Lumberjack RC&D helps to fund 2 local projects in 2026

Each year, Lumberjack Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council funds several conservation projects around their nine-county area, and this year, two of those were here in Oneida and Vilas counties.

Lumberjack RC&D is a multi-county, nonprofit in northeastern Wisconsin and their mission is to enhance area natural resources, promote a higher standard of living and improve the quality of life for area citizens by fostering partnerships between public and private sectors and strategically investing in area natural resources. Their vision is for sustainable resources for vibrant communities. Their area includes Vilas, Oneida, Lincoln, Florence, Forest, Marinette, Oconto, Menominee, Shawano and Langlade counties.

Each year, at their quarterly meeting in October, council members are charged with reviewing grant applications, listening to potential grantees’ presentations, and deciding which grants can be filled using grant funding which, this year, was $60,000. For the first time in a few years, there were more “asks” than that pot of money could sustain, meaning some projects simply could not be funded, no matter how worthy each was. This happens in most competitive grant situations and points to the importance of finding grantors that fit a project or organization’s mission and values as well as telling a compelling story.

In the end, two grant applications could not be funded at this October’s meeting, but one application in Vilas County and one in Oneida County landed near the top of the deck when all of the possible points were tallied.

Trees for Tomorrow in Eagle River was one of those grantees who will receive reimbursement funding from Lumberjack in 2026. Lumberjack has long been a supporter of projects at Trees for Tomorrow. Lumberjack president Steve Heimerman said the main reason for that is because programs at Trees for Tomorrow benefit the entire Lumberjack RC&D area.

“Who doesn’t want to support Trees for Tomorrow?” was his rhetorical question. The mission and vision of both organizations are parallel, but funding is never a “slam dunk,” when there are many good projects on the table.

Trees for Tomorrow

In the end, council members voted to provide Trees for Tomorrow with the $6,655 they requested in their grant. The request was for support for the Passport Program at Forest Fest in July of 2026. 

Trees for Tomorrow started the Passport Program last year at Forest Fest to promote learning and interaction between guests and exhibitors at the event. With the Passport Program, kids get hands-on education through completing activities at each exhibitor’s booth at Forest Fest. With over 50 exhibitors and demonstrators including arborists, equipment operators and conservation organizations, it is a great opportunity for kids to learn more about forestry and even all of the potential careers that are involved in forestry.

This year’s funding from Lumberjack will help the Passport Program expand to include youth ages 3-18. As a family enters Forest Fest, each child will be presented a Passport. As they go through the event, they can stop at exhibitor booths to engage in various learning activities. After completing the activity, the exhibitor will then stamp each child’s passport. Once children have gone through the event, they show their passport to Trees for Tomorrow staff and win prizes based on how many activities they completed.

With the goal of attracting over, 1,200 people and the hope that 60 percent of those people complete their passports, this is a great opportunity for outreach not only for the industry, but also for Trees for Tomorrow. Attendees will also be able to walk away knowing more about the rich logging heritage of Northern Wisconsin than they had walking in. 

Trees for Tomorrow executive director Cheryl Todea gave a presentation to the Lumberjack council highlighting the changes and improvements to Forest Fest for 2026 and why the funding was needed from Lumberjack.

At the next meeting of the council, Heimerman said he wanted council members to consider an agreement to fund Trees for Tomorrow in the amount of $5,000 for the next five years. This would ensure they would have funding for projects, but also take them out of the competitive grant cycle for at least those years, possibly allowing another grant to be approved with the limited funding available.

Girl Scouts at Town Line Lake Park

Rosie Page from the Wisconsin Headwaters Invasives Partnership (WHIP) spoke with the council about this project, that involves two Girl Scout cadets who were looking to make a real difference in their community by helping at a place that is very special to them, Town Line Lake Park.

The two Girl Scouts, Quinn and Elise Williams, are sisters and both said the park is a favorite place for their family to hike, snowshoe and attend music events. A stand of invasive spotted knapweed has started  to establish itself at the park, near the music bowl. This was the beginning of what would become the Williams’ Silver Award project for Girl Scouts. 

The girls will be working with WHIP, Page said, in not only removing that invasive species, but also planting native plant species in their stead. 

Page also gave a short history of Town Line Lake Park. Several years ago, it had been somewhat neglected, fallen into a bit of disrepair and, ultimately, was almost sold off by the county. A Friends group stepped in and saved the park. Since that time the Friends of Town Line Lake Park had committed to seeing their vision of a healthy, vibrant park come to life. 

While all of that was going on, Page said, she came to realize there was no invasive species management plan for the park. That management plan, then, became part of the work in which the Williams sisters would be involved in for the completion of the project. Both girls were excited to be part of something bigger than themselves that would help the community as well as a park they had grown to love. Page shared a statement from both girls with the council.

“The Silver Award means a lot to me because it is a way to help my community and help Townline Lake Park for future generations,” Elise Williams said, in part. “It is a good feeling to do something that helps people, plants, and wildlife, and makes my community better.”

“One of the things I’m most excited about is working with all the different partners involved — WHIP, Lumberjack RC&D, the county forestry department, the land and water conservation department, and others,” Quinn Williams’ statement read. “I’ve already learned a lot about invasive and native plants, and I’ve enjoyed doing the plant survey at the park. It was fun to learn how to conduct a plant survey, explore and discover what’s growing there, and it helped me understand how important it is to protect native plant and wildlife species.” She, too, said it was exciting to be part of something bigger and something that could have a lasting impact on Town Line Lake Park and residents who enjoy the park.

Page came to the Lumberjack RC&D Council to ask for $4,125 to help support the work that would need to be done for this project. This project, too, ranked quite high in the standings, meaning it would be funded for 2026. 

Those interested in learning more about Lumberjack RC&D, which is headquartered in Rhinelander, as well as how to apply for a grant from the council, can visit their website at lumberjackrcd.com.

Beckie Gaskill may be reached via email at [email protected].