MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), today announced that more than $319,000 in state funds will go towards improving more than 900 miles of county forest roads in 24 Wisconsin counties.

“Wisconsin’s county forests cover more than 2.4 million acres and are home to thousands of campsites, hundreds of miles of trails, and countless opportunities to enjoy the outdoors,” said Gov. Evers. “Fixing the forest roads ensures folks from across our state can continue to access these public lands, recreate, and enjoy and appreciate Wisconsin’s natural resources.”

WisDOT administers the state’s County Forest Road Aid program, which was established to help defray county costs for the improvement and maintenance of public roads within county forests.

“The first county forest in Wisconsin got started almost 100 years ago in Langlade County with the idea to turn abandoned loggers’ land into a public asset,” said WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson. “Today, these lands help define Up North in Wisconsin, and WisDOT works with our local partners to ensure that forest infrastructure improves tourism, industry, and agriculture.”

County Forest Road Aids are separate from the larger General Transportation Aids (GTA) program, and to qualify for the state funding, roads must meet minimum design standards of a 16-foot surface width and a 20-foot roadway width. They must also be located within county forests, be open and used for travel, be part of a comprehensive county forest land-use plan, and cannot be town roads, county, or state highways. The 2019-21 biennial budget signed by Gov. Evers increased ongoing funding for this program by $71,800 over the biennium, raising the rate per mile provided to eligible counties from $336 per mile to $351 per mile.