Rusk County provides a wealth of natural resources to its residents. Of its 590,720 acres, more than 579,000 are land and nearly 11,000 are lakes and streams.
Over 60% of the county’s land area is forest and approximately 30% is agricultural. The primary timber species are aspen and maple although other hardwoods, pine and other softwood are also present in numbers. Dairy accounts for the majority of the county’s agricultural production. The sheer abundance of timber cover and productive farmland in Rusk County has attracted many people and businesses to the area.
Included in the surface water acreage are over 120 miles of trout streams and 75 lakes not to mention the quality river ways throughout the county. The Flambeau and Chippewa Rivers alone provide over 85 miles of some of the finest canoeing in the state. The combination of all streams, lakes and rivers provides virtually unlimited recreational activities while at the same time meeting the needs of area businesses and industries.
Copper is known to exist in the area. The Flambeau Mining Company a subsidiary of the Kennecott Corporation operated an open pit copper mine from 1992 to 1997.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is responsible for issuing permits regarding solid waste, hazardous waste, water supply, mining, air emissions and wastewater discharge. Processing times for permits range from 30 to 210 days, depending on the type of permit.
