Timber Production May Soon Increase In Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest

A big expansion of timber cutting in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Wisconsin may be on the horizon.

The state Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Forest Service are expanding their partnership to speed up timber sales in the national forest that covers much of the northern part of the state.

Officials hope the so-called Good Neighbor Authority will boost the amount of timber to be offered for harvest by 25 percent next year. But Chequamegon-Nicolet supervisor Paul Strong said that won’t the forest will get damaged.

“Even with the state’s addition, we’re going to be below, in a sense, the sustainable levels of doing this work,” Strong said. “So I don’t think the citizens of Wisconsin or any other place should be concerned.”

The DNR said some of the money from the additional timber sales will go toward improving wildlife habitat.

One group that’s challenged the Forest Service on past timber sales in the national forest is raising concerns about the new plan. Jennifer Tarr of the Environmental Law and Policy Center said she’s concerned about what the Good Neighbor Authority would mean for wildlife and water quality.

“There are a number of gorgeous Class 1 and 2 trout streams, plus high-quality forests where you have endangered species like the pine marten,” said Tarr.

The Forest Service says the additional timber cutting would be below the level authorized in the Chequamegon-Nicolet management plan, but Tarr contends the forest is already showing stress from logging, including less tree-species diversity.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, for her part, praised the additional Forest Service-DNR collaboration.