To better fulfill the Council’s role to advise the governor, legislature, Department of Natural Resources, and other state agencies on a host of forestry issues, the Council went through a strategic review and planning effort that began early in 2020. It has been 17 years since the Council was established in State Statute and this effort is meant to assure that we are operating and focused on how best to achieve our mission and ensure the health and sustainability of Wisconsin forests.
The process consisted of establishing Strategic Goals, which are to be followed by Initiatives and Tactics that will be executed to achieve the Goals. This process set the Council’s high-level priorities and ongoing focus. The Council will continue to address additional timely topics as they arise and deemed relative to our mission.
Council members submitted topics that each felt were of high importance to Wisconsin forestry and suitable for the Council to address. A total of 14 goal statements emerged from this discussion. Council members were asked to choose their top five priorities for the Council and then rank those in importance. The outcomes yielded the following:
Top Five Strategic Goals:
Enhance the Council on Forestry’s profile and ability to be viewed as the source of expertise on broad forestry topics in Wisconsin.
Explore options for stable state funding for forestry and the programs the DNR’s budget support.
Raise awareness, and advocate for, the critical role our state’s transportation infrastructure plays in supporting our timber industry.
Promote the benefits of sound forest management and policies that provide ecological, economic, social and cultural benefits for present and future generations.
Research, promote and support efforts to increase utilization of the State’s forest products.
The Council will be forming committees to develop initiatives and tactics to advance efforts related to these priority goals. The balance of the Strategic Goals not making the top five are listed below. The Council will continue to be mindful of opportunities to advance these topics and include considerations in efforts related to the top five goals.
Engage partners in the water community so the role forestry plays to maintain our state’s water resources is recognized.
Play an active role in developing and sharing science, tools, policy, and planning strategies to manage for potential climate change impacts.
Promote the health and economic benefits to WI residents from forests and urban tree cover.
Act as a conduit to share science and information with forest stakeholder groups to increase forest and industry adaptive capacity to respond to change and stressors.
Promote management and solutions to mitigate impacts of invasive species on forest composition and regeneration.
Be an influential part of the discussion on deer populations in order to have forestry considered in deer population management.
Build shared value and identity around the economic and other benefits that forest- based recreation provides to communities.
Advocate for career and profitable business opportunities in the timber industry.
Illuminate the important economic and ecological values stewarded by private woodland owners.