American Forests’ Global ReLeaf proudly sponsored this project with a 2009 grant to the Hardwood Forestry Fund.

This unique forest restoration project converts highly erodible farmland to high-density hardwood forest to protect and enhance ongoing efforts to reforest the critical river’s edge ecosystem along the Lower Wisconsin Riverway in southwestern Wisconsin.

Planting a mixture of native hardwoods including sugar maple, yellow birch, red oak, white oak, black walnut, and black cherry seedlings at a high density will mimic natural regeneration.  The tight spacing will encourage the seedlings to grow rapidly in height and will deter deer browse.  The areas to be planted are fallow agricultural fields: planting trees here creates and connects large blocks of contiguous hardwood forest along the Lower Wisconsin River.  The planting will help stabilize the soil and will reduce erosion and sediment deposits into the Wisconsin River. 

The planting is to be managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry personnel for forest products, recreation, and wildlife habitat enhancement.  The goal of the tree planting and subsequent sustainable forest management is to provide dynamic, working examples of excellent forestry that set the standard for public and private lands within the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway ecosystem. 

Key resource partners are American Forests’ Global ReLeaf, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Wildlife, and the Hardwood Forestry Fund. This project came in under budget and planted an additional 7,100 trees.

• Project Initiation Date: April/May 2009
• Location: Lower Wisconsin State Riverway , WI
• Number of Trees: 57,100
• Number of Acres: 50
• Tree Species: white oak, red oak, sugar maple, yellow birch, black cherry, black walnut, sycamore, swamp white oak, silver maple, shagbark hickory
• Project Partner: WI DNR-Division of Forestry, WI-DNR Division of Wildlife, American Forests' Global ReLeaf, and Hardwood Forestry Fund