County Forester
County forester
helping landowners
By Ted Pennekamp
Wisconsin DNR Forester for Crawford County Kobby Antwi has been stationed in Prairie du Chien since September of 2015 at 1502 E. Lessard St. Kobby has previously worked as a forester in multiple Wisconsin counties, most recently in Monroe County.
Many people may not know exactly what a forester for a county does. Kobby, 36, said that the duties can vary from county to county. In Crawford County, Kobby said he is available to provide assistance and guidance to landowners.
“Assistance covers a broad spectrum,” he said. “It includes tree planting to match species to the site, invasive species identification and control, managing forest land and timber harvest in a way that is environmentally sustainable, linking landowners to resources and educational outreach.”
In addition to landowners, Kobby also works with agencies such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Services Agency as well as with county departments such as Land Conservation.
Kobby also said he is the first contact for issues such as timber trespass and illegal timber harvesting. Kobby is not a certified law enforcement officer, but if a situation can’t be resolved, he will then call a certified law enforcement officer to handle the problem.
Kobby received a diploma in wildlife biology and a Bachelor of Science degree in forest management and civil culture in Ghana, a country in western Africa.
Along with his duties as forester, Kobby is also a student at UW-Platteville pursuing his Masters of Science degree in project management.
Kobby can be reached at 1502 E. Lessard St., Prairie du Chien, WI, 53821; or at (608) 326-1612; or at Kwabena.Antwi@wisconsin.gov.