31-01-2025
There's a new Wisconsin specialty license plate
A new specialty license plate promoting sustainable county forest management debuted Thursday in Wisconsin, adding to the 60-plus designs available to motorists.
The latest plate comes from the Wisconsin County Forests Association, a nonprofit, quasi-governmental organization made up of 30 of Wisconsin's 72 counties, largely in the northern part of the state.
"With over 2.4 million acres in management, collectively, the counties are the largest public landowner in the state," according to the association's website.
The association, established in 1968, works with government officials at the federal, state and local levels on forest programs and land use issues. The association advocates for all the counties, rather than each county addressing issues on their own.
State laws require county forests to provide "maximum public benefits" through multiple-use management, including recreation, wildlife and watershed protection and "optimum production" of materials for the state's forest products industry.
Like most specialty plates in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin County Forests Association plate requires an annual $25, tax-deductible donation. Donations from the new plate will be used to "help advocate for and promote sustainable forest management" in Wisconsin, according to a release from the DMV.
The plate also comes with a one-time, $15 fee, in addition to regular vehicle registration fees. Personalizing the characters on the plate costs an additional $15 each year. Special license plates can be ordered online through the DMV.
The plate features the association's logo on the left side and "support county forests" at the bottom. The background is filled with fall foliage, pine trees and a river.
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Special groups like the Wisconsin County Forests Association must pay a $15,500 development fee and collect 500 signatures from the public in order to apply for a new plate.
The plate joins several designs that support environmental causes in Wisconsin, including plates that feature endangered species, the International Crane Foundation and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New Wisconsin specialty license plate promotes forest sustainability
