Last July, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany authored legislation that will allow a Forest County concrete supplier to purchase 14 acres of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. In October, the owner of the business made his first ever political contribution — $520 to Tiffany’s gubernatorial campaign.
Tiffany’s bill, the Wabeno Economic Development Act, would allow Tony’s Wabeno Redi-Mix to buy the national forest land adjacent to the company’s current property for “market value.” The purchase of the land includes the mineral rights for extracting underground resources from the current public lands.
The 14 acres involved in the sale amounts to a miniscule portion of the more than 685,000 acres of federal land in Forest County. Tiffany and other northern Wisconsin officials have frequently complained that the massive amount of public land in the area prevents the growth of private industries.
But Tiffany also has a history of opposition to public lands, including joining with right-wing anti-conservation groups working to prevent Wisconsin from protecting large swathes of the state’s Northwoods. In Forest County, he assisted efforts to rewrite local land use policy to be friendlier to extractive industries such as logging and mining.
Tony Smith, the company’s owner, wrote a letter to Tiffany in January 2022 asking for help because his current property was running out of the raw materials he uses to make concrete.
“We are currently projected to run out of aggregate materials in the next 2-3 years,” Smith wrote. “I have talked to Forest Service district ranger, Mike Brown, several times about the possible trade of these properties and he stated, ‘this would not be a priority to them.’ Tony’s Wabeno Redi-Mix currently owns the west and north side of the proposed property to trade, and we are aware there is adequate material there to continue running Tony’s Wabeno Redi-Mix for many years to come. I have also searched privately owned properties in Forest and surrounding counties with no luck in finding material within a sustainable distance to remain profitable.”
Last June, Tiffany introduced the legislation, stating in a news release that the sale would allow the company to stay in business.
“This conveyance will deliver long-term economic growth and protect local jobs for the people of Wabeno and Forest County,” Tiffany said. “It will ensure Tony’s Wabeno Redi-Mix stays open and continues serving the community for years to come.”
The bill passed the House in a 410-1 vote in July. Aside from Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who didn’t vote, all of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation voted in favor of the bill. On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources voted to advance the legislation.
A few months after the bill advanced out of the House, Smith gave $520.51 to the gubernatorial campaign of the lawmaker writing legislation that directly benefits his business. State and federal campaign finance records show that Smith has no prior history of political giving.
In a statement to the Examiner, Tiffany’s campaign noted the bill’s bipartisan support and touted the legislation as an example of Tiffany fighting for small businesses.
“Tony’s Wabeno Redi-Mix, a small business with roughly 17 employees, contacted my office in January 2022 after years of getting nowhere with the U.S. Forest Service,” Tiffany said in a statement supplied by the campaign. “I first introduced this bill in 2024, and it has since earned strong bipartisan support, including from Wisconsin Democrats Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan. Standing up for Wisconsin small businesses when federal agencies fail them is part of my job, and I’ll continue to fight for them.”
The campaign ignored questions about the contribution from Smith.
In a news release, the Sierra Club of Wisconsin complained that handling the sale through legislation prevents the public from getting to weigh in on the transaction. Sales conducted through the standard U.S. Forest Service process are subject to public input.
“Tom Tiffany’s track record shows he’s willing to sell the public lands — which belong to all of us — off to the highest bidder for private profit,” Sierra Club spokesperson Megan Wittman said.
Smith was unavailable for comment Thursday afternoon but his statement will be added later if he responds to the Examiner’s request.
