Conservation Resources in the Northwoods Region
This list is not comprehensive, but meant to provide a quick reference to many of the conservation strategies mentioned in this Handbook
Northwoods region land trusts
Are you considering a conservation easement? These organizations will facilitate or hold these protections.
Michigan: western Upper Peninsula
Keweenaw Land Trust
Website: www.keweenawlandtrust.org
Email: pat@keweenawlandtrust.org or evan@keweenawlandtrust.org
Phone: 906-482-0820
Address: 801 N Lincoln Dr #306, Hancock, MI 49930
Michigan: regions outside Houghton, Keweenaw, Gogebic, Baraga and Ontonagon Counties
Heart of the Lakes
Website: www.heartofthe lakes.org
Phone: 989-292-3582
Address: P.O. Box 1128 Bay City, MI 48706
Wisconsin: Vilas, Iron, Price, Oneida, Florence and Forest Counties
Northwoods Land Trust
Website: www.northwoodslandtrust.org
Email: nwlt@northwoodslandtrust.org
Phone: 715-479-2490
Address: PO Box 321, 519 Wall St. Eagle River WI 54521
Wisconsin: full list of land trusts around the state
Gathering Waters, WI Alliance for Land Trusts
Website: www.gatheringwaters.org
Phone: 608-251-9131
Address: 211 S. Paterson St. Suite 270, Madison, WI 53703
Federal programs to assist forest landowners: US Department of Agriculture programs
USFS: United States Forest Service is more than the manager of the National Forests. Their nationwide programs include assisting states with conservation programs including Stewardship funds, The Forest Legacy Program, and Community Forest Program. A USFS division helps states assist woodland owners.
USFS State & Private Forestry division
Website: www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/state-private-forestry
Local contacts: Refer to different programs within the division (information on website)
Natural Resource Conservation Service
Website: www.nrcs.usda.gov
Local contacts: Find your local contact at the website, or look in your local phone book for the NRCS or USDA Farm Service Agency (see Section 3 of the Handbook for list of some of their programs). Many local foresters can also help with these contacts.
NOTE: Information on the Regional Conservation Partnership Program is also at the NRCS website
Tax Law Program and local governmental assistance
These regional programs provide support and incentives for sustainable forest management
Michigan Qualified Forest Program, Agriculture & Rural Development
Website: www.michigan.gov/qfp
Email: MDARD-QFP@michigan.gov
Phone: 517-284-5630
Address: P.O. Box 30017 Lansing, Michigan 48909
More information: Michigan also has governmental units termed County Conservation Districts. Oversight by the MDARD assists these districts in helping growers. These folks can assist in a wide variety of tasks to assist you with conservation practices, including tree & shrub sales.
Website: www.macd.org
Michigan Commercial Forest, Michigan DNR Forest Resource Division
Website: www.michigan.gov/commercialforest
Phone: 517-284-5849
Address: PO Box 30452, Lansing, MI 48909
Local contacts: MDNR has Service Foresters at several locations, including Baraga, MI (MDNR Service Center, 427 US-41, Baraga, MI 49908; Phone: 906-353-665). They also have a list of consulting foresters working in the western UP, which can be found here: www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/FSP_PlanWriters_WUP_527287_7.pdf
Wisconsin Tax Law & forestry technical assistance
Website: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/forestlandowners/mfl
Local contacts: Each county in Wisconsin has representation from a DNR Forester who can answer questions about MFL, help with non MFL Stewardship Plans, and offer technical forestry advice. The MFL Program, including a list of current CPW can be found at the website. Additionally, for a list of WDNR Foresters in each county and services they may offer, visit: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/ForestLandowners/locator/DNR_Foresters.asp
Other valuable partners in our conservation efforts
This is not a comprehensive list, but these partners have been active in Northwoods conservation projects alongside our efforts
Wisconsin Green Fire
Mission: Voices for science-based conservation
Website: https://wigreenfire.org
Email: info@wigreenfire.org
Phone: 715-203-0384
Address: P.O. Box 1206, Rhinelander, WI 54501
Friends of Sylvania
Mission: Works to protect the integrity of Sylvania Wilderness and its surrounding areas
Website: http://www.friendsofsylvania.org/
Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition
Mission: Grass roots conservation efforts throughout the UP
Website: https://www.upenvironment.org
Email: upec@upenvironment.org
Phone: 906-201-1949
Address: P.O. Box 673 Houghton, MI 49931
Wisconsin Resource Conservation & Development Councils
Mission: The RC&Ds help organize cooperative efforts for forestry and invasive species management and much more.
Website: https://wisconsinrcd.wixsite.com/home/learn-more
Local contacts: Lumberjack in Rhinelander, 715-396-9886, www.lumberjackrcd.org
Golden Sands in Stevens Point, 715-343-6215, www.goldensandsrcd.org
Glacier Land in Green Bay, 920-465-3006, www.glacierlandrcd.org
Wisconsin Headwaters Invasives Partnership
Mission: Invasive species management and mitigation
Website: http://www.whipinvasives.org/
Local contacts: There are 14 Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas in Wisconsin, including WHIP. They can be reached through the RC&D contacts, above.
Keweenaw Invasive Species Management
Mission: Partnership with Michigan Technological University and others on invasives
Website: https://www.mtu.edu/kisma/invasive-species/
Email: kisma.up@gmail.com
Phone: 906-487-1139
Wisconsin Land & Water Conservation Departments (by county)
Mission: Most Wisconsin counties have LWCD, with funding assistance from the Department of Agriculture. Check with your county government for local details.
Website: https://wisconsinlandwater.org/about/county-land-and-water-conservation
Forestry, Wildlife, and Aquatic Resources
Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP)
Mission: opportunity to help manage your land for healthy wildlife habitat.
Web brochure: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/documents/DMAPbrochure.pdf
Local contacts: any regional WDNR Forester or Wildlife biologist
Forests for Fish
Mission: MDNR program promoting the value of proper forestry to maintain water quality.
Website: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79136_79237_80945_83263---,00.html
Email: smalliganm@michigan.gov
Wisconsin Wetland Conservation Trust
Mission: Conserve priority wetland habitats
Website: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Wetlands/mitigation
Michigan Wetland Mitigation Banking
Mission: To protect wetland areas to mitigate loss from development
Website: https://www.michigan.gov/egle
Climate research
Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science
Mission: NIACS conducts ongoing research on climate change and adaptation, in conjunction with Michigan Tech and the USFS Northern Research Station.
Website: https://www.niacs.org/
Other
University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives
Mission: The UWCC helps cooperatives and non- profits with grant support for sustainable resource and conservation outreach. Their financial assistance makes this handbook possible, and also supports much of the outreach and educational activities of PIF & NWA.
Website: https://uwcc.wisc.edu/
Phone: 608-262-3981
Address: 427 Lorch St. #230, Madison, WI 53706