Bayfield County Forests: Where Timber, Recreation, and Conservation Meet
Co-hosting a Natural Resources Foundation field trip through the Bayfield County Forests
The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin has been connecting people with Wisconsin's lands, waters, and wildlife through expert-led field trips since 1993. Each year more than 275 trips take place across the state, giving participants a behind-the-scenes look at conservation work that rarely makes it into a brochure. This May, the Lake Superior Collaborative (LSC) and Bayfield County Forestry and Parks co-hosted a bus tour through the Bayfield County Forests exploring the relationship between timber management, outdoor recreation, and conservation. Seventeen participants traveled from communities across Wisconsin to spend an afternoon moving from trailheads to timber sales to a waterfall.
Bayfield County Forestry and Parks is a Collaborative member organization, and Sara Hudson, Recreation Coordinator, serves on the LSC Steering Team. She helped plan and lead the tour alongside Bayfield County foresters and recreation staff, offering participants an unusually candid look at how nearly 180,000 acres of county forest are managed for multiple, sometimes competing, goals.
Jerry Jolly Recreation Area
Sara Hudson describing the Jerry Jolly Recreation Area to field trip participants.
The tour began at the Jerry Jolly Recreation Area on Star Route Road — the county's first conservation and outdoor recreation property. Donated to Bayfield County in 2005 for habitat restoration rather than timber production, the 73-acre property features 42 kilometers of hiking and ski trails running along Pikes Creek from the Star Route Trailhead to Mt. Ashwabay. Bayfield County Forestry and Parks manages the area in partnership with Bayfield Area Trails and Mt. Ashwabay.
Timber Stand Improvement
County Forester Caleb Brown explaining timber stand improvement practices.
County Forester Caleb Brown walked participants through Timber Stand Improvement (TSI) practices and how Bayfield County Forestry and Parks approaches sustainable timber management. TSI involves selectively removing lower-quality trees to improve the health, structure, and long-term productivity of the forest — a practice that benefits both timber value and wildlife habitat.
Motorized Trails and Access Management
County Forester Mike Amman explaining the Bayfield County Access Management Program to participants at the Star Route Parking Lot.
The Star Route Parking Lot serves as a gateway for snowmobilers, ATV riders, hunters, and foragers exploring the northern part of Bayfield County. Recreation Specialist Lindley Mattson described the county's motorized trail network, its funding structure, patterns of use, and collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service and community clubs. County Forester Mike Amman followed with an overview of Bayfield County's Access Management Program and the restoration work underway across the county forest.
Active Timber Sale
County Forester Jeremiah Nietzel at an active timber sale in the Bayfield County Forest.
County Forester Jeremiah Nietzel led participants through an active timber sale, walking through the various timber and wildlife management strategies the county employs. Seeing an active sale in person gave participants a grounded sense of how harvest decisions are made and what the landscape looks like mid-operation.
Siskiwit Falls Preserve
The Siskiwit River, acquired by Bayfield County in 2018 with help from Landmark Conservancy and the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program.
The final stop was the highlight of the afternoon. The Siskiwit River Preserve is a 102-acre recreational area just south of Cornucopia. Roughly 2.5 miles of trail wind along the Siskiwit River past cascading waterfalls, through an old apple orchard, and across an open meadow.
Staff covered a range of topics here. Jeremiah Nietzel discussed invasive species management on the property. Lindley Mattson walked participants through the native garden and trail system. Sara Hudson closed the afternoon with an overview of the Forest Carbon Offset Reserve Program, a voluntary carbon offset initiative Bayfield County launched in 2021 when it enrolled nearly 160,000 acres of county forest. Proceeds from carbon credit sales support county-wide conservation initiatives as well as a forestry-focused fund for land acquisition, natural resource management, and recreation.
A Collaboration Worth Continuing
Bayfield County Forestry and Parks manages an extraordinary landscape, and afternoons like this one are a reminder of how much knowledge the people who care for it carry. Thank you to Sara Hudson, Caleb Brown, Jeremiah Nietzel, Mike Amman, and Lindley Mattson for making it happen.