North-4 Subsections: St. Louis Moraines, Tamarack Lowlands, Nashwauk Uplands, and Littlefork-Vermilion Uplands

Posted January 14, 2011

graphic of Minnesota showing the location of North 4On December 28, 2010, Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Mark Holsten signed the Official Notice and Order approving the Department's St. Louis Moraines, Tamarack Lowlands, Nashwauk Uplands, and Littlefork-Vermilion Uplands Subsections Forest Resources Management Plan (North 4 SFRMP). The approved plan identifies long-term goals and strategies to implement vegetation management on approximately 1.17 million acres of forest lands managed by the DNR in eight counties in north central Minnesota. Approximately 712,000 of those acres are suitable for timber production. Following review of comments received on the draft North 4 SFRMP from two previous public review opportunities, appropriate revisions were made, and the final North 4 SFRMP was approved for implementation. The Department thanks all individuals who submitted comments. Public involvement makes a vital contribution to improving the clarity and usefulness of the final plan. Comments received and the Department's responses to those comments are included as Appendix U to the final North 4 SFRMP.

This plan was developed by an interdisciplinary DNR team from the Divisions of Forestry, Fish and Wildlife, and Ecological Resources-Waters and includes:

  1. Long-term strategic goals, strategies, and desired future forest conditions
  2. Cover type management recommendations to foresters concerning specific vegetation management techniques.
  3. A stand exam list of 133,800 acres to be treated consistent with the strategies, desired future forest conditions (DFFCs), and cover type management recommendations identified in the final North 4 SFRMP (specific stands added in response to public comments on the draft plan will be identified after field work has been done, and a revised stand exam list will be posted).

The final North 4 SFRMP may be obtained by:

1. Downloading the final plan chapters, maps, and appendices

2. Requesting a paper copy (300+ pages); or

3. Requesting a CD of the final North 4 SFRMP (which includes the final plan chapters, appendices and stand exam list).

Questions, comments, or requests for a paper or CD copy of the plan can be directed to:

Lynn Sue Mizner Minnesota DNR – Forestry
1200 Minnesota Ave., S.
Aitkin MN 56431
Phone: (218) 927-7500 ext. 245
Email: lynn.mizner@state.mn.us