RHINELANDER, Wis. (WXPR) — You can learn more about how to improve your forest property and create better habitat for wildlife during a free online chat session with the DNR’s Young Forest Initiative.
Partnership chair Jeremy Holtz says the Partnership was formed in 2014 by several different groups with the goal of a landscape-scale conservation approach. He says the group has been successful in getting grants and are about to start their outreach. “We’ve been very successful in obtaining those funds and consequently it won’t be too long here and we’ll be able to start talking to landowners about financial resources to improve habitat on their property.”
Holtz says property owners who want some help to improve the habitat on their lands can get it at little to no cost. “Really try to connect with those folks, take a look at their property with them…and see if there are any opportunities to improve management, especially to the benefit of young forest wildlife species like song birds for example.” Other species they can help you with include ruffed grouse, turkey, white-tail deer and songbirds. He says species of great need, including woodcock, brown thrasher, and golden-winged warbler need young forests.
Demonstration areas are already underway in the Ackley State Wildlife Refuge west of Antigo and in the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest in Oneida county.
Holtz will be part of an online chat Wednesday, April 1 at 12:00 noon to help people learn more about the program. The chat will be available on the DNR website that day. Holtz also says the website has a series of video presentations about the program.
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