As part of the orientation and welcome ceremonies given to us by the County of Eau Claire and City of Chippewa Falls, we were treated to a picnic brunch complete with Wisconsin brats. Cooking the burgers and brats is Todd Andrews, Senior Planner for Eau Claire County. Next to him is Chippewa Falls City Administrator, Dan Elsass (’73) proudly wearing the Witt T-shirt and cap we gave him upon our arrival. The picnic was held in Eau Claire’s Carson Park next to Carson Stadium where a bronze bust of Henry Aaron sits in front of the entrance. It was here that Aaron made his minor league baseball debut prior to going on to break Babe Ruth’s all-time major league home run record; a record that is about to be broken by Barry Bonds. Of course, Bonds’ accomplishments are somewhat suspect in this age of steroid-infested professional sports. The picnic was a chance for the students to socialize with their new colleagues, and to hear about some of the local culture and history. A major part of the history of the northwoods relates to the logging industry. The Chippewa River flows right through Eau Claire, and was used by the logging companies to float lumber down to sawmills in Eau Claire and further south. In the late 19th century there was no concept of replanting the trees that were cut. So, eventually, when the trees were gone, the logging industry died down. At that time, the land was purchased in many cases by county governments, and through conservation, replanting, and careful management, these forests eventually became a key source of revenue for county governments in the northwestern part of Wisconsin. An important division of county government is the Forestry Division that is responsible for the management of the public forests, and the revenue that comes from the careful harvesting and replanting of the timber. One of the interns, Dylan Owens (’09) will be helping update the City of Chippewa Falls’ Forestry Management plan.