MADISON – Interim plans that will guide the management of forest resources of state-owned properties — including one in Marathon County — are now available for review and comment from April 16 through April 30.
Interim plans guide forest management on properties until formal master plans are completed.
Interim Forest Management Plans are important because they help department staff guide forest management on state properties to consider ecological, economic and recreational factors. The planning process also provides an opportunity for interested and affected stakeholders to have input on forest management, according to Shelley Warwick, property planner with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Facilities and Lands in Madison.
The properties with interim forest management plans available for public comment are State Ice Age Trail areas in Marathon County, the Bauer-Brockway Barrens State Natural Area in Jackson County and the Brillion Marsh Wildlife Area in Calumet County.
“People want to know we are managing their lands well, and consumers increasingly prefer products from sustainably managed forests,” Warwick said. The Wisconsin forest products industry is a $24.7 billion per year business that directly supports nearly 65,000 jobs.
A complete list of properties and the interim plans for each one, as well as directions on how to submit comments, can be found online on the DNR website dnr.wi.gov by searching keyword “IFMP.”
People can fill out an electronic survey to submit comments, or can download the form and mail it in. Comments, either electronic or written, are due by 4:30 p.m. on April 30, 2018.
