Orange and yellow fall trees along a rocky cliff at the shore of a lake

Minnesota

Forest Action Plan

Conserving, protecting and enhancing state forest resources

Minnesota is located at the convergence of three major biomes; coniferous forests, deciduous forest and tall-grass prairies. Over one-third of the state remains forested, and over 12,000 lakes, rivers and streams grace the landscape. The state values its natural resources and is blessed to have so many millions of acres of these resources still in relatively pristine condition. There are a multitude of programs and initiatives linked to ensuring that these resources are properly managed and will still be available for the public to enjoy in the future. Like many other states, however, Minnesota is witnessing changes to its landscapes.

The Minnesota Forest Action Plan represents over a two-year effort by the Department of Natural Resources Forestry Division and numerous partners, agencies, organizations and individuals to identify and assess the main trends, conditions and issues facing our vast forest resources today. The plan presents a broad overview of the state’s forests and forest resources as well as identify current and future strategies needed to address a variety of forest conditions in the state, regardless of ownerships.



Best Management Practices

Minnesota’s best management practices (BMPs) program is non-regulatory. The agencies responsible for BMPs policy development are the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and the Minnesota Forest Resources Council.

Click here to view the most recent BMPs recommendations on the state forestry agency website.

Click the following links to view available BMP monitoring data and implementation rates from NASF’s 2015 BMP survey and NASF’s 2019 BMP survey.

Minnesota Forestry Publications

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