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Forestry team reports hire, high fire danger and work-plan timing ahead of fiscal year end
Summary
Ashland-Iron County forestry team leader said the program is over 80% through contracted hours for the year, announced a new liaison hire starting June 2, and warned of very high fire danger and temporary burn-ban suspensions.
Bridal Peasley, forestry team leader for Ashland-Iron County, told the committee the forestry program is more than 80% complete on its hours obligation for the fiscal year and that a newly accepted liaison hire will start June 2. Peasley said the new hire has prior experience in the same position in another county and should reduce staff workload and shorten the learning curve.
Peasley said the forestry fiscal year ends June 30 and that the team will soon meet with county staff to establish a summer and fall project list, including timber-sale timing and other work plans. He also noted that work on county forest openings and hunter-walk trails has been restricted because of how program funds (PR funding) may be used; the forestry program will hold a work meeting later this month to clarify guidance on what work is allowed on county forest.
On fire danger, Peasley said northern Wisconsin has had a wet spring that recently shifted to a drying pattern and that, as of the meeting, fire danger had risen to "very high" with burn bans suspended for several days. He urged residents to report open burning and said conditions were expected to remain critical for about eight to ten days before significant precipitation is forecast.
Peasley said staffing (including a ranger and an LTE) and the incoming liaison should allow the program to meet county obligations and to resume work on planned projects once guidance and weather allow.
