Wood cutters cut and split willow trees removed from Somers Road dike, at Horicon NWR. - FWS photo by Wendy Woyczik

Seventeen wood cutting permits were issued this winter, at Horicon NWR. Permits were $25 each and ran from Dec. 1, 2006 through March 15, 2007.

Of the 17 permits issued, only eight wood cutters actually came out and cut. They removed approximately 125 cords of wood.

The wood cutters were allowed to cut trees in eight designated areas around the Refuge on a “first-come, first-served” basis. Tree species included box elder, cottonwood, willow, ash, poplar, elm, and pine.

The wood removal project is an ongoing effort to restore upland grass fields through the removal of fence lines and trees that aggressively spread throughout the grassland units. In addition, trees are being removed from all Refuge dikes to help maintain and restore their integrity.