Practicing sustainable forestry on Wisconsin's state forests

The law guiding management of Wisconsin's state forests was changed in 1996 to mandate the forests be managed to assure the practice of sustainable forestry. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is now in the midst of master planning on two state forests. Five key issues that present critical challenges in achieving sustainability are: sustainable forestry is inherently value-based; there is a high level of uncertainty and risk associated with decisions regarding sustainability; we will never have all of the information we would like to make decisions; it is difficult to present technical information to the public in a way that facilitates their ability to effectively inform decision-making; and to be successful we must build effective monitoring programs and adapt to new information, and changing conditions and values. The key to success is to effectively involve people in the planning and implementation process. Although we could debate the challenges well into the future, the Department is moving forward using the framework of sustainable forestry to guide management of our state forests.