Forest Capital and Minnesota expand forest conservation partnership

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Forest Capital Partners and the state of Minnesota expand forest conservation partnership
(Released December 2, 2010)


Forest Capital Partners and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today the closing of a multi-year conservation easement on private forestland in Koochiching County. The 76,000 acre easement is in addition to a 51,000 acre transaction completed in 2007, and is one of the largest single conservation agreements of its kind in Minnesota’s history.

The terms of the agreement under Minnesota’s Forest Legacy Partnership provide for sustainable forest management, conservation of wildlife habitat and public access to outdoor recreation, hunting and fishing in perpetuity.

“Private working forests are important partners in meeting environmental goals, as well as in providing jobs and public access to the outdoors,” said Craig Halla, region manager for Forest Capital Partners in International Falls. “Forest Capital Partners will continue to explore opportunities such as this in the future.”

Conservation easements protect millions of acres of wildlife habitat and open space throughout the United States, and are an important tool in keeping working forests as forestland. The Minnesota Forest Legacy Partnership is a public-private coalition created by The Nature Conservancy and the Blandin Foundation to help conserve Minnesota’s north woods, and includes the DNR which will hold and monitor the conservation easements.

“Fragmentation of Minnesota’s north woods is one of the most significant threats to wildlife, especially species that need large blocks of forest like bears, wolves and many species of neotropical migratory songbirds,” said Peggy Ladner, director of The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota. “This project will keep the land intact so that it continues to produce timber and jobs while providing essential habitat for wildlife.”

“This conservation easement, along with other recent easements, makes this a landmark opportunity to protect natural resources,” said DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten. “The easement will maintain access for hunting and fishing and other outdoor recreational pursuits, while guaranteeing that lands are available for timber harvest in the future. The easement is a smart investment that will protect Minnesota’s great outdoors for our children and grandchildren.”

This transaction was funded through a grant from the USDA Forest Service Forest Legacy Program and an appropriation from the Minnesota Legislature.

ABOUT FOREST CAPITAL PARTNERS
Forest Capital Partners, LLC is a private landowner, financial manager and steward of large-scale working forests across North America. Forest Capital Partners actively manages approximately 2 million acres of forestland for long-term sustainability under forest management guidelines set forth by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. A leading grower of environmentally certified timber, Forest Capital Partners is also an active participant in markets for nontimber forest products. Visit www.forestcap.com for additional information.

ABOUT MINNESOTA DNR
The mission of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is to work with citizens to conserve and manage the state’s natural resources, to provide outdoor recreation opportunities, and to provide for commercial uses of natural resources in a way that creates a sustainable quality of life.