Annual forest stand examination list available for review

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Annual forest stand examination list available for review
(Released May 12, 2011)


The annual stand examination list for state-administered forest land, prepared by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), is available for public review.

The list is for fiscal year 2012, which begins July 1 and ends June 30, 2012. Comments will be accepted during a 30-day public comment period that ends on June 13.

The public has two options for reviewing harvest plans, according to Dave Epperly, DNR director of Forestry.

Proposed stand examination locations, preliminary management prescriptions and forest inventory information, can be viewed on the DNR website.

Comments regarding a proposed stand examination site can be submitted to the DNR using this website.

For those without Internet access or who prefer to review and discuss annual stand examination list information directly with a forester, a second option is available. They may contact or visit their local DNR area forestry office to discuss the stand examination list 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 Jon Nelson, DNR Forestry, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4044; 651-259-5278; jon.nelson@state.mn.us.

The DNR administers 4.9 million acres of forest lands that have been certified as being well-managed under two separate third-party auditing systems. Annual stand examination lists are derived from multi-year forest management plans developed for these DNR lands by interdisciplinary DNR planning teams with public input, and based on long-term forest resource management goals. DNR staff will complete field evaluations on the 57,000 acres identified on the fiscal year 2012 annual stand examination list and determine appropriate treatments, including timber harvest. It is estimated that approximately 35,000-40,000 of these acres will be suitable for timber sales, and the timber will be appraised and offered for sale in the upcoming fiscal year.

In fiscal year 2012, approximately 95 percent of the timber volume offered for sale from DNR lands will be sold through public auction sales. Auction methods for selling the timber will be approximately two-thirds offered by oral bid and one-third by sealed bid.