Minnesota Northwoods: Landmark Conservation Effort Protects 51,000 Acres

In a landmark conservation deal, Minnesota has taken a major step to protect valuable wildlife habitat in its Northwoods region. In October 2007, Governor Tim Pawlenty announced that a team of public and private partners, including The Conservation Fund and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, acquired a conservation easement on more than 51,000 acres of working forest—almost 80 square miles—in Itasca and Koochiching counties, providing key habitat for the Canada lynx, gray wolf, American black duck and American woodcock, and dozens of other valued species.

“Minnesotans have always taken great pride in our vast forests and this achievement is a testament to our long-term commitment to responsible stewardship of our heritage and future.”

- Governor Tim Pawlenty

Summary

Minnesota's outdoor legacy is renowned. The Northwoods, one of the largest unfragmented forest landscapes in the U.S., is home to dozens of species in greatest conservation need. The current project, by a coalition of private and public partners, achieves important wildlife habitat conservation by preventing forest fragmentation. The deal, the single largest conservation transaction in Minnesota in at least a decade, also protects jobs by keeping the property a working forest. In addition, a conservation easement on the forest ensures that the lands can be used by the public for outdoor recreation including hunting, fishing, hiking and cross-country skiing.

Challenge

Across much of northern Minnesota, large swaths of industrial forestland—or those lands owned by timber companies—are being sold, as companies grapple with rising real estate prices and changes in the forest products industry. Timber companies traditionally have made their lands available for public use, offering the public access for outdoor recreation.

Solution

The Fund used a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to assist in funding the Northwoods project. This is the second and largest project to be completed by the Minnesota Forest Legacy Partnership, a public-private coalition created two years ago to help conserve Minnesota’s Northwoods. In addition to The Conservation Fund, the partnership includes: The Trust for Public Land; The Nature Conservancy; Blandin Foundation; Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce; Minnesota Forest Resources Council; and Minnesota Deer Hunters Association (MDHA).

Results

Under the voluntary agreement, Forest Capital Partners, a private forest landowner, retains ownership as well as the right to continue to manage their land for timber production. Forest Capital Partners acquires and manages working forests across North America for long-term sustainability, including more than 290,000 acres in northern Minnesota. The company actively manages its forests under the sustainable forest management guidelines set forth by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative®.