Blandin Establishes Fund to Ensure Sustainable Forestry, Protect Wildlife Habitat, Provide Public Access

The Blandin Foundation, Grand Rapids, and The Nature Conservancy announced the establishment of a $6.25 million fund designed to ensure sustainable forestry, protect wildlife habitat and guarantee public access on forestland in the Itasca County region of northern Minnesota. The first-of-its kind agreement in Minnesota will leverage public and private funds to purchase conservation easements on up to 75,000 acres of private industrial forestland, helping to stem the recent trend of large-scale forestland sales and subdivisions in Minnesota.

"The foundation recognizes forests as a key Minnesota economic asset," said Jim Hoolihan, president of Blandin Foundation. "By protecting large blocks of working forestland from fragmentation, this major investment will preserve the connection between Minnesota’s healthy forest-based industries, healthy forest ecosystems and healthy forest-based communities."

The fragmentation of forests is among the greatest threats faced by wildlife and it has further compromised timber harvesting. Itasca County, for instance, has the largest concentration of privately held industrial forest land in the state. Since 1999, over 400,000 acres of Minnesota’s industrial forestland has been subdivided and sold.

Under the terms of the agreement, the fund, administered by The Nature Conservancy, will be used to purchase conservation easements on up to 75,000 acres of strategically selected parcels of private forest land from willing sellers. The easements will limit development and subdivision while ensuring sustainable forest practices and public access opportunities for a variety of recreational pursuits including hunting, fishing and hiking. Once purchased, the easements will be transferred to the state Department of Natural Resources, which will monitor the legally-binding agreements. Other partners in the project include the state Department of Natural Resources, The Conservation Fund, the Minnesota Forest Resources Council, state legislators and local governments.

"Minnesota stands at a crossroads," said Ron Nargang, State Director for The Nature Conservancy. "Our industrial forestland owners are facing significant economic challenges that put timber-related jobs, wildlife habitat and public access at risk. Blandin Foundation deserves a considerable amount of credit for taking this bold first step to protect our forestland."

To help purchase the conservation easements, the partners will seek funding from state and federal sources. One of the key federal sources is the Forest Legacy program. A partnership between the United States Forest Service, state governments and private landowners, the Forest Legacy program identifies and protects ecologically important forest habitat which is threatened by possible development or unsustainable practices. Program objectives are met through land acquisition or the use of conservation easements, which protect working forests while meeting important conservation goals. Since its first appropriations in 1992, the program has conserved over one million acres throughout the country.

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