Aerial seeding of 185 acres of state forest land was completed this spring on four sites to reforest land where timber has been harvested in the past couple of years. Another 287 acres on five different sites were planted with seedlings of white pine, red pine, white spruce and red oak.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) plants trees on state lands to reforest harvested areas, provide wildlife habitat, protect watershed values and maintain the quality of state forests. Professional foresters determine the tree species appropriate for the site. Private contractors hired by the DNR do the actual planting.
"Minnesota has one of the country's largest state forest systems and also one of the nation's largest state forest tree planting programs," Bruce Schoenberg, DNR area program forester, said.
More than 8,000 acres of state forestlands are planted and seeded each year. In the last 10 years, the DNR has planted or seeded about 90,000 acres.
Pines, particularly red pine, are the primary species planted. About 800,000 white pines are also planted in Minnesota's forests. Many other native tree species are planted in state forests, such as oak and other hardwoods in southeastern Minnesota.
