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Special Committee on Review of the Managed Forest Land Program

Chair: Sen. Dale Schultz
Vice Chair: Rep. Fred Clark
Legislative Council Staff:  Scott Grosz and Rachel Letzing
Member List 
Subcommittee on Public Access Member List
Subcommittee on Revenue and Planning Member List

The Special Committee is directed to review the Managed Forest Land (MFL) Program in order to ensure the long-term management and sustainability of private forest lands and to increase participation in the program. The committee shall review the following issues: (a) the scope and statutory purposes of the MFL program; (b) ways to increase public access on MFL lands; (c) the relationship between local zoning and the entry of parcels in the MFL program; (d) The impact of MFL enrollment on local and county revenues; and (e) trends in forest ownership and trends in forest product markets including biofuels.

Report to the Legislature
  • Report to the Legislature 2011-02, Special Committee on the Managed Forest Land Program (August 15, 2011; Revised December 5, 2011).

  • 2011 Senate Bill 161, relating to creating forest enterprise areas; the creation of a managed forest land board of review; review of certain decisions of the Department of Natural Resources regarding forestry practices on managed forest land; annual allowable timber harvests; management plans for large ownerships of managed forest land and for group enrollments; designation of additional managed forest land; leasing of managed forest land; the taxation of managed forest land; granting rule-making authority; requiring the exercise of rule-making authority; and making an appropriation.

  • 2011 Assembly Bill 402, relating to creating forest enterprise areas; the creation of a managed forest land board of review; review of certain decisions of the Department of Natural Resources regarding forestry practices on managed forest land; annual allowable timber harvests; management plans for large ownerships of managed forest land and for group enrollments; designation of additional managed forest land; leasing of managed forest land; the taxation of managed forest land; granting rule-making authority; requiring the exercise of rule-making authority; and making an appropriation.
Results of the May 4, 2011 Joint Legislative Council Meeting
Recommendations to the Joint Legislative Council (May 4, 2011)

  • Memo to Members of the Special Committee, Council Consideration of Committee Report (April 27, 2011).

  • Proposed Report 2011-02, Special Committee on Review of the Managed Forest Land Program (February 18, 2010).
  • WLC: 0044/1, relating to leasing of managed forest land.
  • WLC: 0050/1, relating to designation of additional managed forest land.
  • WLC: 0054/2, relating to the taxation of managed forest land.
  • WLC: 0056/1, relating to modification of management plans for large ownerships of managed forest land and group enrollments, and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority.
  • WLC: 0061/2, relating to creating forest enterprise areas, requiring the exercise of rule-making authority and making an appropriation.
  • WLC: 0062/1, relating to annual allowable timber harvests, modification of management plans for large ownerships of managed forest land and group enrollments, and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority.
  • WLC: 0067/2, relating to the creation of a managed forest land board of review and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority.
January 13, 2011 Meeting
  • WLC: 0044/1, relating to leasing of managed forest land.
  • WLC: 0050/1, relating to designation of additional managed forest land.
  • WLC: 0054/1, relating to the taxation of managed forest land.
  • WLC: 0056/1, relating to modification of management plans for large ownerships of managed forest land and group enrollments, and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority.
  • WLC: 0061/1, relating to creating forest enterprise areas, requiring the exercise of rule-making authority and making an appropriation.
  • WLC: 0062/1, relating to annual allowable timber harvests, modification of management plans for large ownerships of managed forest land and group enrollments, and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority.
  • WLC: 0067/1, relating to the creation of a managed forest land board of review and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority.
  • Letter from Public Member Eugene Roark to Members of the Special Committee on Review of the Managed Forest Land Program (November 19, 2010).
  • Memorandum, Proposed Bills to the Managed Forest Law, from Kathy Nelson, Forest Tax Program and Policy Chief, Department of Natural Resources (January 11, 2011).
  • Handout, Property Tax Comparisons Summarized distributed at the request of Richard Wedepohl, Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association.
December 15, 2010 (Canceled)
  •   Letter from Public Member Eugene Roark to Members of the Special Committee on Review of the Managed Forest Land Program (November 19, 2010).
November 11, 2010 Meeting of the Subcommittee on Public Access
  • Handout distributed by Chair Clark.
  • Memo No. 4, Options for Subcommittee Discussion (November 10, 2010).
November 11, 2010 Meeting of the Subcommittee on Revenue and Local Planning
  • Handout distributed by Public Member Mark Rickenbach.
  • Memo No. 4, Options for Subcommittee Discussion (November 10, 2010).
November 4, 2010 Meeting of the Subcommittee on Public Access
  •  Handout, Forest Enterprise Areas with MFL, distributed by Rick Stadelman.
October 27, 2010 Meeting of the Subcommittee on Revenue and Local Planning
 
October 6, 2010
  • Memo No. 2, Public Access Options (September 29, 2010).
  • Memo No. 3, Proposal Regarding the Sale of Carbon and Other Ecosystem Services Credits Under the MFL Program (October 5, 2010).
  • Presentation, Chequamegon School District Presentation, by Mark Luoma, former District Administrator, Chequamegon School District.
  • Handout, distributed by John Walasek, Price County Board.
  • Testimony, My Long and Rocky MFL Marriage, by Lowell Klessig.
  • Handout, A Fundamental Principle of Democracy - A Government Official Can Not sit in Judgment of His Own Judgments, by Lowell Klessig.
  • Presentation, Forest Management and Economics, by Steve Henker, Senior Resource Manager – Lake States Region, Plum Creek Timber Company, Inc.
  • Memorandum, Public Access Fees on managed Forest Law Acreage, from George Meyer, Executive Director, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation (October 6, 2010).
  • Presentation, WDNR Harvest Goals and Scheduling, by Jeff Barkley, WDNR County Forest/Public Lands Specialist (October 6, 2010).
  • Presentation, Additional Information, by Kathy Nelson, Forest Tax Law Program and Policy Chief (October 6, 2010).
  • Handout, Estimated Wisconsin Local Government Comprehensive Planning Status, distributed by Richard Stadelman, Wisconsin Towns Association (March 6, 2010).
  • Testimony by Clyde Samsel.
September 9, 2010
  • 2000 Managed Forest Land Tax Comparisons, distributed by Lynn Neek, Price County Treasurer.
  • Resolution No. 37-10, distributed by Lynn Neek, Price County Treasurer.
  • Handout, A Brief History of Sustainable Forestry, prepared by Paul Pingrey (September 9, 2010).
  • Presentation, Evolution of Sustainable Forestry in Wisconsin's MFL, by Paul E. Pingrey (September 9, 2010).
  • Presentation, Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association, by Richard Wedepohl, Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association.
  • Testimony, Wisconsin Landowners and the Managed Forest Law, Mark Rickenbach, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, UW-Madison.
  • Presentation, Wisconsin Landowners and the Managed Forest Law, Mark Rickenbach, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, UW-Madison.
  • Discussion questions distributed by Chair Clark (September 9, 2010).
  • Testimony by Kathy Nelson, Forest Tax Program and Policy Chief, Division of Forestry, Department of Natural Resources (September 9, 2010).
  • Sample forestry plan submitted by DNR.
August 18, 2010
  • Memo No. 1, The Managed Forest Land Program (August 11, 2010).
  • Presentation, An Overview of the Wisconsin Council on Forestry, Report to the Legislature, by Fred Souba, Jr.
  • Report to the Legislature Regarding a Legislative Study on the Managed Forest Law, Fred Souba, Jr.
  • Presentation, Carbon Credits & Ecosystem Markets for Private Landowners, Katie Fernholz, Dovetail Partners, Inc. (August 17, 2010).
  • Presentation, Wisconsin's Largest Private Forest Management Incentive Program, by Kathy Nelson, Forest Tax Law Program and Policy Chief, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) (August 18, 2010).
  • Presentation, Wisconsin's Forest Industry, by Terry Mace, Forest Product Specialist, Wisconsin DNR Division of Forestry (August 18, 2010).
  • Testimony by Pau DeLong, Administrator, Division of Forestry, DNR (August 18, 2010).
  • Wisconsin's Managed Forest Law, A Program Primer, prepared by DNR, Division of Forestry, Primary Authority Kathryn J. Nelson, Forest Tax Program and Policy Chief (August 18, 2010).