To date, over 52,000 acres of industrial forestland have been placed in two working forest conservation easements, Sugar Hills and the Koochiching-Washington and monitored by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Goals of the partnership include:
- Support forest industry related jobs in manufacturing, logging, equipment, and related businesses, as well as jobs in other sectors tied to the resource such as tourism, hospitality, recreation, and special forest products.
- Ensure sustainable forestry, protect wildlife habitat, water quality and guarantee public access on private forestland in Itasca County.
- Leverage the $6M Blandin investment with $11-$20M from other sources to capitalize the fund.
- Stem the recent trend of large-scale forestland sales and subdivisions in Minnesota.
- Span the Upper Mississippi river basin and watershed and connect major tracts of public land.
Partnering organizations include: The Conservation Fund, Trust for Public Land, The Nature Conservancy, MN Deer Hunters Association, Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, MN Dept of Natural Resources, and Minnesota Forest Industries.
Project Fact Sheet
Sugar Hills News Release: Public Access Ensured in More than 1,600 Acres of the Northwoods
Minnesota Forest Legacy Parnterhips Wins 2008 MEI Award
Read the news release
Blandin Foundation CEO Jim Hoolihan shares his appreciation of the Minnesota Forest Legacy Partnership, which recently received an award from the Minnesota Environmental Initiative.
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In the News
McKnight approves over $26.5 million in fourth quarter of 2007, including $1 million for the Minnesota Forest Legacy Partnership
Mark Johnson and Bud Stone: Who owns the forest? It's no small matter
The fragmentation of the North Woods has an impact just as clear-cutting and fires do
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Deal will protect 51,000 acres from development
By Marshall Helmberger, Tmberjay News
Public access ensured in Minnesota’s northwoods
International Falls Daily Journal
Deal closed to protect forest land in northern Minnesota
By John Myers, Duluth News Tribune
Developers barred from large swatch of the north
By Tom Meersman, Star Tribune
Related Topics
Assessing Trends in Forest Parcelization and Development in Minnesota: An Itasca County Case Study(July 2007)
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