DNR Forest Habitat Enhancement
Minnesota's iconic northern forest habitats, along with their interlaced wetlands and brushlands, are in need of management for the future due to stressors such as invasive species and climate change. This request will enhance and restore up to 3,250 acres of habitat in the Northern Forest Region on WMAs, AMAs, State Forests, and SNAs to increase forest health and resilience, and ultimately wildlife populations, through activities of a roving crew over three years. DNR's conservation Agenda, and Wildlife Action, Forest Action, SNA Strategic Land Protection and SFRMP Plans, will guide operations to ensure strategic, targeted work.
Northern Minnesota's forest habitats include towering pines, dense aspen, spruce bogs, and oak with broad arching branches, with rivers, lakes, sedge meadows, and brushlands intermixed. These habitats are home to a wide array of wildlife, including species in greatest conservation need such as moose, sharp-tailed grouse, American woodcock, and the black-throated blue warbler. They also provide clean water, outdoor recreation and products, sequester carbon, and support local communities. However, our forests face increasing stress from invasive species, climate change, lack of management, conversion, and fragmentation. If we are to address these stressors, and sustain the health of forest habitats on state lands which DNR is entrusted to steward for Minnesota citizens and the multiple benefits they provide, we must begin now to support management activities that are above and beyond normal timber harvest. For example, timber harvest can create a wildlife opening, however other management such as periodic mowing is needed to maintain it.
This request seeks funding to enhance and restore up to 3,250 acres of habitat over three years on WMAs, AMAs, State Forests, and SNAs in the Northern Forest Region. Strategic and targeted work will be accomplished through the added capacity of a roving habitat crew modeled after the successful crews in the remainder of Minnesota. The crew will conduct activities which support healthy, diverse and resilient habitats, allowing the habitats to better withstand stressors, and address the need to complete small or unique projects for which vendors are lacking. Activities may include invasive species control; firebreak development and maintenance, and prescribed burns in fire-dependent forests, brushlands and wetlands which have lacked management; wildlife opening maintenance; tree removal, girdling, brush mowing/shearing, and support of conservation grazing in openland and brushland habitats; tree planting and protection to reforest and restore habitats, add conifer to the landscape, provide thermal cover, diversify forests, and address ash stand management; tree release, such as enhancing oak management for mast production; forest regeneration site prep; seed and acorn collection; restoration site prep; broadcasting and drilling of seed; stream bank stabilization; ditch closure; and dike removal to enhance forest wetlands. A majority of the projects will occur on State Forests and WMAs which are all open to public access for a wide range of outdoor recreational activities including hunting.
Enhancement and restoration activities will be guided by DNR's Conservation Agenda, Wildlife Action Plan, Forest Action Plan, SNA Strategic Land Protection Plan, and Section Forest Resource Management Plans. A DNR team of Fish and Wildlife, Forestry, and Ecological and Water Resources staff will request projects that meet plan and program priorities from state land managers, prioritize and select projects, develop a schedule, annually evaluate accomplishments and the budget, adapt, and seek additional projects as needed. The Ruffed Grouse Society will provide financial support of $6,500 over the three year period.
$1,773,000 the second year is to the commissioner of natural resources to restore and enhance wildlife habitat in the northern forest region in wildlife management areas, scientific and natural areas, aquatic management areas, and state forests. A list of proposed land restorations and enhancements must be provided as part of the required accomplishment plan.
Healthy populations of endangered, threatened, and special concern species as well as more common species - Northern Minnesota forests will be enhanced to provide biologically diverse wildlife habitat for both desirable game species and endangered, threatened, special concern, and species of greatest conservation need, providing multiple conservation benefits in the face of climate change, invasive species, and other major stressors, and increased satisfaction from hunters and other recreational users. Wildlife populations and hunter satisfaction will be monitored
Ruffed Grouse Society