Blog Articles

Rev. James Rivers, Janesville (formerly of Wild Rose)…passed away on Saturday, June 11, 2022. He retired to a Tree Farm in Wild Rose in 2001 because of his wife Nancy’s failing health.  Their woods was a Golden Sands RC&D demonstration forest for many years.

Donald Burke, formerly of Hancock…passed away peacefully from a stroke on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at the Overland Park, KS Regional Hospital. A charter WWOA member, Don and his wife, Evelyn, were active in the Central Sands Chapter and attended many WWOA Annual Meetings.  They loved living on the family tree farm, B-Kin Land. In 2019, they relocated to Overland Park, KS to the Brookdale Independent Living Facility, closer to most of their family.

Patricia Pheifer, Neenah…peacefully went to heaven on Sunday, February 6, 2022. Alan Pheifer, Neenah…passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 11, 2021. The Pheifers enjoyed spending time with their family feeding birds and watching or hunting deer at the Al Pheifer Family Woodlands in Scandinavia In lieu of flowers a memorial is being established in their name.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) will be setting more than 10,000 traps for spongy moth (formerly known as gypsy moth) in 47 counties from mid-May through early June. DATCP requests that property owners allow trappers access to place traps and not disturb the traps once in place.

Robert “Bob” A. Borchers, Pickens, SC… passed away on Saturday, October 30, 2021 surrounded by his loving family. When he was just 18 years old, Bob purchased 168 acres in Trego, WI and together (ne and his father) they planted seedlings to grow what became Will Be Done Farms.  He was a lifelong member of the Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association.

James “Jim” Albert Baker, Viola…passed away peacefully in the care of his family on Thursday, February 3, 2022.  Jim became interested in tree farming (in retirement) and was a member of the Walnut Council and WI Woodland Owners Association.  he planted over 150,00 black walnut and other trees on his farms on Elk Creek and Tar Hollow.

Today, the Governor’s office announced that he had signed AB 909 (now Act 230) with changes to the Managed Forest Law program.  Act 230, makes a number of changes to the Managed Forest Land (MFL) program, including modifying the 20-acre eligibility threshold by allowing two noncontiguous 10-acre parcels to qualify for enrollment into the program, creating an exception to the prohibition on buildings and improvements on MFL parcels, and requiring the DNR to promulgate separate…

Emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive insect from Asia that was first introduced into the United States in 2002. The Emerald ash borer (EAB) has been found in 64 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties.  Since its discovery, EAB has caused the death and decline of tens of millions of ash trees. Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is using ash trees against the pest to help preserve and protect the tree species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced on March 22, 2022, a proposal to reclassify the northern long-eared bat as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The bat, currently listed as threatened, faces extinction due to the range-wide impacts of white-nose syndrome, a deadly disease affecting cave-dwelling bats across the continent. Bats are critical to healthy, functioning ecosystems and contribute at least $3 billion annually to the U.S.

The Stevens Point Journal is reporting that the Stevens Point paper mill has been sold to a Miami-based private equity firm. Pixelle Specialty Solutions and other affiliated paper mill plants have been sold to H.I.G. Capital. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The Stevens Point mill employs about 300 people. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of this year.