Forests

Minnesota is home to the nation's:

  • largest jack pine: 55' tall, 121" circumference, 50' crown spread, Lake Bronson State Park
  • largest tamarack: 71' tall, 133" circumference, 60' crown spread, Crow Wing County
  • the famous Witch tree located near Lake Superior

DNR Forestry has annually provided 300 assists to communities in the management of their urban forests by providing matching grants, sharing technical expertise, and promoting tree planting care and appreciation. More than 100 Minnesota communities have attained national recognition as Tree City USAs.

Minnesota DNR is a national forerunner in developing techniques to control and suppress forest fires.

Forest land (all ownerships): 17.3 million acres

State forests: 58 (covering 3.1 million acres of Forestry-administered state land)

State land administered by forestry outside of state forests: 720,000 acres

DNR Nurseries:
1 (covering 300 acres)
Seeded 80 acres
Seed orchards-66 acres (nine species)
Seedlings shipped-5.6 million

Commercially productive forest land (2012):
Total – 15,989,608 acres
State – 3,781,850 acres or 24 percent
Federal – 1,999,569 acres or 13 percent
County and municipal – 2,601,254 acres or 16 percent
Private/Tribal/Industry – 7,606,935 acres or 47 percent

Timber harvested (2012):

Total – 2,920,000 cords
State – 855,000 cords or 29 percent
Federal – 164,000 cords or 6 percent
County and municipal – 734,000 cords or 25 percent
Private/Tribal/Industry – 1,167,000 cords or 40 percent

State land reforestation: (five-year average, 2008-2012)
Natural – 20,332 acres
Seeding – 5,665 acres
Planting – 4,979 acres
Trees planted – 3,080,663 acres

Private land reforestation (2012): 4,037 acres

Acres covered by forest Stewardship Plans (through February 2012):
1.85 million acres

Wildfires fought annually: 1,400 (32,000 acres burned)

Outdoor forest classrooms: 125 (7,500 acres)

Forest products annual economic impact (2011): $16.2 billion

Forestry products annual employment impact (2011): 60,900 jobs

Native tree species: 52

State forest roads: 2,300 miles

State forest campgrounds: 46

State forest trails: 1,200 miles

(Updated 2013)