An open house is planned for Woodruff Wednesday afternoon to give the public a second chance to comment on a plan to open more state forests to logging.
The DNR is proposing a variance to the master plans for the northern forests, including the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest that will classify 75 percent of the state's northern forests as forest production areas.
DNR Director of Forest Management, Carmen Hardin, says there was a legislative act to require all state forests in northern Wisconsin, with the exception of Governor Knowles State Forest, to have 75 percent of all state forest lands classified for forest production. Hardin says right now 66 percent of the lands are so designated....
"....Earlier in 2016 we took out our first proposal. We got public comments back on this and now we're having a second round of open houses for the public to provide comment on the proposals to classify 75 percent of our northern forest areas as production areas...."
All the northern forests account for 451,000 acres. Hardin says they will have maps available and wants the public to comment on the proposed change...
"....look at the maps, look at the areas they're familiar with and check and see and make sure the classifications are consistent with how they would like their northern state forests managed...."
More information on the variances is available on the DNR websiteusing the search terms master plan and northern state forest. The Woodruff open house is Wednesday, February 22 from 4-6 p.m. at the Woodruff town hall.
