Minnesota State Forests are State forests located within the U.S. State of Minnesota. The 59 state forests were established by the Minnesota Legislature in order to conserve and manage the forest resources, including: Timber management, Wildlife management, Water resources management, and Public recreation. Acreage of Minnesota's State Forests is over .
Minnesota's state forests are generally managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry - headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Some forest land is managed entirely or in-part by the counties in which they are located in, or by the United States Forest Service in cases where state forests are located within the boundaries of either Chippewa National Forest or Superior National Forest.
The following is a list of state forests in Minnesota:
List of Minnesota state forests NameCounty or countiesAreaNotes Badoura Cass, Hubbard Established 1963, sections of forest also managed by Cass and Hubbard counties. Battleground Cass Established in 1963, lies entirely within the boundaries of the Chippewa National Forest, additionally, and a portion of the forest falls within the borders of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. Bear Island Lake, St. Louis Established in 1963. Access to the 2,362-acre (956 ha) Bear Island Lake, 5,628-acre (2,278 ha) Birch Lake, as well as canoe and boat access to multiple smaller lakes within the forest. The Taconite State Trail runs through the forest, although it can only be accessed through the nearby Bear Head Lake State Park and Soudan Underground Mine State Park. Beltrami Island Beltrami, Lake of the Woods, Roseau Established in 1933, named for Italian Explorer Giacomo Beltrami. Big Fork Itasca, Koochiching Established in 1963, the "Lost 40" and the largest red pine in the state of Minnesota are located within the forest. Birch Lakes Stearns Established in 1959, The forest is located in a transitory ecotone between the temperate deciduous forest to the northeast and the tallgrass prairie to the southwest. Blackduck Beltrami, Itasca Established in 1935. Bowstring Cass, Itasca Established in 1963. The 56,470 acres (22,850 ha) Lake Winnibigoshish is located entirely within the forest. Buena Vista Beltrami Established in 1935. Burntside Lake, St. Louis Established in 1905, home to Burntside Lake, portions of the forest are within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Superior National Forest. Centennial Cass Chengwatana Chisago, Pine Established in 1953. The name is derived from the Ojibwe: Zhingwaadena, meaning white-pine town, after the nearby ghost town and township. Eastern White Pine was historically the dominant tree species in the surrounding forest prior to intensive logging at the end of the nineteenth century. Cloquet Valley St. Louis Crow Wing Crow Wing Established in 1935. D.A.R. (Daughters of the American Revolution) Pine Established in 1943. Emily Crow Wing Established in 1963. Finland Cook, Lake Established in 1933, Minnesota DNR manages approximately 1/3, while the remaining management is by U.S. Forest Service and Cook & Lake counties. Most of the forest is within the Superior National Forest. Fond du Lac Carlton, Saint Louis Established in 1933, parts of the forest are within the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation. Foot Hills Cass, Hubbard Established in 1931, hundreds of small lakes and potholes in the forest, formed during the Wisconsin glaciation, make boating, swimming, canoeing, and kayaking popular recreation activities. General C. C. Andrews Pine The forest is named in honor of Major General Christopher Columbus Andrews, a Civil War veteran, and an early Minnesota State Forestry Commissioner and proponent for scientific forestry and forest management. George Washington Itasca, Koochiching, and St. Louis Established in 1931. Golden Anniversary Itasca The forest was established in 1961 in celebration of the "golden anniversary" (50 years) of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources's Division of Forestry. Grand Portage Cook Established in 1933, in extreme northeastern Minnesota. The forest is named after the Grand Portage, a historic trade route between the Great Lakes and the Northwest. Hill River Aitkin Established in 1963. Huntersville Wadena Established in 1963. Insula Lake Established in 1963, managed by United States Forest Service. Jeanette St. Louis Established in 1963, managed by United States Forest Service. Kabetogama Koochiching, St. Louis Established in 1933. Adjacent to Voyageurs National Park, and located on Lake Vermilion. Koochiching Itasca, Koochiching and St. Louis Established in 1943. Lake Isabella Lake Established in 1963. Lake of the Woods Beltrami, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, and Roseau Established in 1990. Land O'Lakes Aitkin, Cass, and Crow Wing Established in 1933. Lost River Roseau Established in 1963. Lyons Wadena Established in 1963. Mississippi Headwaters Beltrami, Clearwater, and Hubbard Established in 1935, The forest is named after its location immediately downstream (north) of Lake Itasca, the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Nemadji Carlton, Pine Established in 1935. Northwest Angle Lake of the Woods Established in 1935. The name of the forest is derived from its location near the Northwest Angle, the northernmost point of the contiguous United States. The forest borders the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario. Pat Bayle Cook Established in 1963, located within the Superior National Forest. Eagle Mountain, the highest natural point in Minnesota, at 2,301 feet (701 m), is located within the forest. Paul Bunyan Cass, Hubbard Established in 1935. The Paul Bunyan State Trail, the Heartland State Trail, and the North Country National Scenic Trail all pass through the forest. Pillsbury Cass Established in 1900. Named for Governor John S. Pillsbury, who served from 1876-1882. Located on the western shore of Gull Lake. Pine Island Beltrami, Itasca, Koochiching County, Minnesota, and Lake of the Woods Established in 1933. Largest State Forest, although boundary of Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood is larger only about 45,000 acres of RJDMH State Forest are state owned. Red Lake Beltrami, Koochiching Established in 1963. Remer Cass, Itasca Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood Dakota, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Olmsted, Wabasha, and Winona Established in 1961. Located in Minnesota's Driftless Area. Only 45,000 acres (180 km2) of the land is state owned, with the remainder owned by private individuals and community groups, governed by easements. Rum River Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Morrison Sand Dunes Sherburne Savanna Aitkin, Carlton, Itasca, St. Louis Savanna Portage State Park is located within the forest. Smokey Bear Koochiching Snake River Aitkin, Kanabec Solana Aitkin, Pine St. Croix Pine Sturgeon River Itasca, St. Louis Two Inlets Becker, Hubbard Waukenabo Aitkin Wealthwood Aitkin Welsh Lake Cass, Hubbard White Earth Becker, Clearwater, and Mahnomen Whiteface River St. Louis
See also List of Minnesota state parks Natural history of Minnesota List of Minnesota trees List of national forests of the United States Chippewa National Forest Superior National Forest United States Forest Service
References
External links
Minnesota State Forests, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (official website) Interactive map of the Minnesota State Forests Division of Forestry, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources