Woody Biomass and Habitat Restoration Pilot Project: In 2007, DNR established a woody biomass project to facilitate the restoration of overgrown prairie, oak savanna and woodlands by removing undesirable woody vegetation and making the resulting woody material available for conversion to renewable energy. This involves a pilot project with District Energy St. Paul in removing buckthorn and other invasive shrubs from more than a dozen natural areas and trucking it to a biomass-to-energy plant.
Native prairie management and renewable energy sources: DNR pilot projects on Wildlife Management Areas in Stevens, Chippewa, and Kandiyohi counties are exploring the feasibility and habitat management benefits of using perennial native grasses for fuel. We hope these projects will show that it's possible for conservation lands to provide renewable energy without creating land use conflicts or compromising conservation values. The projects also provide experience that can be transferred to growing energy crops on private lands while enhancing wildlife and water quality.
Forest biomass harvest: DNR offers woody biomass, forest residues leftover from timber harvesting, in many of its timber sales.