Forestry Tour to inform Legislators on Importance of Forestry to Northern Economy
On Thursday, Rep. Rob Swearingen (R-Rhinelander) and I were joined by eleven of our Assembly Republicans colleagues, who represent districts that cover all corners of the state, for a behind-the-scenes tour of northern Wisconsin’s logging and forestry industry. Included in that eleven was Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester), Assistant Majority Leader Dan Knodl (R-Germantown), Joint Finance Co-Chair John Nygren (R-Marinette), and Forestry Chair Jeff Mursau (R-Crivitz).
The group began the day in Tomahawk, with a visit to a cut site
operated by logger Paul Roberts. We had the opportunity
to observe Roberts and his team harvesting timber and to hear
the history of Roberts Logging that stretches back to the late
1800s. Industry professional Henry Schienebeck of Great Lakes
Timber Professionals Association and Jane Severt of Wisconsin
County Forests Association also participated in the tour and
shared their expertise with the group.
We continued on to Antigo, where Kretz Lumber company
president, Troy Brown, hosted a working-lunch Q&A
session, followed by a full tour of the plant. We were able to
get a firsthand look at the unique lumber
handling process that sets Kretz apart from its competitors. It
was important to highlight these processes and to make the
legislators aware of the critical need for a
consistent timber supply to produce high-quality wood products
for cabinetmakers, furniture, flooring, window and door
manufacturers.
A visit to the Packaging Corporation of America mill in Tomahawk
was the third and final stop of the day. Mill manager Adam
Webster opened with a brief presentation of PCA’s leading role
in the corrugated cardboards market and took the group on a
step-by-step tour of each phase in the production process.
Webster echoed the comments of Brown from earlier in the day,
that one of the single biggest challenges facing Wisconsin mills
today is a dependable and adequate wood supply.
Rep. Vorpagel, Rep. Nygren, and I at the PCA in Tomahawk.
As a legislator from the north, I was grateful to have
legislators from other parts of the state take the
time to learn more about Wisconsin’s northern forestry industry.
Here in the northwoods we understand forests are not only for
recreation but are also a vital part of the economy. It is
important that my colleagues from other regions of the state,
especially those from more urban areas, recognize that
we need to support our timber producers to ensure that the local
economy in the north can compete and remain viable.
According to the DNR, forestry is the number one employer in
seven northern Wisconsin counties and is the state’s
second-largest manufacturing employer. The combined job total
for all aspects of the forestry industry including forestry and
logging, pulp and paper, sawmills and wood products is over
62,200 employees at 1,462 establishments. The average wage is
$49,583 and total wages contribute $3.1 billion per year to
Wisconsin’s economy.
Click here to watch Channel 12 WJFW News Story
News from the Capitol
This week, I had three bills signed into law by the Governor.
Senate Bill 254 – clarifies that the Achievement Gap Reduction (AGR) contracts must require school boards to implement one or more of the three statutorily defined strategies in each class in each participating grade at each participating school. The bill also delays annual evaluations of the AGR program by one year. The bill passed the Senate on a voice vote and was concurred by the Assembly on a voice vote. It is Act 71.
Senate Bill 286 – limits double damages to cases in which a dog bit “with sufficient force to break the skin and cause permanent physical scarring or disfigurement,” and increases maximum fines on dog owners to $2,500 with notice or $5,000 without notice. The bill also expands those who can obtain a civil order for an officer to kill a dog to individuals who have been injured by the dog, whose minor children were injured by the dog, or whose domestic animals were injured by the dog. The bill passed the Senate on a voice vote and was concurred by the Assembly on a voice vote. It is Act 112.
Assembly Bill 434 – implements several updates to the Natural Resources Automated Licensing System (ALIS), including allowing the Department of Natural Resources to designate alternative, modern forms of proof of certain documents; allowing receipts to be shown and used as proof of recreational vehicle registration, certification, trail pass, or trail use sticker until official documents arrive in the mail; and allowing antique snowmobiles to operate without a trail pass sticker on their antique windshields. The bill also eliminates the requirement for a carcass tag to be attached to an animal, retaining required validation by DNR; eliminates the requirement of a DNR permit to take and possess velvet antlers or fawn skin of deer/elk, because poachers don’t seek out permits; prohibits the buying or selling of fraudulent proof of license, registrations, or passes. The bill additionally plugs a loophole for certain fraudulent boat certificates, ensures out of state violators are charged in Dane County Courts, and ensures that in-state violators are charged in the county courts of violation occurrences. The bill passed the Assembly by a vote of 97-0 and was concurred by the Senate by a vote of 32-0. It is Act 89.
In other news, the State Senate has approved amended versions of the campaign finance and GAB bills and will be sending them back to the Assembly to sign off on the changes. The vote on the campaign finance bill was 17-15 after GOP and the GAB bill cleared by a vote of 18-14.
The Assembly will meet in a Special Session on Monday, November 16th @ 1 PM to vote on these newly amended versions.
