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Wisconsin Nearly a Third of the Way to the Governor's Goal to Plant 75 Million Trees

Tuesday, April 25th, 2023 -- 8:01 AM

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(By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio) The state announced it's nearly a third of the way to Gov. Tony Evers’ goal to plant 75 million trees in Wisconsin by the end of the decade.

According to Danielle Kaeding with Wisconsin Public Radio, more than 22 million trees were planted in the last two years with 12.9 million planted last year. The governor issued an executive order in 2021 directing the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to work with public, private and nonprofit organizations to reach that target.

The commitment is part of the U.S. Chapter of the Global Trillion Trees Initiative, which also seeks to protect and conserve 125,000 acres of forest.  As part of that pledge, the state also conserved more than 2,000 acres of forest last year.

"Planting trees and conserving forestlands are simple but powerful tools to help store carbon dioxide, improve air quality, protect wildlife habitats, and combat the climate crisis, all while supporting our statewide economies," Evers said in a statement.

On average, the state tracks or supplies between 2 million and 5 million tree seedlings each year, according to the DNR. The tree planting initiative is expected to store nearly 29 million metric tons of carbon dioxide over the next half century, that’s roughly the equivalent of emissions released by 6 million vehicles each year.

The state’s forests cover about 17 million acres. In 2022, the DNR’s reforestation program provided 3.5 million tree and shrub seedlings for planting on public and private land. That includes:

  • More than 2 million seedlings planted on private lands;
  • More than 1 million seedlings planted on DNR, federal, tribal and other public lands;
  • More than 175,000 seedlings planted on county forests;
  • More than 36,000 seedlings planted on school forests;
  • More than 35,000 seedlings for students on Arbor Day.

Private nurseries supplied around half a million trees that were planted. In addition, the DNR also distributed more than 89 million seeds that are expected to yield around 9 million trees.

Wisconsin’s forests are a critical part of the state’s economy and support the $24 billion forest products industry that employs more than 60,000 workers statewide. The DNR’s Chief State Forester Heather Berklund said that underscores the need for large-scale tree planting.

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