In Wisconsin, where endless coniferous and deciduous forests once stretched, every new tree becomes another piece of a large mosaic. It is being assembled by thousands of people: farmers, schoolchildren, municipal workers and ordinary residents. According to the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR), by the end of 2025 about 54,7 million trees had been planted here as part of the Trillion Trees Pledge commitment. That is more than halfway to the goal of 100 million trees by 2030. The exact figure in the accounting statistics as of 31 December 2025 is a bit more modest, 54 265 478 trees, but the overall conclusion does not change because of that: the progress is already noticeable.
The initiative was announced by Governor Tony Evers on 22 April 2021, on Earth Day, when he signed Executive Order No. 112 and joined the state in the global Trillion Trees initiative. At that time, the talk was about 75 million trees and the preservation of 125 thousand acres of forest. In April 2024, when the state already had more than 32 million plantings, Evers signed Executive Order No. 221 and raised the bar to 100 million. It is symbolic that the ceremony was held at Governor Nelson State Park: it was named after Gaylord Nelson, the senator considered the founder of Earth Day. In addition to the main task, the commitment provides for planting a million trees in cities and protecting at least 125 thousand acres of forest land. Municipalities, schools, companies, nonprofit organizations, partner agencies, forest landowners and residents are working on this.
The most substantial contribution to land protection was the Pelican River Forest project. The forest tract of about 70 thousand acres east of Rhinelander was purchased in 2021 by the nonprofit organization The Conservation Fund. In 2024, the governor announced the approval of a conservation easement for nearly 55 thousand acres: under it, the parcel cannot be built on or divided. That is roughly 44 percent of the goal of protecting 125 thousand acres and one of the largest conservation projects in the state's history.
The figures also speak to the pace. In 2025, Wisconsin residents planted nearly 12 million trees, and a year earlier, about 10,7 million. About 45 million remain until the mark of 100 million. If this volume is spread over the five remaining years, that comes to about 9 million trees a year — less than in the last two years. That is, at the current pace, the goal is achievable with room to spare, and the pace cannot be allowed to fall behind by more than about a quarter. An important backdrop: after the slump in 2019, when the agency gave out fewer than 3 million seedlings, the nurseries recovered — in 2021–2025 they handed out from 3,5 to 5,4 million seedlings annually.
The urban part of the plan is also moving forward. Based on the results of 2025, 485 411 trees were planted in cities — roughly 49 percent of a million. The record came precisely in the past year: 185 207 trees were planted in cities, more than in any previous year since the program began.
Why is all this needed? Forest lands occupy about 17 million acres, that is, more than 40 percent of the state's territory. Trees accumulate carbon, purify water, provide shelter for wildlife and soften the effects of heat and heavy downpours. According to the agency's estimate, plantings over the first five years will additionally sequester about 15 million metric tons of carbon over the next half-century. It is also important that about 57 percent of forests belong to private owners, so without farmers and family farms the plan would not have worked. One farmer plants oaks at the edge of a field, schoolchildren tend maples in a yard, and municipal services plant lindens along the streets. Each such step is small on its own, but together they produce a tangible result.
There are several ways to join in. First, collect seeds and sell them to Wisconsin's state nurseries — that is how reforestation begins from the very first step. Second, care for trees in your yard or in your neighborhood. Third, support programs that fund planting and care. Owners of private parcels would do well to consult with foresters of the Department of Natural Resources: their recommendations help manage a forest sustainably.
There is also a simpler path. Starting on 5 October 2026, the state reforestation program is accepting orders for seedlings to be planted in spring 2027. Planted trees can be recorded on the official Wisconsin planting map, and then the contribution of each participant becomes visible in the overall picture.
Wisconsin's forests work not only as carbon stores. They support the resilience of entire landscapes: roots hold the soil, crowns soften the impact of downpours, and a tree becomes a home and food for animals. In this way, every planting connects nature and the people who live and work near the forest.
Plant at least one tree in your neighborhood — and you too will become part of this common movement. A million small steps begins with one.
