OCONTO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Some call it the worst storm to ever hit this part of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
It was July 19, 2019, when high winds raced across the Northwoods, damaging about 130,000 acres of trees.
That’s a path six miles wide, by 25 miles long.
And now, two years later, clean-up continues, and efforts are underway to help the forest recover.
On the stretch of Highway 32-64 just south of Mountain, the scars are still fresh from the storm that destroyed the area.
“Before that, for people who remember that was really a fantastic, healthy stand of red pine. That was plantation, planted back in the CCC days,” said Adrian Ackley, U.S. Forest Service Timber Management Assistant.
Ackley tells FOX 11 that all changed when the storm hit.
“That was right there, ground zero, for all the damage. That was 75-plus percent damage. Most of the trees were blown down. And we weren’t able to keep very many there.”
Not far away, the scene two years ago shows heavy equipment working to clear the route. Fast forward to 2021, and all terrain vehicles make their way down the same trail.
“You’re going to see a lot of places that look very different than they did before,” said Ackley.
Ackley says in the past two years, the U.S. Forest Service coordinated more than 100 salvage timber sales across the Chequamegon-Nicolet.
A logging crew cut timber near the Mountain Fire Lookout Tower on Monday. Foresters say clearing the way now will help keep fire danger down, and provide space for young trees to grow.
Forester John Lampereur tells FOX 11 help is on the way.
“The reforestation part of it is beginning next year. Most of it is going to be natural regeneration, just whatever sprouts up or comes from seed, but we plan on planting about 450-500 acres for the next three years.”
And that includes the plot just south of Mountain.
“We’re looking at planting that back to the original red pine, probably a white pine mix,” said Lampereur.
Forestry officials say they expect the clean up to continue for at least another year, or more.
They say it’s been a group effort between federal, state, county, and local partners.
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