Wisconsin’s Forestry Industry is a $42-billion industry providing more than 126,000 jobs, many in the northern portion of state.
But, as WXPR has previously reported, the industry also faces many challenges.
Disease, pests, climate change, and loss of mills are a major concern. There’s been a decline in harvesting since the closure of several mills starting in 2020—including the Verso Mill in Wisconsin Rapids and the Park Falls Paper Mill.
Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association Executive Director Henry Scheinebeck says those mills were taking in about 30% of the pulp produced in the state.
“We're growing, at a minimum, two times more than we're harvesting,” Schienebeck said at a press conference in Madison Monday.
Because of the decline, Scheinebeck supports legislation being introduced that would incentivize the building of an aviation bio-fuel facility in Hayward.
He says maintaining sustainable harvesting is important for forest health and the economy.
“This is the number two industry in the state. We're still, fortunately, the number one paper producing industry in the nation,” said Schienebeck. “If we can keep that going along with sustainable aviation fuel for the future, I think this is a win-win.”
The plant would take low quality wood and convert it to aviation biofuel.
While the U.S. has not required the use of this fuel type, the European Union has called for 70% of jet fuel to be sustainable by 2050.
The legislation introduced Monday would authorize the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to create an aviation biofuel tax credit of $60 million as an Enterprise Zone Tax Credit.
It would also award the company that wants to build the facility a grant of $150 million through state bonding, which would be repaid through the Forestry Account.
Senate President Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) is one of the bill authors.
“There is going to be an increasing demand for this type of fuel, and we are right at the forefront here in Wisconsin,” she said. “We have a piece of legislation right now that will help spearhead this investment.”
In return, the company would source 80% of biomass needed to make the fuel from Wisconsin’s forests and invest $1.5 billion in economic activities in the state within five years. Felzkowski said the plant would provide about 150 jobs.
Michigan and Minnesota are also being considered as locations for the plant, according to Felzkowski.
“The state that helps will be the first state there, and they will also have the headquarters then located at that,” she said. “There is a little bit of pressure to be the state that helps so that they have the first plant and hopefully the headquarters.”
Felzkowski said she’s talked to the Governor who seems interested but wouldn’t commit until he saw the legislation which was just announced Monday.
