NRCS Forestry Practices in Minnesota

Описание: The Natural Resources Conservation Service helps farmers, ranchers, and foresters implement forestry conservation practices that reduce fire hazard, enhance recreational opportunities, improve wildlife habitat, remove invasive plant species, create pollinator habitat and plant trees. A recent example of an NRCS forestry practice implemented in Northeastern Minnesota is on Jordan Blessing’s forested land. A widespread spruce budworm outbreak has killed a large number of balsam fir and spruce trees along the North Shore of Lake Superior, creating a dangerous fire hazard for homes in the area. Over the past two years NRCS has provided Jordan with technical and financial assistance to help him develop and implement a plan for managing his forested acres.

Financial and technical assistance for this project was provided through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program or EQIP. A local logging company was hired by Jordan to clear out the dead balsam and spruce trees on his property. Josh Hull brought in specialized machinery to bring down the dead trees and chop them up into a course mulch. These machines are able to move through the forest and cut down dead trees while leaving the living trees unharmed.

Over the past several years Jim Widen and his family, who also live near the North Shore of Lake Superior, have been implementing more of a do-it-yourself approach to removing the dead balsam and spruce trees on their forested land. The NRCS has provided Jim with technical and financial assistance to meet his goals of reducing the fire hazard around their homes, improving recreational opportunities, and enhancing wildlife habitat on their land.

For the past two decades Jim Morrison has worked with the NRCS on a number of projects to improve the wildlife habitat on his forested land on Sapsucker Farms in central Minnesota. In his latest project Jim is working with NRCS partner Duane Folgard, who is a forester working for the American Bird Conservancy to improve the breading habitat of the golden-winged warbler. Due to habitat loss, hybridization, and other threats, this species has now been placed on several state-level endangered and threatened species lists.

For more information on how the NRCS can help you with your forestry-related practices or concerns, please visit your local NRCS office. Videography by Dan Balluff
Narration by Rashaan Jeffrey

For more information please visit the Minnesota NRCS webpage at: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservatio...

Additional Minnesota NRCS videos can be viewed on out Minnesota NRCS YouTube channel at:
   / @minnesotanrcs  

Time stamps:
00:00:00 The Natural Resources Conservation Service forestry practices
00:00:28 Jordan Blessings forested land and spruce budworm outbreak
00:01:10 Beth Kleinke, Soil Conservationist, NRCS
00:01:25 Recreation on the Blessing's land
00:01:30 Fire hazard with dead balsa and spruce trees
00:01:55 Forest mulching
00:02:20 EQIP
00:02:52 Josh Hull, Owner, Hull Forest Products
00:04:12 Tree planting
00:04:19 White-tailed deer
00:04:35 Wildlife
00:04:58 Jim Widen, Landowner, North Shore, Lake Superior
00:06:02 Skidder
00:06:40 Planting white pine trees
00:08:05 Jim Morrison's forested land
00:08:22 Golden-winged Warbler
00:09:00 Logging and succession
00:09:30 Duane Fogard, forester for the American Bird Conservancy

#forestmanagement
#wildlifehabitat
#forestfire