by Wisconsin DNR Secretary Karen Hyun
Four and a half years ago, Wisconsin made a bold commitment to the future of our state and our planet.
On Earth Day 2021, Gov. Tony Evers announced Wisconsin’s Trillion Trees Pledge – an ambitious initiative to plant 75 million trees and conserve 125,000 acres of forestland by 2030. Wisconsin’s pledge is part of the United States Chapter of 1t.org, led by American Forests and the World Economic Forum as part of a global initiative supporting the United Nations Decade on Ecological Restoration.
Wisconsin’s commitment to reforestation and maintaining healthy forests embodies our state’s understanding that healthy forests are among nature’s most powerful tools for addressing climate change, protecting biodiversity and improving quality of life for all.
Tree Planting: Exceeding Expectations
What began as an inspiring goal has evolved into a remarkable success story. On Earth Day 2024, Gov. Evers increased Wisconsin’s pledge to 100 million trees planted by 2030, supporting a companion tree planting pledge made together with fellow Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers members. As of the end of 2024, more than 42.7 million trees have been planted across Wisconsin, achieving nearly 43% of the goal in just four years. Since the Trillion Trees Pledge began in 2021, Wisconsin has planted more than 300,000 trees in urban areas and 42.4 million trees in rural locations. Urban plantings are particularly significant, as trees in cities provide valuable climate adaptation benefits, such as improving air quality, reducing energy costs, managing stormwater and enhancing mental health for city residents.
For conservation plantings in rural areas, the DNR’s Reforestation program has provided 21.2 million seedlings and has distributed over 1200 pounds and 400 bushels of clean seed for direct planting, resulting in over 17 million seedlings. Private nurseries have supplied another 8.76 million seedlings to public and private landowners. This collaboration demonstrates how effective partnerships can create success toward ambitious goals. Seedlings from the DNR’s State Nursery were distributed across diverse locations: 9.45 million on private lands, 5.54 million on public lands, 826,000 on county forests and 150,000 on school forests.
Wisconsin’s approach uses sophisticated forest science. The DNR doesn’t just plant trees – it plants the right trees in the right places. Seeds are collected statewide to ensure genetic diversity, and species are selected based on site conditions, climate projections and intended outcomes, maximizing survival rates and long-term forest health.
Forest Conservation & Protection Efforts
The conservation component of Wisconsin’s pledge has been equally impressive. More than 76,000 acres of forestland have been conserved, representing 61% of the 125,000-acre goal. This achievement was significantly boosted by the historic Pelican River Forest conservation easement, which alone protected nearly 55,000 acres of critical forestland from potential development in 2024.
The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and the federal Forest Legacy Program have been instrumental in these conservation successes. These programs enable non-profit conservation organizations and the DNR to purchase lands and easements that protect lakes and streams, conserve working forests, secure critical wildlife habitat and provide opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Furthermore, many of our forest conservation efforts occur within the Ceded Territory, lands where treaties reserve rights of Ojibwe people to hunt, fish and gather. Protecting forests in these areas contributes positively to the ability of Ojibwe people to exercise their traditional lifeways.
Supporting Actions For Forest Health
Wisconsin’s commitment to reforestation and conservation extends beyond planting and conservation through comprehensive Supporting Actions. These are actions we and our partners take to strengthen forest health and resilience.
Sustainable Forestry
The DNR administers three major land management programs verified under independent forest certification programs. These programs encompass more than 1.5 million acres of state lands dual-certified under Forest Stewardship Council® and Sustainable Forestry Initiative® standards, plus millions of additional acres of county and private lands under various certification standards.
Nursery Development
The DNR collaborates with private nurseries to meet Wisconsin’s seedling demands while expanding the capacity of state facilities. In 2023, a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant funded a major upgrade to the Hayward State Nursery, which will modernize the 1950s-era facility into a state-of-the-art Tree Improvement Center by 2026.
Data And Technological Tools
Wisconsin maintains several robust forest inventory programs that provide critical data for rural and urban forest management across the state. These programs deliver objective information on forest diversity, health and size and serve as Wisconsin’s primary data source for numerous national and global forest assessments.
Our state implements the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis program at double the national intensity, and the Urban Forest Inventory and Analysis program operates at five times the national baseline.
Teams across the state inventory the success of both natural and artificial regeneration efforts through specialized monitoring programs. The Forest Regeneration Monitoring program, initiated in 2018, assesses natural regeneration, while Artificial Regeneration Monitoring has been formally conducted for decades. The Wisconsin Forest Inventory and Reporting System (WisFIRS) enables foresters to store field data and track completed management activities.
In 2024, the DNR published new datasets on Wisconsin’s urban forestry canopy, providing valuable information for identifying areas lacking tree cover and planning future urban forest expansion.
These technological tools ensure that Wisconsin’s tree-planting efforts are guided by the best available science and data.
Science And Technical Assistance
Wisconsin’s forest conservation efforts are supported by world-class research and technical assistance. The University of Wisconsin System continues to lead forestry and horticultural research, while the DNR partners with federal agencies on cutting-edge studies that will shape forest management for decades to come.
Two major research projects highlight Wisconsin’s innovative approach to forest resilience. The Desired Regeneration Through Assisted Migration (DREAM) project investigates whether seedlings from areas with climates similar to Wisconsin’s projected future conditions can increase forest adaptation to climate change. The Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change study examines long-term ecosystem responses to various climate adaptation strategies.
Forest Health: Tree Protection Through Management
DNR Forest Health staff monitor pests, diseases and invasive plants across public and private forests, sharing prevention and management guidance. The program has made significant strides addressing critical challenges, including Heterobasidion Root Disease (HRD) prevention and oak wilt management, while successfully navigating major European spongy moth outbreaks in 2023 and 2024.
Forest Product Markets & Innovation
Wisconsin’s roughly 1,000 forest product manufacturers help maintain forest health by generating economic revenue that incentivizes forest management. The DNR Forest Products Services program offers technical assistance, hosting courses that certified over 70 individuals to mill, grade and sell dimension lumber from 2023 to 2024.
Innovative projects include biochar development through collaborative field trials, using small-diameter tree trimmings to create biochar that locks carbon in soil for hundreds of years while improving soil health and reducing operating costs.
Environmental Education
Education remains a cornerstone of Wisconsin’s forest conservation strategy. The DNR supports environmental education through partnerships with organizations like the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education at UW-Stevens Point, which administers the LEAF program – Wisconsin’s implementation of Project Learning Tree.
The Wisconsin School Forest Program creates outdoor classrooms, inspiring students to learn about forest stewardship firsthand. In 2024, the innovative collaboration between LEAF and the DNR’s Reforestation program involved students in seed collection efforts, serving dual purposes: providing environmental education while building seedling stock for the Wisconsin School Forest Centennial in 2027-2028.
Arbor Day celebrations across our state raise awareness about the importance of trees and forests. For more than 40 years, the DNR has supported schools by providing free tree seedlings to fourth-grade classrooms, with over 56,000 seedlings distributed in 2025.
Conservation Finance
Wisconsin’s forest conservation efforts are supported by diverse funding sources and innovative financing mechanisms. The DNR maintains dedicated gift funds for tree planting and a fund for small donations.
The “Run for the Trees: Happy Little 5K” virtual race program, inspired by artist Bob Ross, raised more than $16,000 in 2024 for tree planting and forest health efforts in Wisconsin state parks, forests and recreation areas. This creative fundraising approach demonstrates how Wisconsin engages residents in supporting forest conservation.
The Power Of Partnership
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Wisconsin’s Trillion Trees Pledge is the impressive network of partnerships making this success possible. The collaborative effort spans state agencies, federal partners, tribal nations, nonprofits, businesses and individual residents – all united around healthy forests and forest conservation.
Key partners include state agencies, federal partnerships with the USDA Forest Service, university collaborations and corporate partners such as the Alliant Energy Foundation and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. Private landowners have embraced their stewardship role, with over 9.45 million seedlings planted on private lands since 2021.
Looking Forward
As Wisconsin celebrates five years of exceptional progress, the focus shifts to future challenges and opportunities. Climate change continues to present challenges, including reduced access to timber harvest due to warmer winters, changing precipitation patterns and invasive species and disease pressures.
With 57.3 million additional trees to be planted and nearly 49,000 acres of forestland still to be conserved, we need sustained commitment from our partners and an expansion of our partnerships.
Wisconsin’s commitment to planting 100 million trees and conserving 125,000 acres represents more than environmental policy – it represents hope for cleaner air and water, healthier communities, diverse forest-based industries that support the local communities that rely on them, more resilient ecosystems and a future where Wisconsin’s forests continue providing benefits for generations to come.