The great pine barrens of Wisconsin, which were historically shaped and maintained by wildfire, have been reduced to less than 2% of their original 46 million acres. The replacement of vast open barrens with dense forests and human-created red pine plantations, has resulted in a significant loss of habitat for many wildlife species that rely on this landscape.
In response to these concerns, American Forests has teamed up with the Wisconsin Sharp-tailed Grouse Society and the Foresters of Bayfield County to support the idea of developing the Rolling Barrens in NW Wisconsin.
The Rolling Barrens consist of a central zone of a 1000-acre permanently open core surrounded by four zones of surrogate floating barrens. Harvesting these zones and then seeding with dense Jack pine over a 12-year period, will provide wildlife with the optimal mix of young pine immediately adjacent to a permanently open core. This plan benefits a wide range of Wisconsin's species, including the Sharp-tailed grouse, Upland Sandpiper, Franklin's Ground Squirrel, and Kirtland's warbler.