Woodland Mentor Program Topics 8-10 | Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association

What are your goals for timber harvests? What methods of harvesting, professional assistance, and contracts can help you meet these goals?
Are you familiar with Wisconsin’s Best Management Practices (BMP)? How can they help you when considering implementing forestry practices?
After the harvest, will natural regeneration produce the desired quantity and species, or will you need to plant seedlings?
How do you calculate the number of seedlings to order, what species you need, and where to purchase seedlings?
After tree planting or regeneration, how should you monitor these sites for survival of the seedlings?
What is your order of removal in your ecosystem and with your objectives?
What is your plan on what you want to do with the material/slash after a harvest?
How long does it take you to clean up after a harvest?
How do you market your timber? Where do you sell your timber?
Do you allow hunters or the public on your land? What are the positives and negatives of this?
Do you use afforestation or reforestation? Where do you buy your seedlings?

Topic 9: Forest Health

Best Management Practices:

Wisconsin DNR Forest Health 2022 Annual Report

Wisconsin’s Forestry Best Management Practices for Water Quality Field Manual

WI DNR Threats to Forest Health NEW 2023 resource

Healthy Forest Practices

Forest Health Webpage (DNR)

Forest Health Staff (DNR)

Invasive Species / Control Methods:

Wisconsin’s Forestry Best Management Practices for Invasive Species Field Manual

WI DNR Invasive Species

A Field Guide to Terrestrial Invasive Plants in Wisconsin

Invasive Plant Management Factsheets

Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education “Protecting Wisconsin Forests from Invasive Species” (YouTube)

Woody Invasives of the Great Lakes Collaborative (WIGL)

Jumping Worm

Control Methods for Invasive Species

Pesticide Applicator Training Program (UW-Madison)

“A Time to Learn, Identify, Report and Control Invasive Species in Wisconsin” (Podcast)

Look for and Report These Nine Invasive Species

“Invasive Plants in Wisconsin” (Podcast)

Woody Plants in North America – I.D. Tool (Virginia Tech Dendrology)

Soil Quality:

Maintaining Soil Quality in Woodlands

NRCS Web Soil Survey– This application allows you view water and soil data at the location of your land

Web Soil Survey Tutorial (YouTube)

WI NRCS Soil Resources

Diagnostic Labs and Identification Tools (Insect, Plant, Soil, Weed) (UW-Madison)

Fire as a Tool and Prevention Information:

WI DNR Fire Management Dashboards

Wisconsin Burning Restrictions, Wildfire and Prescribed Fire Activity

“Red Pine, Fire, Oh My!” (Podcast)

Firewise – Home Ignition Zone Poster

Firewise Landscaping – A Guide to Protecting Your Home from Wildfire

Forested and Firewise

“An Era of Megafires” (Podcast)

Tree Damage:

Environmental Causes of Tree Damage

How to Manage Deer Damage on Trees and Other Plants

Woodland Stewardship for Landowners: Managing Deer Damage to Young Trees (YouTube)

Trees and Flooding FAQ’s (MI State University)

Peach Bark Beetle and Cherry Scallop Shell Moth

Common Diseases:

“Oak Wilt – protect your trees” (YouTube)

Oak Harvesting Guidelines to Reduce the Risk of Introduction and Spread of Oak Wilt

WI DNR Oak Wilt Guide

Spruce Problems

Armillaria Root Disease

Emerald Ash Borer

WI Emerald Ash Borer Information Source

“Protecting Your Tree from the Emerald Ash Borer” (YouTube)

Spongy Moth Management Guide for homeowners

Beech Bark Disease

Diplodia Factsheet

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

Heterobasidion Root Disease (HRD)

“Your Trees Could Be At Risk: HRD in Wisconsin” (YouTube)

Forest Tent Caterpillar

Welcome Package Publications:

Common and Glossy Buckthorn
Invasive Exotic Shrub Honeysuckles
Preventing Wildfires
Emerald Ash Borer Field Guide (card)
Emerald Ash Borer (sheet)
Wisconsin Wildcards (wild parsnip, gypsy moth egg mass, poison ivy)
Additional Regulated Invasive Plants in WI
Comparison of the Eastern Tent Caterpillar, Forest Tent Caterpillar, and Gypsy Moth
Garlic Mustard
Oak Wilt in Wisconsin’s Forests
Protect Your Woods for Tomorrow: A tool to assess risk in a changing climate
Climate Change Projections for Individual Tree Species

Discussion Questions:

What do you keep track of to determine that your woods are in good health? Is there something that you think you should add to your list?
How often do you check your woods for signs of common forest health problems?
Does your property have any current health problems? What are you doing to manage it?
What invasive species live on your land? Are they affecting the health of your forest?
When are the best times to remove invasive species on your land? What kind of treatments are you most comfortable using (mechanical or chemical)? How well do your treatments work?
Have you ever had your soil tested at a lab? Did the results help you determine which species of tree would do best there?
What fire prevention methods do you practice? Do you take care of your “home ignition zone”?
Is deer browse an issue for your woodland? Do you take any prevention measures?
Do you consider climate change projections when deciding what species of tree to plant?

Topic 10: Growing Your Legacy

Land Succession:

WWOA Resources:

Ties to the Land Resources:

Preserving the Family Woods: Tools to Help Guide Transfer to the Next Generation of Landowners

Your Land, Your Legacy: Deciding the future of your land to meet the needs of your and your family (U of Mass)

Who gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate? – Inheritance Planning Video (U of MN Extension)

Future of My Land, Family Communication (U Mass Amherst)

Estate Planning:

What is Estate Planning? – Estate Planning in Wisconsin (YouTube)

Country Acres – a guide to buying and managing rural property (UW Extension)

Family Estate Planning in WI (UW Extension)

Forest Stewardship Estate Planning (Penn State Extension)

It’s Your Legacy – Conservation-based Estate Planning (U of MN Extension)

Estate Planning for Forest Landowners

“From Grief Comes A Mission To Make Estate Planning Less Daunting” (NPR podcast) NEW 2022 resource

Land transfers (donations/inheritance):

Gathering Waters: WI’s alliance for land trusts

Donating/Gifting Your Land to DNR

Forest Legacy (USFS)

Getting Started with Intergenerational Land Transfers (U of MN Extension)

Transfer and Estate Planning (U of MN Extension)

Wisconsin Inheritance Laws

Welcome Package Publications:

My Land Handbook
Growing Your Legacy Pamphlet

Discussion Questions:

How do you engage your family and friends in caring for and enjoying your woods?
How can you create family traditions and connections to the land?
Have you completed or started completing pages within your My Land Handbook? Has it been helpful for you too keep important documentation in one place? Do you use the hard copy or digital copy? Do your family members know where your My Land Handbook is?
What are each of your family members’ most valued memories of time in your woods?
After watching the WWOA family legacy videos, how did they keep their family’s attachments to the land growing? When did they start and where are they now?
Do you have a land succession plan in place for your woodland property?
Do you have periodic discussion with family members regarding land succession planning? Do you know their feelings on the matter?
Do you have any advice about talking to family members while keeping mutual respect and honesty in mind? How can you make these discussions less uncomfortable?
If property transfer within the family is not practical, what is your plan? Sale, donation to a land conservancy/trust, and conservation easements are all options.
Have you consulted with a legal estate planning expert to make your intentions clear and binding?