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TRUST LANDS > Sustainable Forestry
Sustainable Forestry In our dual role as generators of income for today’s Trust beneficiaries and protectors of the Trust Lands for generations to come, we are committed to a long-term strategy of sustainable forestry and conservation. Timber sales Timber production and other activities are scheduled as part of 15-year plans designed to manage Trust Lands responsibly and sustainably for the benefit of all Wisconsin citizens. Timber harvests are used as a tool to maintain existing forest types or to encourage conversion to a forest type more adapted to existing site conditions. Forest regeneration Consistent with our commitment to sustainable forestry, agency staff and contract crews planted more than 118,000 trees covering about 750 acres in the 2007-09 biennium (July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2009). This was a 14.5% increase over the previous biennium. Jack pine, red pine and white pine were planted by commercial contract crews on 142 acres of regeneration cuts on the sandy and sandy loam soils of Marinette, Oneida and Vilas Counties. BCPL staff, local workers, and volunteers planted groups of trees to diversify forests on the better soils of Oneida, Forest, Florence, Vilas, and Langlade Counties. White pine, red pine, white spruce, and yellow birch were underplanted in canopy gaps and openings from selectively cut timber sales. Underplanting involves planting seedlings tolerant enough of shade to grow well under the canopy of mature trees. We used local workers to assist staff in underplanting after timber sales. Two of the workers were from logging firms that have been cutting timber on Trust Lands for many years, a tribute to these firms’ commitment to sustainable forest stewardship. Managing invasive species Invasive species, and especially exotic invasives, alter forest composition and productivity. These species—Emerald Ash Borer, garlic mustard, European buckthorn, purple loosestrife, Asian honeysuckle, wild parsnip, and spotted knapweed, for example—are a serious threat to Trust Lands and forests across North America. Preventing introductions of these and other invasive and exotic species may be impossible. We are preparing a more comprehensive assessment of the threat of invasives on Trust Lands and developing strategies to prevent or mitigate their spread. The local challenge of global climate change Global climate change is no longer debatable as a threat to ecosystems. Changes in temperature and rainfall affect in unpredictable ways the assets we manage. The trend of milder winters with less snow cover in northern Wisconsin has exacerbated already high deer populations. Forest fragmentation limits public access, making deer herd management more difficult. The resulting increase in deer browse has seriously limited the reproduction and growth of hemlock, cedar, white pine, basswood, yellow birch, and red oak on Trust Lands. As a result of continued harvest and low regeneration rates, the number of mature higher value species such as yellow birch continues to decline. Portions of the northern forests also continue to be stressed by severe drought, now in the fifth year. Severe drought stress has affected white birch, yellow birch, sugar maple, and mature aspen. Some have experienced crown dieback; others have died. Seepage lakes and rivers are near or at record low levels. Many wetlands and ephemeral ponds are completely dry. Drought also reduced the numbers of insects, important food sources for birds. These trends and events contribute to the challenges of forest restoration and long-term management. We continue to monitor the diverse ecosystems on Trust Lands and strive to manage them responsibly and sustainably for the benefit of all of Wisconsin’s citizens.
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