Governor Tony Evers visits UW-Stevens Point to highlight Wisconsin Forestry Center’s role in workforce development

On Monday, March 30, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers visited the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and met with representatives from the College of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Forestry Center (WFC). In 2022, the center received a $7.9 million state grant to support workforce development pipelines in the forestry industry. This effort helped found the Wisconsin Forestry Careers Coalition, a collection of industry and educational leaders focused on forestry education and career pathway programming, and led to the development of high school skills training curricula, forest operations training experiences, and the construction of a state-of-the-art industrial sawmill with their partners, Northcentral Technical College - Antigo.

The Wisconsin Forestry Center is an outreach center in the College of Natural Resources at UW-Stevens Point and is supported by a partnership with the UW-Madison Division of Extension. Governor Evers, along with Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Secretary Amy Pechacek, met with College of Natural Resources professionals who showcased the educational training, workforce development, and growing partnerships WFC offers. From high school educational experiences in tree-felling and forest management, to modular courses for field professionals to advance their skills, WFC prides itself on the ability to adapt and respond to the changing needs of the forestry industry.

Equipment demonstrations were set up outside the Trainer Natural Resources building on the UW-Stevens Point campus, where Governor Evers met undergraduate students Kyra Bartholomew, Zach Hoffmann, Levi Lohnes, and Ally Stell, as well as high school student Bryce Bannach. Their mobile unit, filled with Milwaukee Tool and other forestry equipment, a Ponsse harvester simulator, and their one-of-a-kind mobile wood kiln, was all on display, bringing a taste of what WFC offers.

For more information on the Wisconsin Forestry Center and its offerings, visit https://www.uwsp.edu/wfc/wisconsin-forestry-center/.