Forest Management Planning Sections

The DNR is currently updating its Section Forest Resource Management Plans (SFRMPs). When the update process is complete, there will be one plan for each of the seven forested Ecological Sections in the state. These plans will cover larger areas of the state than the previous planning system, which divided the state's forested areas into 10 smaller geographic units.

Section Forest Resource Management Plans complement the DNR's strategic forest resource management direction and 10-year stand exam list(covering fiscal years 2021-2030) by providing guidance to advance landscape-level goals within each Ecological Section. The updated plans will guide vegetation management on DNR-administered lands in each section until they are revised again, which happens approximately every 10 years.

Additional information on the plan revision status for individual SFRMPs can be found in the table below and on the webpage for each SFRMP.

Planning unit boundary changes

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Original boundaries

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Revised boundaries

Section Forest Resource Management plan timelines

New forest management plan areas	Old forest management plan areas	Expected year plan revision will begin
Aspen Parklands	Aspen Parklands	2022
Northern Minnesota and Ontario Peatlands	Agassiz Lowlands	Plan revision in progress
	North 4 (part)
Northern Superior Uplands	Border Lakes	Plan revision in progress
	North Shore Area
	North 4 (part)
Northern Minnesota Drift and Lake Plains	Chippewa Plains-Pine Moraines & Outwash Plains	Plan revision in progress
	North 4 (part)
Western Superior Uplands	Mille Lacs Uplands	Plan revision in progress
Minnesota and Northeast Iowa Moraines	Hardwood Hills	Plan revision in progress
	Anoka Sand Plain
Paleozoic Plateau	Blufflands-Rochester Plateau	2022