Wisconsin Forest Landowner Grant Program

The Wisconsin Forest Landowner Grant Program, administered by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, is designed to assist private landowners in protecting and enhancing their forested lands, prairies, and waters. Qualified landowners can be reimbursed up to 50% of the cost of eligible practices. A practice must be identified in the landowners Forest Stewardship Plan (except if applying for plan development) to be eligible for cost sharing. The minimum grant amount is $100 per landowner per year, and the maximum grant amount is $10,000 per landowner per year. Landowners are required to contact their DNR forester for guidance prior to completing the application, and written approval must be obtained before beginning a practice.

Managed Forest Law

The Managed Forest Law, administered by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, is a landowner incentive program designed to encourage sustainable forestry on private woodlands in Wisconsin. The law, through a written forest management plan, couples landowner objectives and timber harvesting, wildlife management, water quality and recreation to maintain a healthy and productive forest. To be eligible, a landowner must own a minimum of 10 contiguous acres of forestland with a minimum of 80% of the land in productive forest cover. Currently the Managed Forest Law reduces property taxes to $8.34 per acre if the land is "closed" to public access. Up to 160 acres may be closed to public access by the landowner. Forest land taxes can be further reduced to $1.67 an acre if the land is designated "open" to the public.