Wisconsin Struggles to Replace Red Pine and Oak Forests

Concerns about regeneration of the red pine and oak component of Wisconsin forests were a focus in the November meeting of the Wisconsin Council on Forestry in Rhinelander. These centered on the need to replant red pine — arising from the increased average age to 44 years across all red pine forests in the State, according to a COF draft report provided to the meeting.

The lack of availability and the cost of replanting services are a cause for concern. The services are often provided by workers on H-2b visas, but an annual cap on those visas at 66,000 imposed by federal immigration legislation enabling these visas is causing concern, according to Tim O’Hara, Vice-President of Government Affairs of the Forest Resources Association.

More than 35% of planted red pine in Wisconsin is over 50 years old, according to data from the US Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data. The average age of red pine in the state has increased by 17 years since 1983. The lack of future supply could hamper mills in the state that use red pine (for utility poles among other products).

There will be about 20,000 acres of planted red pine with an even aged harvest planned in the next 20 years on state and county lands, according to the report.

Replanting red pine after a harvest is costly because it requires trenching, roller chopping, and herbicide land preparation, according to foresters who commented at the meeting. One landowner, the Bureau of Commissioners of Public Lands, has suggested pooled or cooperative ownership of equipment (like a roller chopper) to share costs. The equipment would only be used for one to two weeks per year, according to Kevin Burns, BCPL’s Chief Forester.

Meanwhile, there are parallel but different concerns about the state’s oak population, which is mainly growing on private land.

The average age of the oak population has remained steady in the mid-60-year-old range. However, the young replacement category of oak is very low—less than 7% is under 20 years old. This signals a looming oak replacement crisis. Development pressures and an increased deer browse cause long-term worries about the state’s oak forests.

The full Council on Forestry report is available here: Read More