Wisconsin is home to an estimated 740 million ash trees - most of them found in the forests across the state with more than 5 million of those trees to be found in our urban communities. 

Since I last posted on this subject in May of this year the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been discovered in Wisconsin.

It has long been expected that EAB was here - it being only a matter of time until it was located.

Enjoy your ash trees while you can because it looks like we're in for difficult fight.

Since it's discovery in Michigan six years ago, the pest has killed-off an estimated 25 million trees in the 10 states where it has been found.  This is an efficient killer - moving faster and with deadlier results than Dutch Elm Disease.

The larva of the beetle spends its life feasting beneath the bark of ash trees. The tree suffers extensive damage to its vascular system, depriving the tree's crown of water and nutrients until it dies.

According to Wauwatosa Parks and Forestry Superintendent, Kenneth Walbrandt, about seventeen percent of the city trees are ash.  Wauwatosa has already modified its master planting plan to favor alternative species in light of the unavoidable arrival of the ash borer.   

So what's going to happen when the borer arrives?  "We intend to use all of the tools at our disposal, especially the expertise of the people at the Department of Agricultural" says Walbrandt.  

For the present, the city plans to go above and beyond what Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection recommends, with a plan to identify diseased city trees, take them down and process them in the city yard - chipping them and composting the debris.

So what can you do to slow the arrival?

For starters - don't move firewood into Tosa.  Purchase and use local firewood. 

The critter doesn't travel too far on its own but can cover a great deal of territory when unsuspecting people haul infested firewood from one location to another.

Now that EAB has been located in the counties to the north - do not transport or use firewood that was purchased, stored, harvested in, or that has in any way entered Ozaukee, Washington, Sheboygan, or Fond du Lac counties.  These counties are under quarantine.

I you observe crown die-back report it.  Same for other symptoms of a potential infestation like sprouting at the tree's base and D-shaped holes in the bark.  Call 1-800-462-2803 or e-mail DATCPEmeraldAshBorer@wisconsin.gov.

In the mean time you can probably expect to see a new infestation following on the heels of the EAB - con artists looking rip you-off.

Tom

By now you've heard about the Emerald Ash Borer - EAB for short.

EAB is a non-native insect - an exotic Asian gift courtesy of global commerce that likely traveled stateside in a wooden packing crate.

It's a gift that keeps on giving and an expensive one at that.  Losses resulting from EAB infestations are estimated at $157,000 to $665,000 per 1000 urban residents.  That doesn't include losses to nurseries, the forest products industry and woodland owners.  Those numbers would be staggering.

It would seem that while the infestation has practically surrounded us this destructive little critter hasn't shown-up in Wauwatosa.  At least that we're aware-of.

When it does - this is what we have to look forward to:

I'm old enough to remember the cathedral-like elm trees that lined the city streets. 

It will be interesting to see how Tosans cope with another massive tree die-off and its aesthetic and fiscal consequences.

Anyway - this week is Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week.

Keep a sharp eye out for the symptoms and signs of EAB infestation and call the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection if you see this bugger:

The hotline is: 1-800-462-2803

Read about Wisconsin's current management strategy.

Tom

PS - The critter doesn't travel very far on its own.  Movement of infested firewood is generally how it travels long distances.  Remember that.

This past Saturday hundreds of woodland owners from southeast Wisconsin gathered at the Country Springs Hotel and Conference Center for what we figure might have been our 30th or so winter conference.  Inasmuch as it's the second largest woodland owner gathering in the state you'd think they'd keep better track of how many times they've done this.

As a participant in the conference's organizing committee I was there to make sure everything went-off without a hitch.

In the ballroom to the north of us was a smaller gathering; a group calling themselves Americans for Prosperity - Defending the American Dream.  You can learn more about them here.  They appear to be big believers of free markets.

Anyway, the tree people had some issues with the prosperity people.  Seems they kept helping themselves to our breakfast as they wandered about the conference center.  Some wag even suggested that was likely how they got to be so prosperous.  I figured it to be a simple misunderstanding.  They probably have tree nurseries, John Deere implement dealers and portable logging winches on display all the time when they put food out at their meetings.  

The confusion was cleared-up with a simple announcement.

I bumped into some personal friends attending the American Dream meeting - and a handful of Republican politicians I am acquainted with.  I had a nice chat with former State Senator Tom Reynolds who told me about his new PAC.  I introduced myself to a conservative blogger from Boots and Sabers. 

What struck me about the two groups was the dichotomy in attire. 

Dark, conservative business suits contrasted by Carhartt dungarees, denim shirts and cammo ball caps.  Talk about two different worlds.

Today I read a comment posted over at Boots and Sabers about an exhibitor at the woodland owners meeting - the Wisconsin Farmer's Union.  The comment was obliquely non-complimentary - as if the farmers were somehow subversive.

As a conference organizer I can tell you that our exhibitors pay to be there.  They don't attend unless they have something they think woodland owners are interested in.  The Farmer's Union was there to pitch, among other things, a program they sponsor which allows tree farmers who engage in specific afforestation and reforestation practices to sell carbon credits through their aggregator program.

Trees are incredible carbon sequesters.  Imagine getting paid to engage in these practices. 

What a novel idea - a new market to trade in. 

However, gazing toward the north ballroom I somehow figured this idea would not settle very well with the prosperity people.

The conservative right hasn't been very receptive to embracing the notion of trading carbon credits.

Uh-oh.  Another dichotomy.  Free economics is good as long as it doesn't involve trading carbon credits. 

I got to thinking.

What a novel idea - a new market to trade in.

The markets have evolved ever since.  They don't just trade stocks.  That is the beauty of a free market.

Decades from now there will be trading in things we haven't dreamed possible.

As for the concept of trading carbon credits - if it is such a bad idea why is it that Wall Street and private equity firms are all over it?

Let the markets decide the success or failure of this idea.

Isn't that what free markets are all about?

Capitalism - living the American Dream.

Tom

Wait a 'sec - almost forgot!

I saw someone else from the prosperity meeting.

The double-take when she saw me was priceless!

I think it was the identical twin sister of one of the Tosa mayoral candidates.

The Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters held their annual Conservation Lobby Day in Madison on Wednesday.

As an avid hunter, fisherman and conservationist this stuff is important so I took the day-off to become a citizen lobbyist.

No tassel-toed loafers or martini-infused parties.  No pay or pay-off.  

I met-up with a bunch of folks that were from the 5th Senate District and both the 13th and neighboring Assembly Districts.

This included many Tosans I've come to know over the years.  One new friend was a recently retired conservation warden.  We compared notes on Dakota pheasant hunting. 

I ran into friends from other parts of the state that were there representing various hunting, fishing and woodland organizations.  

What we have in common is we hunt, fish and vote.  It is refreshing to see so many people who care so much about Wisconsin's resources take a day out of their lives to drive-home that point.. 

The crowd included a mix of suits, business casual, cammo, boots and jeans.

I was looking forward to meeting with Senator Jim Sullivan and Representative David Cullen and the opportunity to share my views. 

The League had previously scheduled time for our group to meet with them.  Very cool.

A similar foray a couple of years ago was disappointing. 

My attempt to hold a conversation with the previous State Senator could be described as...er, let's just say it was akin to trying to carry-on a conversation with a stump - but I digress.

This year's attendance was lighter as the previous night's blizzard cut into the travel of attendees from the further reaches of the state.

There was the usual welcome and preliminaries.

The Lieutenant Governor, Barbara Lawton, stopped by to visit.

She claimed she knows how to pee in the woods just like the rest of us.

Discussion and strategy followed.

I was chosen to speak to legislators about the Hunter, Trapper, Angler Bill of Rights.

Over the past number of years management of Wisconsin's natural resources has become increasingly politicized.  A handful of examples include nonsense such as an attempt to allow the snowmobile lobby to dictate the Wisconsin deer season framework. The committee chair happened to be tight with their lobbyist.  Or legislators raiding the Stamp Fund accounts; plugging holes in the state budget by stealing segregated funds voluntarily paid by hunters and anglers for turkey, pheasant and great lakes fish.

That stinks.

So, I took the opportunity to lobby for the restoration of the appointment authority for the DNR Secretary to the Natural Resources Board (NRB)  - reconciliation of Senate Bill 15 and Assembly Bill 504 if it passes.

I asked for support of Senate Bill 422, requiring that the state Senate vote on NRB nominees within six months of their nomination.  Stop playing games with the nominees and allow them a straight up and down vote.

With a weakening economy, budget forecasts aren't very promising, so there's a good chance some legislator is going to be drooling with anticipation over the prospects of swiping funds for a pet project outdoors folks know nothing about.  I lobbied for the support of Assembly Joint Resolution 34 which would prohibit transfer of funds from sportsman's and sportswoman's stamp accounts.

On this matter - hunters and anglers had best be vigilant.

We had a satisfying visit with Senator Sullivan.

He knows his stuff and appeared supportive of issues we discussed.  (It is possible we ran over into the time alloted to the Beer Distributors - but that's OK - on he way out we assured them of our support for beer.)

Representative Cullen was absent and while he has a good voting record on these issues we were disappointed in having to meet with one of his aides.

The wrap-up included a wild game feed of bear, venison, raccoon, salmon and pheasant.

With my stomach growling I had to take a pass and get back to Tosa on other business.

I'll be following-up with Sullivan, Cullen and others on these and related issues.

Thanks to the more than 70 outdoor, wildlife and conservation groups that supported this event - especially the 15 organizations that sponsored the wild game feed. 

I'll be going back next year.

You might consider doing so yourself.

Tom

PS -

Contact your legislators and ask them to support adoption of the Great Lakes Compact.

If you wait until you hear the great sucking sound of our water going to the arid southwest it will be too late.

For Wisconsin it's an economic issue.

Fellow Community Voice - Family Guy (Peter Hart) has broached a topic rather near and dear to my heart. 

I would like to thank those Tosans that opened his eyes to see the light.

While the typical Christmas tree is grown and harvested for one single purpose - namely the celebration of Jesus' birth; I am inclined to believe that the second member of the Holy Trinity would actually have spoken highly-of and possibly blessed the practice of TSI - timber stand improvement.

Euphemistically known as clear cutting.

I'm not talking about clear cutting rain forests for the grazing of beef cattle to feed America's fast-food appetite.  I'm suggesting clear-cutting to mimic the impacts of nature (namely fire) that we have chosen to suppress, so that certain tree species have an opportunity to regenerate with human (in the absence of nature's) intervention.

In case any of you don't know this (or even care to know) my wife and I are tree farmers.

Yep, just like the farmer that grows corn, beans or hay.

We grow trees. 

Like most farmers we deal with blights, diseases, insects, critters, poor weather and other unlikely and unpredictable events. 

Unlike most farmers - the growing and harvest cycles for a tree farmer extend beyond one year to the next.  They last decades, lifetimes and beyond. 

Think: patient farmer.

We do not grow Christmas trees or nursery stock. 

All of our trees are destined for the mill - either as pulp or saw boards.

A couple of months ago my wife and I attended the National Tree Farm Convention - hosted in Madison, Wisconsin.  Almost 700 individuals from 38 states made a point of attending some or all of the event. It was the largest gathering yet.

Forests and forestry are a big deal in Wisconsin. 

To get your arms around how big consider the following:

It is estimated that the forest industry in Wisconsin contributes more than $30 billion annually to the state's economy and supports over 100,000 jobs in the forest products and processing industries with more than $3.5 billion in payroll.  Additionally, more than 125,000 jobs are indirectly supported in other sectors of the state's economy.

In 28 counties (out of 72 total) the forest industry is the largest employer.  In 14 additional counties the forest products industry is among the top three employers.

Forests are the backbone of more that 1900 companies. Capital investment in the forest industry exceeds $811 million annually - second in the nation - and one-fifth of all investment in Wisconsin manufacturing.

Wisconsin is the number one paper making state in the nation and has been for more than 50 years.  Wisconsin produces more than 5.3 million tons of paper and over 1.1 million tons of paperboard annually.

The combined value of paper, lumber and wood products shipped from Wisconsin in a single year is around $17 billion.

Forest-based recreation adds an additional $5.5 billion annually to the Wisconsin economy.

Most kids today don't have a clue about the role that trees play in their lives.

I think that stinks.

The planned State Forestry Education Center that is going to be built in Tosa on the County Grounds may begin to turn that around.

About that Christmas tree? 

Do yourself, the Wisconsin economy, and the world a favor and guiltlessly purchase a real tree - a genuine renewable resource.

Jesus loves you for doing so.

Back at it.  Out in the stands before sun-up.  Cold - 28 degrees and so still you can hear a pin drop.

Screech owls calling back and forth.

 Pheasants cackling at first light.

 A handful of shots from the neighbor's forty to the east.  That's it.  No deer.

Sunrise

View from my stand.  Tamarack, swamp white oak and cedars.

Sees In The Dark - ever vigilant

Braumeister has one of these rascals living under his stand.

Can you  identify it?

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Took a break for the Packer game.  Lawyer pan-fried a big batch of pheasant fingers served with a couple of dipping sauces, pickled herring, smoked pheasant and fresh cheese curds. Yum! 

The Packers spanked the Carolina by half-time. 

At half time I walked out to a previously unused stand and no sooner than I climbed-in a massive multi-pointed monster jumped out of the willows and scampered thru the tree plantation.

No shot situation.

I am cursed.

Slow afternoon.

Cocktail hour was accompanied by a DVD of Blazing Saddles. 

Dinner tonight is the traditional venison fare prepared by our legal counsel.

I was hoping that I could turn the keyboard over to the lawyer for an accounting of his recipe - unfortunately he is sleeping in front of the fire.

Maybe tomorrow.

Anyway - here are the pictures.  More later....

(Post dinner movie was a DVD of Patton)

Menonnite, Brau and Android enjoying a batch of (beef) marrow bones. Yum.

Lawyer pan frying venison cutlets as part of our signature meal

Deglazing the pan with garlic, white wine, and a reduction of veal and pheasant stock.

Fresh-frozen green beens from my garden. The big pot has smashed Red Pontiac potatoes, turnips and parsnips and shallots - from the garden too.

Here's the crew. Mennonite, Wench, Lawyer, Brau, Android and Sees in the Dark..and a fine Bogle red Wine.

.

Up at 4:30 AM.  We scarf coffee, oatmeal and donuts.  We head-out in the dark to settle into our stands long before sunrise.

It's balmy 32 degrees, winds from the north and snow flurries.

View from my tree stand.  The tamaracks are just beginning lose their brilliant golden needles.

Bingo.  Braumeister bags a nice buck at 7 AM.

Back out to the field following a very late breakfast of Lancaster, Pennsylvania scrapple and farm-raised eggs (you know, the brown eggs).

I start my half-mile hike.  So I'm walking north on a trail thru the farm take a right turn and find myself face-to-face with a buck deer.  Well, not quite - but at least 50 yards - right smack in the middle of the trail.  I'm not sure who was more surprised.  I struggle with a pack on my right shoulder, chambering a round and bringing the rifle to bear on a deer now beginning to bolt.

Missed shot. 

Pathetic marksmanship.

I just missed (what could have been) my third deer for the year.

I am not amused. I am p****d.

A quiet and cold and windy afternoon follows. 

Lawyer saves the day with about 30 minutes left to shooting time. 

One shot.

A second shot.

Then a third shot.

Three baldies down.

Prompt field-dressing is the start of proper processing

The lawyer at work

Android, Lawyer and the Wench back from the registration station.  How do you like those

blaze-orange smurf hats?

Android, me and the Wench. 

These are the Official Camp Wear t-shirts.

More tomorrow.  I have to get back to a nasty sheepshead game.

Shoot straight and hunt safe.

Tom

The rather animated discussion about global warming being held on the TTS took-off on a weird tangent this afternoon. 

The subject turned to my tomatoes 

Well folks I regret to inform you that the end of the tomato season has arrived.  Sigh...

I can remember the drooling anticipation for the first couple of ripe fruits which were promptly converted into BLTs.  Now the season has drawn to a close.

I planted some Roma tomato plants this year and have been blessed with an unprecedented quantity of these delightful fruits.  Truthfully, too many of them.  So when inundated with Roma tomatoes you do what the Romans do - you make sauce.

I have processed and canned (what I believe to be) some marvelous pasta sauce.  I have a vision of lasagna, pizzas and other Italian delights this winter dancing in my head.  In my quest for good sauce I should remind the readers of this post that inspiration can be found in the consumption of good Italian wine.  However, imbibing in a robust Chianti can also lead to visions of grandeur and greatness.  In my steamy kitchen, contemplating my sauce and my Chianti, I reflected upon who else has achieved greatness my means of exploiting the humble tomato.

One name stands out - Heinz.

Yeah, you know, the same Heinz that married that Senator from Massachusetts with a face like a horse.

Have your ever wondered what makes Heinz Ketchup so rich and thick?

The answer is Methyl Ethyl Cellulose.  Yep, that is science-speak for wood pulp.

So, Tosa moms and dads, make sure that you slather an extra-generous helping of this tomato-based condiment on your child's hot dog or bologna sandwich.

This message of better living through chemistry has been brought to you by Wisconsin's forest products industry and Certified Family Forest owners - all doing their level best to enhance your ketchup experience and sequester those naughty carbon emissions.