Minnesota is home to the nation's:
- largest tamarack: 71' tall, 133" circumference, 60' crown spread, Crow Wing County
- famous Witch tree located near Lake Superior
- over 3.5 billion quaking aspen, the most common tree in the state.
DNR Forestry has annually provided 150 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): 17.4 million acres
State forests: 59
Forestry-administered state land: 4.2 million acres
State land administered by forestry outside of state forests: 720,000 acres
Minnesota State Forest Nursery:
1 (covering 300 acres)
Seeded 80 acres
Seed orchards-54 acres (7 species)
Seedlings shipped-5.0 million
Commercially productive forest land (2016*):
Total – 15,702,251 acres
State – 3,435,153 acres or 22 percent
Federal – 1,852,045 acres or ?12 percent
County and municipal – 2,437,756 acres or 15 percent
Private/Tribal/Industry – 7,977,297 acres or ?51 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, 2011-2015)
Natural Regeneration – 21,600 acres
Seeding – 4,500 acres
Planting – 3,800 acres
Trees planted – 2,850,000 acres (Total acres of reforestation between July 1, 2014 and July 1, 2015): 760 acres
Woodland Stewardship Plans reported to the DNR (2015): 745,000 acres
Woodland Stewardship Plans written and reported to the DNR between July 1, 2014 and July 1, 2015: 45,000 acres
Wildfires fought annually: 1,290 (33,250 acres burned)
School forest outdoor classrooms: 130 (7,500 acres)
Forest products annual economic impact (2014): $17.1 billion
Forestry products annual employment impact (2014): 62,400 jobs
Native tree species: 52
State forest roads: 2,363 miles
State forest campgrounds: 46
State forest trails: 1,200 miles
*Commercially productive forest land is defined as land capable of growing greater than or equal to 20 cubic feet of wood per acre per year.
**Woodland Stewardship Plans expire in 10 years.
(Updated 2016)