Welcome to the Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association’s New Website

Please look at WWOA’s Mission Statement …that and other tabs describe What we do and How we do it but let me add some background on Why we do it.

Early settlers to Wisconsin viewed the abundant tracts of mature forest as an unlimited commodity and harvested it without concern for the future. In many cases, the woods were simply burned to make room for agriculture and grazing. In a short span of decades, this massive cutover led to large scale erosion, and loss of habitat for native plant and animal species.

In the mid 20th century, Wisconsinites were shocked into action by the alarm calls from conservationists like Aldo Leopold. Our state was a leader in the conservation of our natural resources and woodlands in particular began to recover.

Today, 16 Million acres or nearly half of the state is forested and most of that is owned by private landowners. This is where WWOA comes in. Founded as a non-profit in 1979, WWOA has grown to over 1400 members and formed partnerships with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the National Resources Conservation Service and other organizations to provide professional advice and financial assistance to private landowners. Our forests are still at risk from invasive species, diseases, wild fires and other hazards. Sustainable management will help address those risks.

Search around our website to see all that WWOA has to offer as well as our quarterly magazine Wisconsin Woodlands.

Hope to see you at Chapter Meetings, Winter Conferences, or our Annual Meeting.

Don Hoffman, President