Minnesota Heritage Forest - Transition to Public Ownership Program

TCF indicated that their purchase from the PotlatchDeltic Corp. is to provide time for permanent conservation with partners. DNR's goal is to protect water quality and wildlife habitat while also preserving working forestlands, safeguarding jobs, contributing to local economies, increasing climate resiliency, and public access. DNR's Heritage Forest Project focuses on forest and habitat protection located in the northern forest region. Working with partners, DNR has implemented a four-phase project plan: Phase 1 (2021-2022) - interdisciplinary team applies DNR's Strategic Land Asset Management metrics to all TCF-owned parcels; engagement with Tribes, Counties and conservation partners. Phase 2 (2022) - DNR staff worked directly with county leaders to apply local expertise & coordination. Phase 3 (2022-2023) - refined priority parcel lists; seek county and Tribal support; develop acquisition strategy including funding proposals; work with NWLT to coordinate acquisitions with Counties and Tribes; complete appraisal for DNR proposed parcels. Phase 4 (2024-2028) - acquire parcels.
Many of the Heritage Forest lands are near DNR-managed lands, including existing State Forests. Some lands are suitable for DNR acquisition/management for various conservation purposes (State Forests, WMAs, & SNAs): working forests, protection of important, rare, or diminishing habitats and native plant communities and public access. DNR is working with Counties who have identified parcels for ownership and parcel lists are being refined with NWLT coordination. This project systematically evaluates, prioritizes, and (if approved) will acquire parcels for DNR management with significant local and Tribal input. NWLT is currently using OHF grants for wildlife habitat and tullibee watershed protection and has already completed "bargain sale" transactions, purchasing and transferring more than 1,600 acres from TCF to Hubbard County and DNR for permanent protection. With completion of DNR's Phase I, NWLT has been coordinating with Counties and Tribes to identify parcels for acquisition. Lands of interest expand/connect core habitat, address access, support local timber/recreation based economies, protect waters, support climate adaptations/resiliency, and protect critical habitat. Counties selected parcels for strategic reasons including: (1) consolidation/adjacency to County lands (2) securing/improving public access (3) securing/improving forest management access. NWLT will acquire parcels prioritized by Counties, then transfer parcels to each county for permanent ownership.
Parcels strategically identified for acquisition are large forest blocks threatened by conversion and/or parcelization. Nearly 7.5 million acres (44%) of MN's forests are privately-owned and at risk of fragmentation/conversion. MN has had some of the highest conversion rates in the U.S., with the highest in North Central MN. Protection work achieves multiple benefits by conserving critical habitat, maintaining forested land cover essential for high water quality/quantity and sustaining the forested landscape critical for local timber/tourism jobs. This work is critical to conserving wildlife that require large intact forests and provides permanent protection for wildlife that inhabit these landscapes. By protecting forests, we protect drinking water, recharge aquifers, reduce nutrients/sediments to lakes and streams, sustain fisheries and mitigate climate change. Protection of forested land is critical for local economies.