Clark and Surrounding Counties to Receive County Forest Road Aid

Thursday, March 12th, 2026 -- 10:00 AM

Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), announced $328,300 to improve nearly 940 miles of county forest roads in 24 rural counties across the state to maintain local roads and support rural economies statewide.

Each year, county forests generate approximately $40 to $50 million in timber revenues, resulting in approximately 16,000 jobs and $4.6 billion in forest products production.

In addition to their impact on statewide industry, Wisconsin’s county forests also provide abundant recreational and tourism opportunities for residents and visitors alike, including more than 9,100 miles of managed snowmobile trails, 1,700 miles of managed ATV trails, 460 miles of cross-country skiing trails, 400 miles of horse trails, 400 miles of bicycle trails, two National Scenic Trails, and thousands of miles of forest roads, along with a wealth of hunting and fishing opportunities.

Maintaining these roads ensures outdoor recreationists can safely and securely access these resources, ultimately bolstering the state’s $12 billion outdoor recreation economy.

WisDOT administers the state’s County Forest Road Aids program, which was established to help Wisconsin’s counties pay for the improvement and maintenance of public roads within county forests.

To qualify for state funding under the County Forest Road Aids program, roads must have at least a 16-foot surface width and a 20-foot roadway width, be located within county forests, be part of a comprehensive county forest land-use plan, and be open and used for travel. The road cannot be a state highway, county trunk highway, or town road, and cannot be part of the larger General Transportation Aids program.

Clark County has 45.98 miles of eligible roads receiving $16,068.85; Wood has 10.45 eligible miles receiving $3,652.01; Marathon has 6.48 eligible miles receiving $2,264.60; Taylor has 17.78 eligible miles receiving $6,213.66; Chippewa has 18.18 eligible miles receiving $6,353.45; Eau Claire has 17.94 miles receiving $6,269.58; and Jackson has 8.68 miles receiving $3,033.44.

A complete list of the funding by county can be found in the table below and on WisDOT’s County Forest Roads Aid webpage.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.