WADENA COUNTY FOREST MANAGEMENT
Wadena County has always valued and supported its forested areas and the opportunities they provide. In 2021, the County had an opportunity to acquire 3355 acres of former Potlatch land from The Conservation Fund. With the help of the Northern Waters Land Trust, the Department of Natural Resources Forestry Division, and several other Counties, an application was made to the Lessard Sams Outdoor Heritage Council for the purchase of several thousand acres of forested land. The County acknowledges the opportunities in this acquisition as they relate directly to the restoration, protection, and enhancement of wetlands, prairies, forests, game, and wildlife, preventing forest fragmentation, and encouraging forest consolidation. Other benefits, in the form of income generated, will offset the cost to taxpayers through sustainable management of these forested parcels, and provide public access to these areas for the enjoyment of the outdoors. These lands will be managed for the County primarily by the Department of Natural Resources Forestry Division. They will be managed sustainably for their many values including: good forestry, wildlife, wildlife habitat, and enjoyment of the public for perpetuity. The purpose of this plan is to establish a framework for forest management activities on lands administered or owned by the County to ensure these goals are met.
For more information, you can view the Forest Management Plan (PDF) for these, and other acres, within Wadena County.