A Wisconsin state forest is an area of forest in the U.S. state of Wisconsin managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources's Division of Forestry. They are managed for outdoor recreation, watershed and habitat preservation, and sustainable forestry. The various units total 471,329 acres (1,907 km2), although many contain extensive private inholdings. Wisconsin's state forests are often co-listed with Wisconsin's state park system, which is maintained by the Division of Parks and Recreation.
Forest name | County or counties | Area in acres (km2) [1] | Date established | Body of water | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black River State Forest | Jackson | 67,070 acres (271.4 km2) | 1957 | Black River | |
Brule River State Forest | Douglas | 40,882 acres (165.4 km2) | 1907 | Bois Brule River, Lake Superior | Site of Cedar Island Lodge, or "the Summer White House," where American presidents have vacationed. Popular with canoeists, and cross-country skiers. |
Coulee Experimental State Forest | La Crosse County | 2,972 acres (364 km2) | 1960 | Dutch Creek | The forest is used for long-term forest watershed research studies to develop land management practices. |
Flambeau River State Forest | Sawyer and Price | 90,147 acres (364 km2) | 1930 | Flambeau River | |
Governor Knowles State Forest | Burnett and Polk | 19,753 acres (79.9 km2) | 1970 | St. Croix River | Managed as a wilderness buffer for the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway. |
Havenwoods State Forest | Milwaukee | 237 acres (0.95 km2) | 1979 | Lincoln Creek | A green space and environmental education center within Milwaukee city limits. |
Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit | Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, and Washington | 29,268 acres (118 km2) | 1936 | Numerous kettle lakes | |
Lapham Peak Unit, Kettle Moraine State Forest | Waukesha | 1,006 acres (4.07 km2) | 1985 | None | |
Loew Lake Unit, Kettle Moraine State Forest | Washington | 1,090 acres (4.41 km2) | 1987 | Oconomowoc River, Loew Lake | |
Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit | Waukesha, Walworth, and Jefferson | 22,300 acres (90.2 km2) | 1936 | Numerous kettle lakes | |
Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest | Iron, Vilas and Oneida | 223,283 acres (903 km2) | 1925 | Numerous lakes and streams | |
Peshtigo River State Forest | Marinette and Oconto | 9,200 acres (37.2 km2) | 2001 | Peshtigo River | |
Pike Lake Unit, Kettle Moraine State Forest | Washington | 678 acres (2.74 km2) | 1960 | Pike Lake | |
Point Beach State Forest | Manitowoc | 2,903 acres (11.7 km2) | 1938 | Lake Michigan | |
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering 193 million acres (780,000 km2) of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's Office, National Forest System, State and Private Forestry, Business Operations, as well as Research and Development. The agency manages about 25% of federal lands and is the sole major national land management agency not part of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
In the United States, national forest is a classification of protected and managed federal lands that are largely forest and woodland areas. They are owned collectively by the American people through the federal government and managed by the United States Forest Service, a division of the United States Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Forest Service is also a forestry research organization which provides financial assistance to state and local forestry industry. There are 154 national forests in the United States.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the agency of the U.S. state of Indiana. There are many divisions within the DNR and each has a specific role. The DNR is not only responsible for maintaining resource areas but also manages Indiana's fish and wildlife, reclaims coal mine ground, manages forested areas, aids in the management of wildlife on private lands, enforces Indiana's conservation laws, and many other duties not named here. According to the department's website, their mission is "to protect, enhance, preserve, and wisely use natural, cultural, and recreational resources for the benefit of Indiana's citizens through professional leadership, management, and education".
The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. The DCR's mission is "To protect, promote and enhance our common wealth of natural, cultural and recreational resources for the well-being of all." The agency is the largest landowner in Massachusetts.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, or Minnesota DNR, is the agency of the U.S. state of Minnesota charged with conserving and managing the state's natural resources. The agency maintains areas such as state parks, state forests, recreational trails, and recreation areas as well as managing minerals, wildlife, and forestry throughout the state. The agency is divided into six divisions - Ecological & Water Resources, Enforcement, Fish & Wildlife, Forestry, Lands & Minerals, and Parks & Trails.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin charged with conserving and managing Wisconsin's natural resources. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has the authority to set policy for the WDNR. The WDNR is led by the Secretary, who is appointed by the Governor of Wisconsin. The WDNR develops regulations and guidance in accordance with laws passed by the Wisconsin Legislature. It administers wildlife, fish, forests, endangered resources, air, water, waste, and other issues related to natural resources. The central office of the WDNR is located in downtown Madison, near the state capitol.
Coopers Rock State Forest is a 12,747-acre (52 km2) state forest in Monongalia and Preston counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Its southern edge abuts Cheat Lake and the canyon section of Cheat River, a popular whitewater rafting river in the eastern United States.
In the state of New Jersey, the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry is an administrative division of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. In its most visible role, the Division is directly responsible for the management and operation of New Jersey's public park system which includes 42 state parks, 11 state forests, 3 recreation areas, and more than 50 historic sites and districts. However, its duties also include protecting state and private lands from wildfire, managing forests, educating the public about environmental stewardship and natural resources, as well as growing trees to maintain and restore forests in rural and urban areas, and to preserve the diversity of the trees within the forests.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is a part of the Hawaii state government dedicated to managing, administering, and exercising control over public lands, water resources and streams, ocean waters, coastal areas, minerals, and other natural resources of the State of Hawaiʻi. The mission of the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources is to "enhance, protect, conserve and manage Hawaiʻi's unique and limited natural, cultural and historic resources held in public trust for current and future generations of the people of Hawaiʻi nei, and its visitors, in partnership with others from the public and private sectors." The organization oversees over 1.3 million acres of land, beaches, and coastal waters and 750 miles of coastal land.
Menominee River State Recreation Area is a state-managed protected area located in Breitung and Norway townships in Dickinson County and Faithorn Township in Menominee County, Michigan, southeast of Iron Mountain. It is 2,354 acres (953 ha) in area and is currently undeveloped. The park comprises a 145.35-acre (58.82 ha) tract along 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of the Menominee River south of the City of Norway and the 2,208.83-acre (893.88 ha) Quiver Falls Tract along eight miles (13 km) of the river farther downstream. In 2016, an additional 525-acre (212 ha) of Escanaba State Forest land was transferred from the Forestry Division to the DNR's Parks and Recreation Division and became the Pemene Falls Unit of the park, matching a similarly named unit on the Wisconsin side of the river.