farmer competitions.
For information on Tree Farming in Wisconsin, contact:
Wisconsin Tree Farm Committee
PO Box 285
Stevens Point, WI 54481
Phone: 715-252-2001
Email: wtfc@athenet.net
Community Forestry Resource Center
The Community Forestry Resource Center (CFRC) promotes responsible forest management by encouraging the long-term health and prosperity of small, privately owned woodlots, their owners, and their communities.
The CFRC works with private landowners in Wisconsin and other parts of the country to meet their goals for forest management. Specifically, the CFRC assists landowners who are interested in forming an association or cooperative or in becoming certified through the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The CFRC assists with all aspects of establishing forest owner groups, including business and market planning, management planning, and membership development. The CFRC also hosts workshops and training sessions for landowners, resource managers and loggers.
For more information about the Community Forestry Resource Center, contact:
Community Forestry Resource Center
2105 First Avenue S.
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Phone: 612-870-3407
Email: forestrycenter@iatp.org
See the Community Forestry Resource Center web site at: www.forestrycenter.org (exit DNR)
Cooperative Development Services
Cooperative Development Services (CDS), a non-profit organization based in Madison, has assisted in the development of more than15 sustainable forest owner cooperatives and associations in the Upper Midwest since January 1998. The goal of these local initiatives is to provide their members with good returns on the sale of forest products, while at the same time maintaining or improving the ecological and esthetic condition of their woods.
CDS assists new and established groups of woodland owners with:
- Developing business plans
- Strategic planning
- Grant and loan procurement
- Member recruitment
- Other technical assistance.
Cooperative Development Services
E.G. Nadeau, Project Coordinator
Cooperative Development Services
131 West Wilson St., Suite 400
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608-258-4393 Email: egnadeau@inxpress.net
Internet site: www.cdsus.coop (exit DNR)
University of Wisconsin-Extension
The University of Wisconsin-Extension is a source of bulletins about forest management, forest insect and disease pests, wildlife and many other topics of interest to landowners. Visit your local UW Extension Office, or check the UW-Extension's Forest Management publications on their web sites: http://forest.wisc.edu/extension/forfact.htm (exit DNR) or http://cecommerce.uwex.edu/ (exit DNR). UWEX bulletins available on the web are now printable.
The Internet also has a vast selection of forestry publications from universities around the country. You may want to start at A Forest Landowner's Guide to the Internet. (exit DNR). It includes links to publications in the following categories: Recreation, Wildlife/Hunting, Income Tax and Estate Planning, Economics of Forest Investments, Tree Identification/Species Information, Forest Health and Protection, Seedling Suppliers/Tree Planting, Forest Management Planning, Silviculture, Forest Sampling and Inventory, Forest Harvesting Operations, Timber Sales, Special Forest Products, Riparian Forest Management, Glossaries of Forestry Terms, etc.
Wisconsin Family Forests
Wisconsin Family Forests has historically consisted of alliances of local forest landowners that share their experiences and pool their needs for professional assistance and educational information. Local alliances are the foundation of our organization.
Our recent research shows that we need to provide outreach if we are to accomplish our goals. We know there are many others who are not yet aware of the need to care for their woods or know how to get started. Wisconsin Family Forests is launching a new Woodland Advocate Program that is aimed at providing an outreach to woodland owners and helping them find the resources to help them care for their woods. This program does not require membership in WFF or any group or organization, but rather it is primarily aimed at providing a valuable service to woodland owners. WFF believes that this new program has the potential to reach many woodland owners who want to take care of their woods.
WFF and its partners will train and support experienced woodland owners so they can effectively assist landowners. Advocates will bring a landowner’s perspective, are able to listen and hear what the landowner wants, and can share the wisdom they’ve gained from their experiences in the woods. They will offer personalized trusted advice with no strings attached.
Wisconsin Family Forests
625 E. County Road Y, Suite 700
Oshkosh, WI 54901-9731
Office: (920)424-7888 Cell: (715) 213-1618 Fax: (920) 424-4404
Email: info@wisconsinfamilyforests.org
Internet: http://www.wisconsinfamilyforests.org (exit DNR)
Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association (WWOA)
is a nonprofit [501(c)(3)], educational association for private woodland owners in Wisconsin. WWOA offers year-round educational opportunities for novice and experienced private woodland owners who want to become better stewards of their woodlands. WWOA publishes the quarterly, award-winning magazine Woodland Management and the biannual News from Wisconsin's Woods newsletter. WWOA sponsors workshops, conferences, field days and a three-day annual meeting in September. Local WWOA chapters, located throughout Wisconsin, are a great way to learn more about local issues and meet neighboring woodland owners. WWOA also has statewide committees on Education, Government Affairs, Marketing, Science, and Publications to help keep members up-to-date on information in these areas. The WWOA Foundation is developing the Seno Woodland Education Center in SE Wisconsin as an educational facility for youths and adults. WWOA works to bridge the gap between woodland owners and natural resource professionals. Visit our website at www.wisconsinwoodlands.org to learn more or contact us for a free information packet.
Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association
Nancy Bozek, Executive Director
PO Box 285
2000 Maria Drive
Stevens Point, WI 54481-0285
Phone: 715-346-4798 Email: wwoa@uwsp.edu
Internet: http://www.wisconsinwoodlands.org (exit DNR)
Master Logger Certification
Master Logger Certification (MLC©) is a performance-based program that formally recognizes those loggers who have attained the utmost level of training and experience, and who demonstrate an unending commitment to sound forest stewardship. It is the highest form of professional recognition for the logging sector in the state.
Not anyone can be a Master Logger. Every Master Logger applicant must meet or exceed strict performance standards that fall under seven distinct “Areas of Responsibility.” Their harvesting practices must pass a rigorous field audit and their operations must receive the unanimous approval of the Wisconsin MLC© Certification Board. The Certification Board is a diverse group of resource experts and stakeholders, all knowledgeable about the practice of sustainable forestry.
Once an individual becomes a Master Logger©, they must be prepared to meet the same verification standards on all of their work. This is done through bi-annual re-certification and a complaint system that can trigger a re-visit from field verifiers. The purpose of this program is not just to hold loggers to a higher standard, but to provide a gold standard that is recognizable by forest landowners and mills. To date, 24 Master Loggers have been certified, with more groups to follow.
Why is Certification Needed?
Why is certification needed for any profession? To give clients, customers, or the general public assurances that the person performing the job has the education, training, skill, and experience to do the job correctly. Many loggers already meet all the standards and criteria of the MLC© program. The problem is they don't have a formal way to prove it. Other loggers can easily meet the requirements with slight modifications to their operations. And some loggers will either not be able to meet the standards, or won't care to.
The Seven Areas of Responsibility
The American Logging Council developed seven Areas of Responsibility for the nation-wide Master Logger program. Any logger wishing to become a certified Master Logger must meet or exceed strict performance standards in each of the following seven areas:
- Water quality and soils protection
- Compliance with government regulations
- Compliance with acceptable silviculture and utilization standards
- Participation in an on-going training regimen
- Implementation of aesthetic management techniques
- Adherence to a site-specific management plan that is agreed to by the landowner
- Utilization of sound business management principles
For More Information
If you are interested in learning more about the Master Logger program, contact FISTA at 1-800-551-2656 or via email at info@fistausa.org.
Web address: www.wpla.org/master.html
Wisconsin Forestry Cooperatives
There are currently five woodland owner cooperatives providing forestry services in Wisconsin. These cooperatives provide a range of services to members, including land stewardship education, development of woodland management plans, sustainable harvesting, processing, and marketing, among thers. Contact information and services areas for these cooperatives are presented below.
Hiawatha Sustainable Woods Coop - Serving west central Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota
Larry Gates, President
P.O. Box 1136
Winona, MN 55987
Phone: (507)280-5065
Kickapoo Woods Cooperative - Serving southwestern Wisconsin
Paul Bader, Coordinator
P.O. Box 71
LaFarge, WI 54639
Phone: (608)625-2515 Email: domehome@mwt.net Website: www.kickapoowoods.org
Living Forest Cooperative - Serving Northern Wisconsin
Charly Ray, Manager
422 Third Street West, Suite 103
Ashland, WI 54806
Phone: (715) 682-0007 Fax: (715)682-8415 E-mail: livfor@cheqnet.net
Partners in Forestry - Serving northeastern Wisconsin
Joe Hovel, President
6063 Baker Lake Rd.
Conover, WI 54519
Phone: (715) 479-8528
Washington Island Timber Cooperative, Inc. - Serving Washington Island
Jim Goodwin, President
852 Jackson Harbor Rd
Washington Island, WI 54246
Phone: (920) 847-2357 Email: goody@dcwis.com
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