Results from an audit of 27 of Wisconsin’s county forests indicate for the 11th consecutive year these forests have exceeded the standards for certified forests as set by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and/or Forest Stewardship Council, according to a statement released by the Wisconsin County Forests Association.
The Oconto County Forest is among the 27 attaining these standards.
SFI and FSC are two of the most widely recognized forest certification systems in North America. Certification means that these forests are managed according to strict environmental, social and economic standards.
According to Jane Severt, Wisconsin County Forests Association executive director, “The 2015 certification audit results demonstrate the exemplary efforts individual county forest administrators and their staff make to properly manage these public properties. Collectively, county forests in Wisconsin represent the largest public landholding in the state covering 2.4 million acres.”
The Oconto County Forest covers approximately 43,345 acres, with 15 forest cover types comprising the commercial forest, according to the Oconto County website.
The forest’s administrative offices are at the courthouse in Oconto, and the field headquarters are located on County Road N in Oconto. Timber contracts, sold twice a year, allow logging contractors the right to harvest forest products from county land.
Major programs include the sale of timber contracts, an ongoing program of contract inspection to check for compliance, timber scaling to account for wood removed from the forest and billing and payment collection.
Other major programs include maintenance on approximately 28 miles of forest roads and property boundary lines, preparation of 100 acres for tree planting, machine and hand-planting of approximately 100,000 seedlings, herbicide and mechanical release of over 200 acres of pine plantations, issuance of approximately 50 firewood permits annually, and insect control as needed.
The county forestry department also cooperates with the Department of Natural Resources in fish management, wildlife management and forest fire protection programs.
The focus of the county forests department is to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of forest ecosystems while providing benefits to the public. Primary objectives include resource and timber management, recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat improvement and watershed protection.
Wisconsin’s county forest system provides more than 6,000 miles of snowmobile, ATV, skiing/hiking trails and forest roads along with a wealth of hunting and fishing opportunities. Forest products from these forests generate over $30 million annually in timber sale revenue for the counties and townships encompassing these lands and are a significant contributor to Wisconsin’s $20 billion timber industry.
A cooperative management framework between the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the counties provides the opportunity for the county forest group certification program. DNR holds the group certificates for the 27 participating counties and provides technical support to county forest management efforts.
Paul Delong, chief forester of the DNR stated, “Our department works closely with the staff of the county forests to manage these healthy, productive and sustainable forests. The county forest program is a unique partnership that stretches back 86 years and it’s a great example of how local governments and state agencies can work together in addressing statewide needs.”
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