IATP | Community Forestry Resource Center

North Woods facing unique set of issues (WI)

The Capital Times
July 12, 2007
By Bill Berry

Up in Mellen the other day, longtime conservationist Martin Hanson was talking about his beloved north woods.

"It has more in common with Upper Michigan and northern Minnesota than anyplace else," he said.

This is a sentiment shared by many in the North. From time to time, residents of the region have called for separate statehood. They envision a northern state of Superior, though the talk seldom goes farther than coffee shops and taverns. It's not a very good idea, really. Superior would likely be the nation's poorest state.

But neither is it a very good idea for people who make decisions in Wisconsin to fail to understand the issues that challenge the North. Its resource base, economic impact, natural beauty and other amenities are too important to the rest of the state.

Up the road from Mellen a bit, Bayfield Mayor Larry MacDonald looked out over a marina full of shiny sailboats as he talked about some of the challenges faced by the folks who call northern Wisconsin home. MacDonald isn't about to join the 51st state movement, but he's quick to point out that the North has vexing challenges to go along with its remarkable beauty.

The North is a land of stark contrasts, and Bayfield is but one example. In that city overlooking a string of Lake Superior island gems, property values are skyrocketing, due mostly to folks either moving in at retirement or buying second homes. That pushes up property taxes for everyone, and some of the locals aren't keeping up very well. Tourism is big in Bayfield, but the lack of affordable housing makes it tough to secure enough help.

Then there's the issue of schools, one of the most challenging faced by many northern communities. Most rural counties in Wisconsin are enduring declines in school-aged populations. That means fewer state aids even as costs for fuel, transportation, health care and other fixed expenses rise. Wisconsin's rural schools in general face some difficult years ahead, and some of the hardest hit will be in the North. If consolidations are to be forestalled, Wisconsin needs to take steps to protect rural schools, which are often the centerpieces of their communities.

When people think of the North, they think of vast stands of forests interspersed with sky blue waters of thousands of lakes. The inland lakeshores are pretty much developed, and forested land is undergoing rapid change. The latter is keeping pace with a national trend.

Industrial timberland has changed hands rapidly in the North, and more and more of that land is being subdivided for development. That leads to fragmentation of the forest resource, loss of biodiversity and, for the people who run local governments, skyrocketing costs to provide services to far-flung residents. That includes fire protection for people who build homes in the middle of forested lands.

How much forested land will be developed? Almost 550,000 acres in Wisconsin are now in the hands of entities called real estate investment trusts. What does that forebode as the baby boomers tumble toward their retirement years?

Speaking of forested lands, there's the issue of what happens to forest resources as ownership changes. As in many other regions of the nation, Wisconsin's northern counties are experiencing rapidly increasing numbers of people owning forestland and larger acreages being divided into smaller ones. Among other issues, it makes these lands harder to effectively manage.

Wisconsin's total forested acreage has actually increased in recent decades, but the ownership issues challenge our ability to manage the resource for multiple uses, from watershed protection and wildlife diversity to its potential for renewable energy. Wisconsin just received a huge grant for research on cellulosic biomass. A prime feedstock for this will be our woody resources. Wouldn't it be a shame if we squandered the resource even as we unlock the secrets to its sustainable use?

Yes, the North is different. It's always been a tough place to scratch out a living, and it remains so, even as big money rolls in along with newcomers who want to call it home for at least part of the time.

Perhaps the best thing that Wisconsin can do is recognize the differences and treat them accordingly. The schools have special needs, as do the communities and the people who live in them. At the same time, protecting and effectively managing the natural resource base and the wilderness wonders that make the North special are essential to the state as a whole.

Who knows -- maybe leaders in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota will recognize that guys like Martin Hanson are right and get together to devise some regional strategies.

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