Sugarbush Site Suitability in Ojibwe Ceded Territory of Northern Wisconsin

Abstract

The Ojibwe people maintain usufruct rights on public lands, including the right to tap sugar maples for syrup and sugar, in ceded territories of Wisconsin. Maple sugar plays an invaluable spiritual and cultural role in the Ojibwe economy, and knowing the optimal locations for sugarbush stands would allow the Ojibwe to further manage, develop, and utilize this resource. Thus, we plan to conduct a site suitability analysis using climatic, habitat, and socioeconomic factors to locate sugarbush sites in Ojibwe ceded territories of northern Wisconsin.