Improve Wildlife Habitat on Your Land with the Wisconsin Young Forest Partnership

A few years after cutting aspen (aka popple), it is impossible to tell that this spot had a timber harvest. Aspen and other young forest species are truly amazing with how quickly they grow after a disturbance! These young forests, with their dense regeneration, benefit more than 60 species of wildlife by providing cover and food. Unfortunately, forests in Wisconsin are getting older and wildlife that depend on young forests are on a decline.

To combat these wildlife declines, the Wisconsin Young Forest Partnership (WYFP) was created in 2014. WYFP is a collaboration of government and non-government organizations that work together to promote and create young forest habitat for high priority species, such as the American woodcock and golden-winged warbler. WYFP pools resources from its fourteen partners in an effective and structured way to deliver conservation programs that assist private landowners with land management.

“Since Wisconsin’s forests are more than 65% privately owned, private landowners play a vital role for the Young Forest Partnership as we work towards increasing habitat across the landscape to aid these declining wildlife species,” says Randee Smith, WYFP Coordinator. “As coordinator, I work directly with private landowners to learn what their goals are for their property and determine if there are resources or a program that will help them reach their property goals.”

To learn more about the Wisconsin Young Forest Partnership, you can check out their website at www.youngforest.org/wi and their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WIYoungForest.

To see how WYFP can help you on your property, fill out this survey to get started www.surveymonkey.com/r/WYFP-survey.