The annual timber harvest plan for state-administered forest land, prepared by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), is available for public review.
The annual timber harvest plan for fiscal year 2007 begins July 1, 2006, and ends June 30, 2007. Comments will be accepted during a 45-day public comment period that runs from April 3 through May 17, 2006.
The public has two options for reviewing harvest plans, said Dave Epperly, DNR director of Forestry.
Proposed harvest locations, preliminary management prescriptions and forest inventory information can be viewed on the DNR Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/forest view/index.html. This Web site application for reviewing harvest plans has been updated to provide additional map features and information and to be more user-friendly.
Comments regarding a proposed harvest site can be submitted to the DNR using this Web site.
For those without Internet access or who prefer to review and discuss annual harvest information directly with a forester, a second option is available. They may contact or visit their local DNR area forestry office to discuss the harvest plan or to obtain a comment form and a copy of the annual harvest plan report for that administrative area. Individuals should contact the local area forestry office prior to a visit to ensure that the appropriate forestry staff will be available.
For statewide information, contact Gaylord Paulson at (651) 259-5280 or gaylord.paulson@dnr.state .mn.us.
Annual harvest plans are derived from multi-year forest management plans that are developed by interdisciplinary DNR planning teams and public input and are based on long-term forest resource management goals for DNR lands.
DNR staff complete field evaluations on the forest sites identified on the annual harvest plan for possible timber sales.
Typically, if the site meets treatment criteria from the multi-year forest management plan, the timber will be appraised and offered for sale in the upcoming fiscal year. In fiscal year 2007, at least 90 percent of the timber volume offered for sale from DNR lands will be sold through public auction sales.
The DNR administers 4.8 million acres of certified forest lands. During fiscal year 2005, the DNR sold 795 thousand cords of timber from 42.4 thousand acres of forest land. The total sale value of the 1,027 timber sales sold was $40.6 million. Ninety-six percent of the timber was sold on timber auction sales.
In December 2005, dual certification of DNR-administered forest lands was issued by the two leading independent forest certification organizations in North America, the Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative.The Pilot-Independent
