Fred Clark (©Wiki)

Wisconsin’s forest industry is facing growing pressure from mill closures, rising logging costs and changing timber markets. Former state lawmaker Fred Clark says the future of the Northwoods economy depends on long-term investment in the state’s forests. Clark, who is currently running for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, recently published a letter calling for renewed investment in Wisconsin forests and the industries tied to them. Clark has a long background in forestry and conservation, including work as a forest ecologist, forester and land conservation consultant. He has also served on the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board and the Wisconsin Council on Forestry. “We can’t be assured that the next hundred years are going to be easy if we don’t act smartly about it,” Clark said in a recent interview with WHSM and WBZH.