Using Fire as A Tool To Manage Oak Ecosystems

Registration is now closed.

When: July 25, 2018 - 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Where: Dodgeville, WI

 

Partners designed this workshop to increase awareness and understanding of tools for assessing the condition of oak ecosystems and potential management scenarios. Management scenarios address a range of objectives, including:

  • utilizing and regenerating the oak timber resource,
  • managing for wildlife habitat requirements, and
  • assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded (ecological restoration).

The content will be most relevant to oak savannas, woodlands, and forests in the Driftless Area.

Key topics include:

  1. Oak ecosystem fundamentals: biology of dominant oak species and oak ecosystem disturbance regimes in the Driftless Area
  2. Understanding terms and tools used in oak silviculture and prescribed burn planning and implementation
  3. Fire effects on oak timber values (damage to residual trees, changes in stand volume and species composition)
  4. Coupling invasive species treatment, timber harvest, and fire
  5. Fire and Wisconsin’s Managed Forest Law
The workshop includes a morning field tour of private land enrolled in the Managed Forest Law, including stands where prescribed fire has been used to meet management objectives. Following lunch, our featured speakers will deliver short presentations and participate in a panel discussion.

Presenters

“Managing Oak Ecosystems with Fire in the Eastern U.S.  - Management Scenarios”

Dr. Dan Dey, research forester, US Forest Service Northern Research Station

This presentation is now online as a recorded webinar.

 

“Prescribed Fire Effects on Oak Timber Value”

Joe Marschall, University of Missouri Tree-Ring Lab

This presentation is now online as a recorded webinar.

 

“Fire Management for Oaks on State Wildlife Areas in Southwest Michigan”

Mark Sargent, Regional Supervisor, SW Region, Division of Wildlife, Michigan DNR

Jesse Bramer, Forester, SW Region, Division of Wildlife, Michigan DNR

 

Who Should Attend?

  • Foresters
  • Wildlife biologists
  • Land managers
  • Soil and water conservation staff

Continuing education units:

  • WDNR Cooperating Forester: 5.0 CE hours
  • SAF: 5.0 Category 1 (CF) CFE credits
  • Wildlife Society: 5.0 Category I (Certified Wildlife Biologist® Renewal/Professional Development Certificate Program)
  • SFI: 4 hours of SFI credit

 

Registration

Registration is limited! Reserve your spot:
Register online by Friday, July 20 ($22)
RSVP by emailing Brad Hutnik; pay July 25 ($25, cash or check)
Walk-in registration is not available.

Organizing partners:

  • Society of American Foresters Southwest Wisconsin Chapter
  • The Nature Conservancy
  • The Forest Stewards Guild
  • Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna Fire Science Consortium