Assemblyman Wants DNR Forestry Headquarters Moved to the Northwoods

A Republican Assemblyman wants the DNR’s Forestry Division moved from Madison to Wisconsin’s northwoods. The lawmaker says the forest economy is under appreciated.

35th District Assemblyman Tom Tiffany, a Republican from Hazelhurst, says he’s heard complaints from those who make a living by logging and milling. They say the DNR doesn’t listen to them, “There were quite a few concerns in the field by field foresters, especially private foresters. The field foresters were not being heard. And I think there’d be greater responsiveness by having the division here in northern Wisconsin.”

Tiffany wants the DNR forestry division moved to Antigo, Merrill or Tomahawk and he’s not buying the argument that the entire agency needs to operate from a central location in Madison, “They said, you know, the reason we have the Division of Forestry in Madison is so that they have an equal seat at the table with the other divisions within the DNR, so whether it’s water division, endangered resources, whomever, they’re able to have their initiatives considered on equal footing.”

But Tiffany says everybody doesn’t have to sit at the same table any more because of computer technology, e-mail and teleconferencing. And he says having the division up north would reinforce the importance of the forest economy, “I really think there’s really a great under appreciation of what an impact forestry has on Wisconsin’s economy. They virtually shut down harvests on these national forest lands. Our state forest lands, some of the harvest has been reduced there also.”

Rep. Tiffany says he has talked to DNR Secretary Cathy Steppe about moving the forestry division, but has not yet talked to Gov. Walker.