In this issue:
Help grow our state tree 🌲
Even the largest red pine trees start from a tiny seed. And we need those seeds for future forests.
The red pine (also known as Norway pine, whose only connection to Norway were some European settlers pining for their childhood woods) is forecast to have a great bumper cone crop this year.
This is good news, because we need your help collecting red pine cones! The State Forest Nursery is asking for those with strong tree identification skills to help collect cones, which are used to reforest both private and public lands, including the state forests you enjoy. On DNR-managed lands alone, we plant on average 840,000 red pine seedlings each year – which is about half the seedlings we plant! They are a big deal!
Red pine typically produces a good seed crop every three to seven years, with true bumper crops occurring only every 10 to 12 years. A mix of factors like insects, drought, and other climate influences have reduced the number of good cones over the years. This has led to a shortfall at the Nursery, meaning in upcoming years we may not have enough red pine seed for all our reforestation efforts.
Luckily, cones are showing up in strong numbers across the state this year. Cones begin to ripen from early September through October, but you can go out now to prepare for collection. The Nursery has raised the price of cones this year to $95 a bushel (which is about nine gallons) for clean, ripe, closed cones. Check out the red pine cone collection guide on how to identify and collect cones.
Before you head out, there are a few things to know:
Collectors must register as a vendor before selling cones — the Nursery no longer issues checks the day cones are delivered.
You are also welcome to collect in state forests without a permit if you are selling to the nursery, but be sure to check in with your local Forestry field office first.
Not sure where to look? Your local Forestry office can point you toward orchards, help you identify cones, and get you started.
Consider signing up for a seed and cone training workshop hosted by our partners at University of Minnesota Extension.
Learn more about seed and cone collection, including where to find a buying station and how to become a vendor.
These ripe red pine cones are ready to harvest. Look for cones that are 2 to 3 inches long, reddish brown, and free of damage.
Wildflowers help us see Native Plant Communities 🌼
Blooming fireweed in Daughters of the American Revolution State Forest.
Late summer is the perfect time to explore Minnesota’s state forests and witness a wide variety of native wildflowers. The closer you look, the more you realize there’s much more than trees. This time of year, the forest floor and woodland edges are blooming with a vibrant variety of asters, goldenrods, milkweeds and more. Each plant offers clues about the forest.
Minnesota has 104 recognized Native Plant Communities. These communities are made up of groups of plants that naturally grow together because they’re adapted to similar soils, moisture, sunlight and natural disturbances (like wildfires, flooding and storms). Each community has a unique mix of trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers.
As you move through the forest and see different types of trees, you’ll notice the flowers also change. This time of year, watch for fireweed in disturbed areas along roadsides, forest openings and in areas that have burned. Along dry woodland edges and openings, you’ll see wild bergamot and pearly everlasting taking advantage of the sunlight. In nutrient-rich, moist soils, look for giant goldenrod and spotted Joe-Pye weed.
While wildflowers may initially seem random, they’re part of Native Plant Communities that have developed in response to the unique conditions of each landscape. Recognizing these relationships can help you see the forest as a connected ecosystem, not just a collection of plants.
DNR foresters use them, too – Native Plant Communities guide what tree species are planted on a specific site to ensure they’re the right fit to grow healthy, resilient, and support the forest ecosystem. More on that in a future issue!
Learn more about Minnesota’s Native Plant Communities.
Giant goldenrod and spotted Joe-Pye weed growing along Pickerel Lake in Nemadji State Forest.
Decennial anniversary for Centennial State Forest 🥳
Sun shining through tall trees at Centennial State Forest.
Centennial State Forest
Happy anniversary (birthday?) to Centennial State Forest! Although this state forest is only officially 10 years old, it has been a working forest for at least 150 years.
Intensive logging in the late 1800s was followed by large fires in the early 1920s. Near the middle of the century, the area was reforested, involving German prisoners of war during the 1940s. In 1973, it was acquired and managed by the timber and real estate company Potlatch before being purchased by The Nature Conservancy and ultimately donated to the DNR in 2012.
In 2016, the Minnesota Legislature designated the area as the Centennial State Forest, to be managed by DNR’s Forestry Division.
Since then, the DNR has inventoried all the land within the state forest. Much of the forest is red pine, with stands ranging from as young as 15 years to others more than 60 years old, and everywhere in between. Having diverse age classes of trees improves forest resiliency, among other benefits! Currently, staff are preparing two sites for planting following recent harvests. Red pine from Centennial State Forest is typically milled and cut to become dimensional lumber used in construction.
For more than 150 years, this forest has provided a large block of connected habitat for wildlife including white-tailed deer, black bear, gray wolf, ruffed grouse, and more.
The young red pine in the foreground were planted in 2020, after foresters prepared the site by setting back competing vegetation and trenching the site to help with planting.
Forest fast facts
County: Cass
Acres: Approximately 3,400
Recreation: Fishing, hunting, birdwatching, hiking, snowmobiling
Landscape: This area contains mixed forests of pine and hardwoods, small ponds, and wetlands, along with shoreline along the north and east shores of Camp Two Lake.
The green cones on this red pine in Centennial State Forest need a bit more time to mature before they are ready to be collected (see the above article).
Burning restrictions lifted in northern Minnesota 🔥
Thanks to recent rain and improvements in other conditions, the elevated Class III burning restrictions have been removed for Cook, Lake, and northern St. Louis counties.
This decision, coordinated between federal, state and Tribal partners, means that backcountry, remote, or dispersed campfires are once again allowed, including at several popular state forests in the area. Though these changes reflect a lower risk of wildfire in these counties, fall is a traditionally dry time and much of the state is still experiencing drought, so keep following campfire safety and be careful with anything that could cause a spark!
The best way to stay updated on road closures, restrictions, or other potential impacts is to check the state forest’s webpage before you head out on your adventure - find the full list of state forest webpages.
Stay safe and happy exploring!
The crosscut 🪵
A curated selection of forestry-related media we enjoyed, and think you will too.
A new series from Dovetail Partners opens with Forests are a Verb, which explores what it means for humans to care for forests when we understand they’re not static places, but ever-changing systems.
The Lost Forty: A Story of Minnesota’s Scientific and Natural Areas is a recent documentary from Lakeland PBS. In under 30 minutes, it takes a close look at a beloved old-growth forest in Minnesota - and the management work, staff and volunteers that help remarkable ecosystems continue to thrive.
State forest scene: Juvenile broad-winged hawk 📷
Juvenile broad-winged hawk perched on a snag in Finland State Forest.
Finland State Forest
This time of year, juvenile birds like this young broad-winged hawk in Finland State Forest are out of the nest, but still learning the important skills required to become independent. These birds may be clumsy or slower to take flight. Use caution as you drive and give animals extra space.
Standing dead trees, or “snags,” can be an important part of wildlife habitat – and not just because birds like this hawk use them as a handy perch! State timber harvesting guidelines recommend leaving a number of snags and living cavity tree per acres to provide homes, forage areas, and nesting sites for wildlife.
Have photos?
In each issue, we share an image captured in one of our state forests. Have photos? We'd love to see how you enjoy public lands! Share your state forest photos.