Minnesota DNR seeking comments on Chippewa Plains-Pine Moraines and Outwash Plains Subsection Forest Resource Management Plan (August 19, 2008)
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) invites the public to comment on its draft Chippewa Plains-Pine Moraines and Outwash Plains (CP-PMOP) Subsection Forest Resource Management Plan (SFRMP). Comments will be accepted between Aug. 25 and Sept. 25.
The CP-PMOP are two major ecological subsections in north central Minnesota that encompass approximately 683,000 acres of state forest land administered by the DNR Divisions of Forestry and Fish and Wildlife.
The SFRMP is a 10-year plan intended to guide forest vegetation management within these subsections. It establishes long-term strategic direction, short-term objectives, and includes a 10-year stand exam list which identifies stands - trees similar in species, composition, age, and size - to be site-visited within the next 10 years.
The draft plan takes into consideration a broad range of factors that affect forest management, including: increasing forest health and productivity; balancing timber age classes over time to support sustainable yields; identifying stands to be managed as older forest or extended-rotation forest to accommodate diverse wildlife and other ecological resources; creating patches of larger forest lands; and limiting impacts to cultural, visual and water resources - all balanced with providing for sustainable forest resources.
The draft 10-year stand exam list identifies 5,985 stands totaling 96,991 acres. Stands on the list have received a preliminary prescription (i.e., harvest, thin, manage for regeneration, prescribed burning or re-inventory) based upon the strategic direction of the SFRMP. Once the stands are visited and evaluated, final treatment will be assigned. Based on past experience, not all stands identified for field evaluation result in a timber sale and harvest.
REVIEW AND COMMENT
The DNR previously sought public input on the Preliminary Issues and Assessment document prepared for the CP-PMOP. The DNR planning team used these comments to develop and finalize the draft plan.
Public review and input is critical, according to the team. The goal is to seek comments on the forest management directions contained in the draft plan, and on the specific stands included on the 10-year stand exam list.
All comments received will be considered and used to prepare the Final CP-PMOP SFRMP, which is scheduled for completion this fall.
CP-PMOP SFRMP documents are available online at mndnr.gov. Paper or DVD copies are also available at local public libraries or may be requested from the DNR.
Comments on the draft CP-PMOP plan or requests for copies may be submitted to: DNR CP-PMOP SFRMP, Attn: Robert Pulford, Division of Forestry, Minnesota DNR, 1601 Minnesota Dr., Brainerd, MN 56401; (218) 833-8704; fax (218) 833-8668 or e-mail robert.pulford@dnr.state.mn.us or cppmop@dnr.state.mn.us.
