A DNR forester checks the ticket lockbox at a harvest site, where the logger records what wood has been removed. Foresters monitor timber sales to ensure forest management guidelines are followed and that the wood removed is the species and amount agreed to.
Timber harvest is the most important tool we have to manage millions of acres of forest for a balance of benefits. Purposeful harvests ensure forests have a mix of tree ages and species across the state so they continue to support wildlife habitat, recreation, healthy watersheds, carbon capture and storage, and the renewable wood products people use every day.
Below are a few common questions about how and why logging occurs.
How much timber harvesting or logging happens on DNR land?
- In an average year, around 30,000 acres of DNR-managed forests are harvested – less than 1% of nearly 4.2 million acres we manage. That amount accounts for all types of timber harvest, and each acre is reforested. (Really, that’s at the heart of why trees are harvested – so younger ones can get established and grow.) These harvests provide for around 30% of wood fiber in the state.
How can cutting trees be good for our forests?
- Harvesting is our number one tool to ensure Minnesota’s forests continually have a wide range of tree ages and conditions to support diverse wildlife habitat, keep watersheds healthy, and provide recreational opportunities.
One way to think of harvesting is as managed, intentional disturbance (or change) to the forest. Our forests evolved with disturbances like wildfire, blowdowns, and other impacts. But unlike natural disasters, which are random and can be extremely costly and damaging, thoughtful harvesting lets us control the timing, location, and impacts of disruption, while creating benefits like funding other management work and providing jobs and timber for the forest products industry.
Timber harvest can help a forest by addressing forest health threats through removing trees before disease or insect infestations can spread; limiting risk of dangerous wildfires by removing fuels through thinning; and giving younger trees the space and sunlight they need to grow through activities like thinning or clearcut harvests. When we reforest a harvested area, it can also allow us to plant a diverse mix of trees more resilient to insects or disease.
Why is it important to have different ages of forests?
- Like having diverse species of trees, having diverse ages is important to provide the ongoing benefits of young, old, and middle-aged forests. Young forests, with plenty of sunlight in the understory, often have lots of shrubs and grasses as well as saplings, providing habitat and food for many species. Mature or middle-aged forests can be more resilient to threats and provide clean air and water as well as sequestering carbon. Older forests have their own unique elements. And many parts of state forests have mixtures of all ages of trees! To ensure that there will be sixty-year-old forests in a specific area in sixty years, for instance, we need to create young forest now.
Where does the money DNR generates from timber harvesting go?
- Timber sales from land managed by DNR's Forestry Division contributes the money needed to support a variety of public services. Revenue generated from forest management is distributed back to the legal categorization of that parcel of land. Some of the forests we manage provide funding for public education, others contribute to county budgets, and some helps fund public services. Timber harvesting also provides the materials and opportunity for jobs that support Minnesota communities.
The forest products industry is a cornerstone of Minnesota’s economy, providing more than 72,000 jobs and over $25 billion in direct economic output. Many logging companies and mills are family-owned and support rural communities.
Is cutting trees bad for climate change since trees capture and store carbon?
- Studies show that thoughtful forest management stores more carbon over time. Both young and old forests are important, with younger trees pulling carbon out of the air more quickly as they grow, and older forests storing more carbon. Furthermore, wood is a 100% renewable material – unlike products like plastics that are more energy-intensive to manufacture – and wood products store carbon for years or even decades. Plus, forestry is the only economic sector in Minnesota that sequesters more greenhouse gases than it emits.
Does the forest industry call the shots on logging?
- No, the forest industry doesn't call the shots on logging. However the forest products industry is an important partner for sustainable forest management. In fact, without strong markets for wood products, paying contractors for forest management work would be so expensive at the statewide scale that it would be virtually impossible to do the work needed to keep our forests healthy and providing social, environmental and economic values. Without mills and demand for forest products, we risk losing the ability to manage our forests, and lose a vital resource to respond to emergencies like blowdowns and ice storms. Read about how the DNR decides where and when to harvest below.
How does the DNR decide where and when to harvest?
- With lifespans extending many decades or centuries, trees require a long-term management perspective. Our Forest Planning Program looks at the really big picture: millions of acres of forest lands spanning the next 50 to 100 years. To do this, we set goals using 10-year forest management plans. These plans spell out how DNR-managed forests should look, what they should provide—for example, wildlife habitat, rare species protection, and timber production—and how to make that happen. These short-term plans guide our on-the-ground activities to ensure we stay on track over the long term.
When we offer timber for sale, we specify which sizes and species of trees may be harvested. Foresters then supervise the harvests to ensure we meet forest management objectives—including forest health, habitat, recreation, clean air and water—and ensure that the forest will grow back through natural regeneration, planting, or seeding.