Greetings,
Following up on the end of the August message, the question of grant restrictions was sent to DOT and WI DNR. The answer back from WI DNR is that there is no restrictive language preventing access for land management activities in trail grants. There is also no language in these grants that supports forest management activities as taking precedence, or language that prevents roads, which may become a part of trail systems, from restriction by local authorities once the trail is put in service. There is no clear answer and there should be. History has shown that restrictions are often based on individual opinion or rules that are unsupported by state law. Forest management is one of the few industries providing a steady source of income for multiple rural counties in the Lake States Region. Forest management provides year-round financial stability and should be prioritized accordingly.
A recent article in “Tissue Online” stated that a major paper company was investing $15.3 million to strengthen its environmental partnerships to meet its Vison 2030 goal “to conserve and restore 1 million acres of ecologically significant forest lands.” The partnerships mentioned are with American Family Forest, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, TNC and others. The article referenced sustainability and conservation of forests multiple times which is a good thing, and the only time preservation was mentioned is when it referred to keeping forests as forests. At least that is the assumption.
A person must ask why there are no partnerships mentioned with the contract forest management technicians (i.e., logger) or organizations that represent them. The answer seems simple, and it is that company executives are not exposed to or think about forest management activities on a regular basis to keep logging at the forefront of their thought processes. Having personally attended and presented at multiple management level events, and asking the question of those in attendance if they are familiar with logging, it is rare that anyone acknowledges even a remote familiarity with in-the-woods forest management. Similarly, you can ask most children where their hamburger or chicken tender comes from and they will usually say McDonald’s, Wendy’s or whatever their favorite fast-food restaurant is. They know there are cows and chickens but very rarely make the connection that a cow or chicken must be slaughtered to supply the final product.
Early in history loggers were tagged as being reckless, uneducated, and drunkards who were used and abused physically and paid extraordinarily little money. That persona remains, although not as much in modern days public perception of loggers. Slowly but steadily work continues to break that generational stronghold by shedding light on the results of modern forest management and the professionalism of those doing the work. Supply and demand still dictate compensation for today’s logging companies, but that may have to change if the number of contractors continues to decline without adequate market availability. Time will tell.
A bit more on road construction and thoughts to ponder. On a well-traveled Highway in the heart of Lincoln and Oneida County forestland, a very narrow bridge was recently posted for forty tons. Although classified as bridge and after checking with WI DOT, the bridge in question is a culvert and not a beam bridge structure. The information here was received from our friends at WI DOT who are always very responsive to questions or concerns we may have. The following describes the project and timeline.
“Thank you for contacting me regarding the Barnes Creek Crossing of WIS 17. WisDOT is currently developing plans to replace the existing steel culvert pipe at Barnes Creek and address the existing asphalt pavement between WIS 64 and Big Hay Meadow Creek because of their deterioration. The projects will also improve the geometry of the County C intersection, widen the paved shoulders between WIS 64 and County G, and replace or repair the beam guard throughout the corridor.”
“Currently, the culvert pipe at Barnes Creek is scheduled for replacement beginning in the Spring of 2026. The pavement project, which will completely remove and replace the existing pavement structure, is currently scheduled for 2029. It is anticipated that a closure and detour of WIS 17 will be required to complete both the culvert and pavement projects. Public involvement efforts are just beginning for these projects with a Local Officials Meeting that occurred August 6; and a Public Involvement Meeting scheduled for mid-September. Given your interest in the project and route, we will be certain to include Timber Producers on our invite list.”
As it stands, DOT plans to replace the Hwy 17 culvert in the spring of 2026, approximately 21 months from September 2024. According to the information received the bridge project will take place beginning the spring of 2026 and end in the fall which may be October of 2026. That means any wood harvested in proximity to Hwy 17 or any truck owners with a home base on or near Hwy 17 will have to be rerouted for the next 27 months increasing the cost to transport an already low dollar commodity. In addition to the bridge weight restriction, the highway will be closed for the entire summer of 2029 (maybe as early as 2027) while Hwy 17 is being reconstructed.
There is no question bridge and road construction are greatly needed but it begs the question as to why are these lengthy and costly industry disruptions needed? After doing research culverts such as the one in this project last approximately 40 years or longer depending on a variety of conditions. Let us say the average lifespan for a culvert is 40 years, wouldn’t it be more efficient and better for the economy to have planned a replacement for culverts before weight limits must be imposed? It’s the adage of “failing to plan is planning to fail.” In fact, replacement of the structure at hand should be planned within several months after the project is completed. That would be one way to eliminate a costly two-year disruption to those utilizing these routes and paying the bill to fix them.
I had a friend who started out in the trucking business several years ago with a brand-new truck that turned out to be a complete lemon. Issues with the truck continued for more than a year until he and the banker came to the realization the only way to get back on track financially was to get rid of the lemon truck and get a better one built for the job. During the lemon period other bills, especially the fuel bill, accumulated. Things went much better after the lemon was gone but getting caught up the fuel bill was nearly impossible. What fixed the problem is that my friend started paying cash for his fuel every time he filled up. That kept the fuel bill from increasing and over time he was then able to pay off the old fuel bill and eventually got back on track and became profitable. It took a lot of work and a lot of sacrifice, but he did get back on track.
This seems to be the same scenario with today’s transportation issues. Money is being spent to keep up with road repair and the debt increases but neither the debt nor road repair ever gets caught up. Maybe with some planning for replacement of things like culverts/bridges 40 years in advance before they are deficient to the point of failure, the funding process and preparation for the future might have a better economic outcome. This process could also apply a check and balance to the needs versus wants system currently implemented. I have nothing against bikes, but I can personally count on one hand the number of bikes I see traveling the additional paved lanes in rural areas and those lanes add cost. Of course, these issues are always more complicated than they seem, but it never hurts to have another perspective.
Until next month,
Henry
“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” ~ Winston Churchill