MFL is a landowner incentive program that encourages sustainable forestry on private woodlands in Wisconsin. Together with landowner objectives, the law incorporates timber harvesting, wildlife management, water quality and recreation to maintain a healthy and productive forest.

What is a benefit of enrolling property in the managed forest law?

The Wisconsin Managed Forest Law Program (“MFL”) is a little-known area of land ownership that allows an owner, through an application process, to enjoy the benefits of very low real estate taxation. Often enrollment will lower the real estate tax bill of a 40-acre parcel from thousands of dollars to less than $100.

What does MFL open mean?

Lands enrolled under MFL are designated as “Open” or “Closed” to public recreation. Open designation allows public access to the property only for hunting, fishing, hiking, sight-seeing and cross country skiing without additional permission from landowners.

Can you hunt managed forest land?

Lands enrolled under Managed Forest Law as “open” to public access allow for hunting, fishing, hiking, sight-seeing and cross-country skiing.

What does productive forest land mean?

Productive forest land means land that is producing or is capable of producing commercial forest products and is not other- wise classified under this subsection.

What is forest crop land?

The Forest Crop Law (FCL) is a landowner incentive program that encourages long-term, sustainable management of private woodlands. In exchange for following an FCL management schedule outlining forest practices, the landowner pays reduced property taxes.

What is FCL land?

– Public hunting, fishing, hiking, sight-seeing, and cross-country skiing allowed on open Managed Forest Law (MFL) lands. – Public hunting and fishing allowed on open Forest Crop Law (FCL) lands. No unauthorized uses including motorized vehicle traffic are allowed on either MFL or FCL lands.

What are DNR managed lands?

DNR is mandated to manage those lands to provide funding for public schools and other public services. Natural Resource Conservation Areas (NRCA), on the other hand, are managed to protect natural ecosystems.

What is the purpose of forestry?

Millions of people rely directly on forests for food, medicine, fuel and shelter through small-scale agriculture, hunting and gathering, and harvesting forest products. Poorly managed forests deprive such communities of healthy livelihoods.

What does the managed forest law program do?

The Managed Forest Law (MFL) program is a landowner incentive program that encourages sustainable forestry on private woodland. In exchange for following sound forest management, the landowner pays reduced property taxes.

What is the forest management law in Wisconsin?

In exchange for following sound forest management, the landowner pays reduced property taxes. It was enacted in 1985 and replaced the Woodland Tax Law and the Forest Crop Law. MFL is the only forest tax law that is open to enrollment. Land enrolled in the MFL program must be managed according to a plan agreed to by the landowner.

When to file a managed forest law transfer of ownership?

The deadline for submitting an application and required attachments is June 1 for entry effective the following Jan. 1. When ownership of land enrolled in the Managed Forest Law (MFL) program changes, the new owner must file a Managed Forest Law Transfer of Ownership (2450-159) [PDF] .

Where can I find forest law hunting land?

FreeHuntingLand.com is the only place you can see nearly all the Managed Forest Law (MFL) hunting land in one place, with Google Earth, overlayed on satellite imagery with GPS location. Includes DNR Managed lands, National Forest land, County Forests, and Forest Crop Law land too!