University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Forestry Outreach Programs
Annual Report
for the
Fiscal Year 2003
The goal of the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point's Forestry Outreach
Programs are to help woodland owners to
find their voice and speak out on the
issues that are important to them and
impact their ability to manage their lands.
Whether it is helping woodland owners to
become active in their communities or
woodland owner organizations or helping
them to become better stewards of their
own woodland properties and passing on
what they have learned to their neighbors.
Photograph by
P a u l P i n g r e y, W D N R
The purpose of the Woodland Leadership Institute is
to equip forest landowners and woodland enthusiasts
to provide grassroots leadership on the issues
important to the growth and development of forestry
and sustainable forest management in Wisconsin.
Graduates of the Woodland Leadership Institute are
expected to play an active role as leaders in
woodland owner organizations and to impact forest
management by woodland owners through peer-topeer contacts and planned activities in their local
community.
Wisconsin’s Master Woodland Stewards program
offers intensive training for woodland owners who
are interested in learning more about sustainable
forest management practices and becoming better
stewards of their land. The Program also provides
instruction on community outreach techniques and
requires graduates to create an action plan to help
them use the knowledge they gain to address real
issues in your community. One of the major benefits
of the Program is that it provides participants with
the opportunity to meet other woodland owners and share ideas and information about
management strategies in a fun and educational setting. Through this process the
program equips the graduates to work in their community as a model and resource for
the sustainable management of forestlands.
WOODLAND LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
The Woodland Leadership Institute prepares graduates to play an active role as leaders
in their local community on issues related to stewardship and sustainable forest
management. Through seminars, readings, observations and interviews of
organizations and community leaders, and the sharing of ideas and feedback from
presenters and classmates participants develop an understanding of these issues and
how they impact their local community as well as begin to investigate how they can
address these issues in their community.
To measure the impact of the Institute we measure the direct impact that graduates of
the program have on their community. We do this by assessing the changes in
participant knowledge and behaviors, the extent to which participants are interacting
with others regarding forestry issues, and the impacts of participant interactions with
their neighbors and community. Our assessment strategy involves a three-part data
collection effort: 1) a pre-course questionnaire that measures baseline levels of
knowledge and outreach activities (collected as part of an application or registration
process); 2) Seminar evaluations and reflections to discuss material presented,
homework assignments, and readings; and 3) a follow-up survey approximately one
year after participants graduate from the Institute.
The first Woodland Leadership Institute was held in 2001 with 29 men and women
from across the state participating. To date we have collected and analyzed the data
from the pre-course questionnaire and the one-year after survey. The following are
some of the results from the one-year after survey. Graduates were asked to evaluate
their current level of knowledge (Scale of 1 to 10 where 1 equals No Knowledge and
10 equals Extensive knowledge) of the activities of each of the following to address
issues related to forestry and forest management in your local area / region of the
state?
Based on the pre- and post-surveys and the per session evaluations we know that the
graduates felt that they received valuable information and that they would be able to
use what they learned to affect change in their communities. While each of the
Institute's graduates were very interested in the curriculum and what they would learn
many were skeptical about working with their neighbors and were uncomfortable with
developing an Action Plan. However, the Program is designed to provide participants
with the opportunity to share their ideas and receive feedback from each other.
Participant reflections at their graduation showed a very high confidence in their desire
to share what they had learned and all of the graduates that they were prepared to
discuss what they had learned with their neighbors.
Some selected goals
and what has been
accomplished to date
Work more with the DNR
Wolf River bottoms
planning.
Attended and was
involved at all the public
meetings.
Serve on the board of
Wisconsin Woodland
Owners Association.
Was a board member, now
president -elect of my
WWOA Chapter, also
have done all P.R. for
chapter, roughly doubling
attendance at quarterly
meetings and field days.
(current attendance 42)
Serve on land use planning
committee.
Currently serving as chair
of the Ag., Natural
Resources and Cultural
Resources committee
preparing this element of
our Smart Growth Plan.
Continue to assist private
landowners with MFL
applications and forest
management decisions
(encourage use of the DNR
foresters and industrial
foresters for stewardship
plans).
In my practice of Law, I
have developed a
specialization in this area,
and am constantly
encouraging my clients
who are woodland owners
to join WWOA, use DNR
assistance and enroll in
MFL.
Community Impacts
Dan Hill,
UWEX,
talking to the
class about
personality
types and how
understanding
self and others
can promote
teamwork
John
Photograph by
DuPlissis, UWSP
Tim Mulhern,
WDNR
Forestry, talking
to the class about
technical
assistance
available to
Wisconsin's
woodland
owners
Place Artwork Here
Photograph by
P a u l P i n g r e y, W D N R
Place Artwork Here
John
Photograph by
DuPlissis, UWSP
Learning about
stewardship
and the
development of
a land
stewardship
ethic first-hand
at the Leopold
Shack
Since graduating from the Institute
members of the Class of 2001 have put
in almost 1,100 hours of volunteer work
reaching out to their neighbors and other
woodland owners. They have spoken to
over 160 woodland owners on a one-toone basis and made presentations to over
660 people.
Outreach activities by graduates to
neighbors and peers include:
91 percent are involved with a local
woodland owners organization.
91 percent have talked one-on-one
with another woodland owner about
the benefits of sustainable forest
management.
82 percent have helped a neighbor
to obtain management assistance.
82 percent have showed other
landowners management activities on
their lands.
45 percent have taken the lead to
address forestry issues in their
community.
73 percent are incorporating what they
have learned into the management of
their lands.
Some of the outreach activities they
have been involved with include:
12 of the graduates have held a
workshop or gathering on their land.
20 have written articles for a
newspaper, newsletter, or magazine.
13 have talked with local community
groups or organizations in their area.
We also asked if they had been working
with elected officials in their community.
Graduates have attended a total of 44
local government hearings or board
meetings.
As a part of the Institute participants
were asked to develop a set of Personal
Leadership Goals to think about how
they would use what they have learned.
Each member of the Class of 2001 set at
least 3 goals and each graduate has
completed at least one and made some
progress on each goals.
Master Woodland Steward Program
The Master Woodland Steward Program is designed to take advantage of peer-to-peer
networks that forest landowners develop in their community and through involvement in
woodland owner organizations. By providing information and education on sustainable
forest management practices we hope to achieve a multiplier effect as Program
graduates practice and work in their communities to promote sustainable forest
management.
To measure the impact of the Program we measure the direct impact that graduates of
the program have on their community. We do this by measuring the changes in
participant knowledge and behaviors, the extent to which participants are interacting
with others regarding forestry issues, and the impacts of participant interactions with
their neighbors and community. Our assessment strategy involves a four-part data
collection effort: 1) a pre-course questionnaire that measures baseline levels of
knowledge and outreach activity (collected as part of an application or registration
process); 2) a series of "Session Feedback" forms that participants will complete
following each course module; 3) a summary or exit evaluation conducted at the end of
the eight-part course; and 4) a follow-up contact with participants approximately one
year after they have completed the course. To date we have collected and analyzed the
data from the pre and post-surveys.
The one-year follow-up surveys will be completed in the fall of 2003. The baseline
inventory of Program participant’s knowledge was highly variable. Some felt they were
very knowledgeable and had years of practical hands-on experience in the management
of their woodlands while others felt they were novices. The results from the summary
survey showed that each participant felt their level of knowledge had increased. The
overall average increase between the pre- and post-surveys was 21 points.
Some selected
personal goals of
Master Woodland
Steward Program
Graduates...
Making personal contacts
with all woodland owners in
Hubbard Township in Rusk
County to talk with
neighbors about getting
professional assistance to
develop management plans
for their properties.
Work with neighbors to
encourage them to develop
management plans for their
properties and to participate
in the Managed Forest Law
Program.
Working to spread the
message on urban forest
management in the city of
Ladysmith.
Host a Master Woodland
Stewards Course in Burnett
County in 2003.
Develop a workshop on
wildlife management for
woodland owners.
Practice sustainable forest
management on his property.
Overall, graduates were pleased with the Program and the experiences and information
that were presented. 90% of respondents’ felt that the Master Woodland Stewards
Program exceeded their expectations. Based on the pre– and post–surveys and the per
session evaluations we know that the Program participants felt that they received
valuable information and that they would be able to incorporate it into the management
of their lands. We also learned that their comfort level in presenting this information to
their neighbors and peers had risen remarkably. Initially, 71% of respondents were
“interested” to “very interested” in providing neighbors and other community members
with advice or information on forest stewardship. Upon course completion, all
graduates felt prepared to discuss Program materials with members of the community
and could refer a woodland owner to the appropriate professional for various types of
forest management assistance.
Working with a neighbor to
reforest a former pasture
area on his dairy farm.
Working with the Lakeland
Conservancy to complete a
property review of all
properties with conservation
easements held by the
Conservancy.
Education and Outreach
Talking with
a logger on a
Douglas
County
Forest
property
Mike
Photograph by
Kornmann, UWEX
Taking a
moment to
enjoy the view
on a tour at a
local woodland
owner's
property
Place Artwork Here
Photograph by
Matthew Davis, UWEX
Place Artwork Here
John
Photograph by
DuPlissis, UWSP
The first
class to
graduate as a
part of the
Program's
new 4-day
intensive
seminar
The Master Woodland Steward Program
is designed to take advantage of peer - to
- peer networks that forest landowners
develop in their community and through
involvement in woodland owner
organizations. By providing information
and education on sustainable forest
management practices we hope to
achieve a multiplier effect as Program
graduates practice and work in their
communities to promote sustainable
forest management.
While each of the Program participants
were very interested in the curriculum
and what they would learn many were
skeptical about working with their
neighbors. However, the Program is
designed to provide participants with the
opportunity to share their ideas and
receive feedback from each other
through the development of Personal
Goals for their woodlands and
themselves.
The purpose of setting Personal Goals is
to help the graduates use the knowledge
that they gain through participation in
the Program to address real issues in
their community. Setting Personal Goals
serves two purposes. It helps the
participants think about how they will
use what they learn beyond the
management of their own lands and it
provides a sense of camaraderie and
shared purpose as they help each other
think through and develop their plans.
Most graduates developed plans to
provide their neighbors with information
on financial and technical assistance
programs. An outstanding example of
this is a Program graduate who mailed a
copy of his management plan to all
forest landowners in his township. He
invited them to visit his property or
offered to visit them on their land to
discuss forest stewardship. Graduates
have also planned to develop field days
or walking tours of their properties for
their local community
The Forestry Outreach Program at UW - Stevens Point is a
partnership of the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point,
University of Wisconsin Extension, Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources and Wisconsin's Woodland Owner
Organizations. The Forestry Outreach Program owes a debt of
gratitude to the members of its Advisory and Curriculum
committees for their efforts to assist the Program Director in the
development and implementation of these programs and the
continuing effort to improve the content of these programs. The
following people serve on these Committees.
Woodland Leadership Institute
Master Woodland Steward
Advisory Committee
Advisory Committee
Al Anderson
UW Extension
Kevin Burns
Northwoods Consulting Forestry
Shirley Bargander
Wisconsin DNR
Glen Charlson
Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association
Nancy Bozek
Wisconsin Woodland Owner Association
Genny Fannucchi
Wisconsin DNR
Evelyn Charlson
WLI Graduate
Alan Haney
UW Stevens Point
Alan Haney
UW Stevens Point
Ron Jones
Wisconsin DNR
Amy Luebke
Wisconsin Family Forests, inc.
Dan Kretz
Kretz Lumber
Paul Pingrey
Wisconsin DNR
Tom Thieding
Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation
Geary Searfoss
Wisconsin Forest Productivity Council
Curriculum Committee
Al Anderson
UW Extension
Paul Pingrey
Wisconsin DNR
Mark Rickenbach
UW - Madison
Curriculum Committee
Scott Craven
UW - Madison
Matt Davis
UW Extension
Bill Klase
UW Extension
Mark Rickenbach
UW - Madison
Geary Searfoss
Wisconsin Forest Productivity Council
Some thoughts from
program graduates...
It has shown me I am not
just a single person
against social pressures
on our environment.
It has meant an
opportunity to meet and
listen to any number of
issues and management
solutions others are
using.
Most importantly were
the varied viewpoints
and opinions brought to
the group from the
participants and
presenters.
I have been impressed by
how large and different
our state is but we all
face the same problems
with forest
fragmentation and
resistance to tree
cutting.
It is a great opportunity
to define and clarify the
work you can do in your
community to further
s u s t a i n a b l e f o r e s t r y.
If you have a vision and
a desire to influence
others this will help you
execute that desire.
If you get the
o p p o r t u n i t y, j u m p o n i t !
Yo u c a n b o t h t e a c h a n d
learn while you are
there! Be prepared to
share and receive
information at all times.
The Forestry Outreach Programs rely on experts from a variety
of disciplines to act as resources and provide presentations and
readings for students. Our collaborators in these efforts include:
Mark
Rickenbach,
UWM,
talking to a
Master
Woodland
Steward class
about timber
harvesting
Mike
Aldo Leopold Foundation
Buddy Huffaker
Rob Nelson
Baraboo Range Preservation Association
Dave Wernecke
Cooperative Development Services
E.G. Nadeau
Great Lakes Forest Alliance
Wendy Hinrichs Sanders
Kretz Lumber Company, Inc.
Al Koeppel
Hans Schmitt
Sauk County Land Conservation Department
Joe Van Berkel
Photograph by
Kornmann, UWEX
Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute
Kim Bro
Michael Gardner
Sustainable Woods Cooperative
Walter Clark
Kent Prather
Sue Brisk,
WDNR, talking
to a Woodland
Leadership class
about forest
management on
State Forest
Lands
University of Wisconsin - Extension
Al Anderson
Dan Hill
Bill Klase
Mike Kornmann
Place Artwork Here
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Scott Bowe
Scott Craven
Mark Rickenbach
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
John DuPlissis
Alan Haney
Wagner Woods and Wildlife
Pete Wagner
John
Photograph by
DuPlissis, UWSP
Place Artwork Here
Woodland
Leadership
Institute
touring the
Sustainable
Woods
Cooperative
Wheeler, Van Sickle & Anderson
William O’Conner
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Sue Brisk
Linda DePaul
Gene Francisco
Mike Mossman
Tim Mulhern
Jeff Olson
Paul Pingrey
Teague Prichard
Darrell Zastrow
Wisconsin Family Forests, Inc.
Amy Luebke
Gerry Mich
Wisconsin Forest Productivity Council
Geary Searfoss
Wisconsin Tree Farm
Evelyn Charlson
Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association
Nancy Bozek
Marv Meier
John
Photograph by
DuPlissis, UWSP
Forestry Outreach Programs
908757
College of Natural Resources
University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point
Stevens Point, WI 54481-3897
Non–Profit Org.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Permit No. 19
Stevens Point,
WI 54481
For more information about
University of Wisconsin Stevens Point’s
Forestry Outreach Programs
contact…
John DuPlissis
Forestry Outreach Specialist
College of Natural Resources
University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point
Stevens Point, WI 54481–3897
Phone:
715.346.4128
Fax:
715.346.4038
E–mail:
john.duplissis@uwsp.edu
Visit our Website at: www.uwsp.edu/cnr/fop
All Graphics by
Jackie Bowe
JLB Designs, Inc.