The Hardwood Forestry Fund conducts tree-planting projects in order to:

• Establish high quality, available hardwood forests
• Educate the public about the compatibility of sound forest management with environmental responsibility
• Enhance wildlife habitat
• Promote soil and water conservation
• Create partnerships between community, industry, and public natural resource agencies

The Hardwood Forestry Fund is supported by individuals, foundations, and primarily through contributions from the forest products industry. We work with natural resource professionals to establish hardwood forests on public land. Many Hardwood Forestry Fund tree-planting projects include the community in volunteer, education-based field days. The Hardwood Forestry Fund requires sustainable management plans and timber harvest schedules for the seedlings it plants. In this way, we know that the trees will be cared for and that they will be available in 60-100 years to meet our growing population’s natural resource needs. Since 1990, the Hardwood Forestry Fund has planted more than 1.2 million trees in 20 U.S. states and 4 foreign countries. Hardwoods planted in the US include red oak, white oak, cherry, maple, black walnut, green ash, white ash, hickory, butternut, and other commercially valuable hardwood species. International projects planted mahogany and teak.

Restoring idle fields to native woodlands is the focus of this spring 2011 tree planting project sponsored by American Forests’ Global ReLeaf.  The Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest has more than 5,000 acres of land that are in grassland, herbaceous vegetation or agricultural field cover types.  After collaboration between DNR staff from the Bureau of Endangered Resources, Bureau of Wildlife Management, Division of Forestry, and the Bureau of Parks and Recreation, nearly 1500 acres of candidate areas were identified for conversion to upland hardwood forests.  These areas identified are largely fallow grasslands or agricultural fields scattered throughout the largest block continuous  left in southeastern Wisconsin.  There are also a number of sites planned for conversion from declining, off-site, conifer plantations to hardwood forest.  An increase of continuous forested land on Wisconsin’s State Forests is one of the indicators of sustainable forestry.  For 2011, forest management staff has identified 287 acres of candidate units for reforestation.  The stands in this project are some of several complexes proposed for reforestation. In April 2011, this project was planted with a mix of white pine (30%) and hardwoods (70%) that are suitable to each individual site at a target density of 1,000 seedlings per acre.

Each spring since 1993, the Hardwood Forestry Fund has partnered with the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to plant trees at the site of the 10,000 acre Two Rock Run Wildfire. PA Bureau of Forestry staff prepares the site and digs holes for the trees. Penn ReLeaf volunteers, Bucktail High School students, Loch Haven High School students and Penn State University volunteers plant the trees.

This site utilizes tree shelters to protect young seedlings from heavy deer browse. Trees planted include red oak, black cherry, and white ash. Major benefits are wildlife habitat enhancement, future timber crops, and watershed protection.