July 20, 2018 at 3:53 p.m.
Oneida County honors Werner Zimmer
Oneida County honors Werner Zimmer
By Fred Williston-
The road, which runs through the county forest from County Highway G to Sugarbush Lane, was already named for Zimmer, but the Oneida County board's forestry, land, and recreation committee decided to recognize the man and his efforts formally.
New signs were erected at both ends of the road commemorating Zimmer's service and his accomplishments.
Zimmer, now 99, served in the U.S. Army during World War II and awarded a Purple Heart in the Pacific theater of operations.
Upon his return to civilian life, he went to work for the State of Wisconsin Conservation Department in 1945.
When Oneida County first considered creating the position of forest administrator ("county forester" at the time), Zimmer's boss recommended him for the job.
"I didn't know if I could do it at first, but I said 'You've got to do it,'" Zimmer said. "So I just went ahead, and it worked. It was important, so I put my full effort in it."
In his tenure from 1949 to 1981, Zimmer shaped not only the future of the forest, but also of recreation and finance in the county.
Zimmer oversaw the construction of more than 70 miles of roads in the forest for logging, fire access, and public use.
While he was in charge, Zimmer was also responsible for the construction of several public parks, the planting of more than three million trees, and the opening of a 40-mile loop in the forest which was the first public snowmobile trail in the state. He was credited by one newspaper as being "the father of the Wisconsin snowmobile trail system."
In addition, he oversaw the first timber sales from county land. Zimmer can remember seeing a chain saw used for the first time in logging operations. Until that point, the primary tools of the trade were still hand-saws and axes.
"That question is a little bit like asking 'What kind of impact did Orville and Wilbur Wright have on flying?'" Oneida County, committee vice chair Alan Van Raalte said when asked to summarize Zimmer's impact on the county forestry department.
Chairman Jack Sorensen elaborated, saying the forest "is quite an asset for the county and it's a huge asset for recreation and tourism."
"Not to mention, last year, we had $1.9 million in stumpage fees go into Oneida County from cuts on the county forest land," he said. "So we more than pay for our department and we pay for all of the recreation stuff. It's just a win-win-win."
"The excess (money) goes to the general fund to level off the taxes," committee member Bob Mott pointed out. "It's really one of the moneymakers in the county - and it's renewable ... I try to tell southern Wisconsin people this is our cornfield up here. They've got theirs down there, but this is our cornfield."
"It grows a little slower (than corn), but we can use it 12 months out of the year," Sorensen said.
The county forest comprises approximately 82,000 acres and is open to hunting; features trails for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, pedestrians, ATVs, bicycles, and snowmobiles; lake access for boats, swimming, and fishing; and campgrounds.
It consists of three units, one in Enterprise, one in Woodboro and one in Lynne and Little Rice townships.
The Enterprise unit, which is home to Zimmer Road, is approximately 6 miles by 6 miles.
Zimmer Road is open to vehicular traffic, but is not maintained in the winter.
"He was the lead man," Sorensen said of Zimmer. "We just wanted to do something for somebody who did so much for us ... he did a marvelous job for us, and it's just a small - very small - thank you for all the work he did."
Zimmer is grateful for the recognition.
"It's amazing," he said. "I just can't believe it. This is all great."
He recounted some of his most memorable experiences on the job.
"Twice I stood for 10 minutes facing down a bear with her little ones," Zimmer said. "And I was told how to do it, and it worked. I stood and stared her down. Just didn't move and stared her in the eyes. Twice I did that."
"One time, we helped a guy out of the creek," he continued. "His snowmobile went through the ice. We had a lot of fun on this job."
When asked if he would have traded his career for a desk job, Zimmer didn't hesitate with his answer.
"No way!" he said. "I loved it. It was a lot of work and a lot of walking. I must have walked 10 times the normal."
Zimmer said the key to long life is working outdoors and taking long walks in the woods.
Fred Williston may be reached via email at [email protected].
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