The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has received a donation of 155 acres from Trust for Public Land, expanding the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest in southeastern Minnesota.
Using grants from the Outdoor Heritage Fund, TPL purchased the Wabasha County land from a private owner and then donated the parcel to the DNR. The land, which will be reforested, adjoins existing state forest land in the Kruger Forest Management Unit and sits along the Zumbro River.
Restoring the historically forested area to mixed hardwoods, like the surrounding woodland, will be a multiyear effort. With the help of partnerships including TPL and The Nature Conservancy, the DNR plans to plant a mixture of tree species, including walnut, red oak, swamp white oak and white oak, this fall. Other early work will include management for invasive plant species as the young trees are established.
This habitat restoration has many benefits. Returning the site to forest will help control flooding and prevent erosion and sediment loading into the Zumbro and Mississippi rivers. The parcel’s connection to existing public land also provides habitat connectivity for area wildlife like deer, turkey and waterfowl while expanding recreational opportunities for the public, including fishing, hunting and camping.
For more information about the state forest, see the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest webpage on the DNR website.