Parcelization: Forest Change Agent in Northern Wisconsin

Parcelization-induced forest fragmentation is eating away at private, nonindustrial forests. Parcel sizes are declining and the number of landowners is increasing. These conditions make it challenging for resource managers to maintain economical timber harvesting on smaller privately held forested parcels. Shrinking parcel sizes also aggravate landscape and habitat fragmentation. In this article, we analyze parcelization and its link to private land-use change. Reconstruction of historic tax parcels and land use in three rural towns in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, allowed us to examine the effects of parcelization over a 53-year period. Our results indicate that parcelization is a significant factor in landscape change in northern Wisconsin. This research provides empirical evidence of the necessity to manage how private land is subdivided and used in amenity and natural resource rich areas.