Blog Articles

You can now see the results of the 2016 spring hearings statewide or broken down by county. The 2016 spring hearings were conducted in all 72 Wisconsin counties on April 11 at 7pm. At the spring hearings citizens provide feedback and respond to a wide range of proposed fish and wildlife management issues and Conservation Congress advisory questions.

Tom and Mary Kempen’s road to being woodland owners was a winding one. The Kempens built a home in Ashwaubenon in 1979, and Tom had a hankering to heat it with wood. He started looking for a piece of woodlands, so they could have a sustainable source of wood for their wood stove.

On April 5 the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced changes to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system that provides recognition for SFI, ATFS, CSA, and other PEFC-endorsed standards, and creates new opportunities for legal and responsible forest products to earn points. These changes validate and sustain the communities of people across the country working to manage forest responsibly.

Remember – to protect oak trees and help prevent oak wilt, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources advises people to avoid pruning oaks on their property from April through July. Any tree damage during this time creates an opening that exposes live tree tissue and provides an opportunity for the oak wilt fungus to invade and establish itself in the tree.

A travelling John Muir library exhibit is making its way across Wisconsin! Through 2016 the Wisconsin Historical Society is providing a free exhibit to public libraries in 25 communities. The exhibit explores Muir’s youth, advocacy for national parks, and his views on environmental issues such as logging, hunting and climate change.

As the weather warms up ticks will become active again. Ticks are active any time the temperature is above freezing. Though we have multiple species of ticks in Wisconsin and they can carry a variety of diseases, Lyme disease is the one we worry about most. Lyme disease has a wide range of symptoms and can have long lasting effects on those it infects, both humans and our pets.

The Centers for Disease Control with the Mayo Clinic and health officials from Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota found recently that the bacteria Borrelia mayonii can also cause Lyme disease, as well as the previously known Borrelia burgdorferi.  The newly discovered bacteria causes the usual initial symptoms of Lyme, as well as nausea and vomiting. It also does not present with the typical bulls-eye rash of B.

On January 14, 2016 the US Fish and Wildlife Service published the final 4(d) rule for the Northern Long-Eared Bat (NLEB) which was listed as a Threatened species in 2015.  The NLEB is found in Wisconsin and may affect how you manage your woodlands. Learn more at the USFWS  or the Wisconsin DNR website pages on the NLEB.

The Schuh’s woodlands, in Marinette County, have always been a family affair. Kurt’s grandparents bought the first 40 acres in 1964, Kurt and his brother later bought 52 acres, and Kurt and Gloria bought 40 acres, all adjacent to one another, making a contiguous 132 acres today. Gloria loves their woodlands for the space it provides for their family.

The Protecting Americans From Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015 was passed by votes of 318 to 109 in the House and 65 to 33 in the Senate.  President Obama signed the PATH Act on December 18, 2015. With bipartisan support, the bill makes permanent four tax extenders that help donors support their favorite charities:  IRA Charitable Rollover, Conservation Gift Limits, Food Inventory Gifts, and S Corporation Appreciated Gifts.