Forest products week, established in 1960 by congressional proclamation and signed by President John F. Kennedy, recognizes the importance of forest resources to the nation’s history, economy, and daily life. In Wisconsin, forests cover nearly half the state, and the forest products industry contributes about 11% of manufacturing jobs and $42 billion annually to the state economy. The week offers a chance to learn about sustainable forest practices, appreciate the value of wood based products, and connect with the people and innovations behind them. This year, forest products week starts on Sunday, October 18th and runs through Sunday, October 24th. Events will be held across Wisconsin, including logging sites, sawmills, paper mills, secondary wood processors, and urban wood manufacturers. There will be a few key events happening in the area. One kickoff event called “Timber, Taps & Trivia” will be held on Monday, October 19th, from 5-7:30pm at Rhinelander Brewing Company featuring remarks form Alicia Cramer (US Endowment for Forestry and Communities) and a forestry and forest products trivia contest. There will be hands on learning experiences at the “Wisconsin Forests in Action” workshop on Friday, October 23rd, from 8:30am-noon, being held at the Boston School Forest in Plover Wisconsin. One last community outreach event that is being held is the free pancake breakfast and demos at Northcentral Technical College in Antigo happening on October 17th. There are plenty of different partners that collab to put these events together but here a few that are big contributors:
-The Wisconsin Forestry Center -UW-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources
-The Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology -LEAF-Wisconsin
Numerous different industry, government, and community organizations are collaborating to deliver the week’s programs. The public, school groups, and landowners can join events via the Wisconsin Forestry Center’s website, which lists dates, locations, and registration links. Many tours and activities are open to the general public, with special group tickets available for educators.
Conservation Corner is a weekly article produced by the Forest County Land Conservation and Land Information Department. For more information contact Lucas O’Brien, Forest County Land Conservation Technician at 715-478-1387 or by e-mail at