Blog Articles

Jeff Smaby, Mindoro…passed away unexpectedly yet peacefully surrounded by his family on Wednesday, January 26, 2022.  Jeff was a long-time Wisconsin Woodlands magazine advertiser and owner of Three Rivers Forestry.  Jeff never knew a stranger.  He was the kind of guy who could strike up a conversation with anyone and would instantly become friends. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, February 5, 2022 at 11:00 am at St.

John Boudry, Antigo/Appleton…passed away on January 25, 2022.  John was a charter WWOA member.  He earned his B.S. in Conservation from UW-Stevens Point in 1956 and later a M.S. from University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.  For 30 years, he taught Biology for the Antigo School District and served as the advisor for the Boy’s Forestry Club.

Willard “Will” Kiefer Jr, Lake Nebagamon – passed away on Saturday, January 22, 2022 at home.  Will had a long career as a forester with the WI DNR.   He was an active and enthusiastic Northwest Chapter member.  For several years he served as the chapter chair and kept the chapter going when no one else stepped forward.  He provided advice on field day and speaker topics along with assisting those who suffered from natural disasters…

The WWOA Board of Directors held a special Board meeting on January 12, 2022 to respond to the proposed WI DNR Forest Tax Law Handbook changes. WWOA’s response to the proposed changes can be read HERE.

Donna Lee Deppeler, Monroe – passed away unexpectedly at home on Wednesday, December 22, 2021. Donna and her husband, Jim, reverse-downsized by moving to the farm in Monroe in 2019 – a move which puzzled their children but delighted the two of them. She is survived by her husband and WWOA Black Hawk Chapter chair, James F.

Allen Jeffrey “Jeff” Martin, PhD, Middleton – passed away on  Monday, December 13, 2021. Jeff spent his life working in and for our forests, first with the US Forest Service as a research forester and then as a forestry professor/extension for UW-Madison.

Harold E. Manhart, MD, Montrose, CO and Barneveld, WI – passed away on December 5, 2021. In 1966 he purchased a dairy farm in western Wisconsin with plans to turn it into a productive conservation tree farm specializing in American Walnut. Over the ensuing 55 years his effort has been rewarded with multiple recognitions, including Conservation Farm of the Year on two occasions.

Janet L.

John P.

WWOA members met for the Annual Business Meeting on Saturday, September 18, 2021 in Hudson.  More than 180 members gathered for the meeting.  While WWOA in person activities were suspended until May 1, 2021 due to COVID-19, President Randy Cooper noted how nice it was to be together at the Annual Meeting after not holding a meeting in 2020.