Draft Forestry BMPs

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-Forestry Division, in partnership with the Wisconsin Council on Forestry, will hold four listening sessions in August on a set of proposed voluntary Best Management Practices for Invasive Species.

The purpose of the listening sessions is to gather public input on the BMPs.

The BMPs offer a framework for addressing the state’s invasives problems. The Forestry BMP Manual that has been developed offers voluntary practices to integrate with normal forest management that otherwise could be a vector for the spread of invasive species. The manual includes standards of practice that will aid landowners, land managers, and loggers in limiting the introduction and spread of invasive plants, invertebrates, and diseases.

Public Listening Sessions

The listening sessions, all of which will start at 4 p.m., will be held at the following locations.

• Aug. 18 in Rhinelander, at Rhinelander City Hall, 135 S. Stevens St.
• Aug. 19 in Stevens Point, at the Portage County Courthouse Annex, 1462 Strongs Ave.
• Aug. 20 in Spooner, at the Spooner Ag Research Station, W6646 Highway 70.
• Aug. 21 in Madison, at the Madison Public Library-Hawthorne Branch, 2707 E. Washington Ave.

Background

In 2006, representatives of Wisconsin’s forestry community made a commitment to protect the native biodiversity and economic productivity of the state’s forests through the development of voluntary Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPS) for Invasive Species. The original charge came from the Wisconsin Council on Forestry (a stakeholder organization that advises the governor). The Forestry Invasive Leadership Team, which provided the technical assistance to the Forestry Council, guided the process and developed a set of voluntary guidance for landowners, loggers, and land managers.

From the outset, everyone involved in the process has been committed to the common goal of sustaining the productivity and viability of Wisconsin’s forest resources. As a result of the variety of perspectives and experiences of participants and their commitment to opening this process up to all stakeholders, the resulting BMPs will be effective and reasonable to implement. The final product has been vetted by the public through listening sessions in order to incorporate input from all sectors of the forestry community.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-Forestry Division, in partnership with the Wisconsin Council on Forestry, facilitated the development of the BMPs with funding from the US Forest Service. The BMPs offer a framework for addressing the state’s invasives problems. The Forestry BMPs for Invasive Species Manual offers voluntary practices that can be integrated with forest management activities. The manual includes standards of practice that will aid landowners, land managers, and loggers in limiting the introduction and spread of invasive plants, invertebrates, and diseases.