The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources plans to apply herbicides to more than 500 acres of forest near Tower, MN to control vegetation on newly established forests.
Find complete details HERE, in the DNR’s media release.
The application is one of several herbicide operations state-wide conducted by the DNR’s Division of Forestry to control vegetation on newly established forests. Elsewhere in northern Minnesota, the DNR plans to use herbicides near Two Harbors, Deer River, and Little Fork.
Near Tower, 402 acres of state-owned land will receive aerial herbicide application, while ground application will take place on another 124 acres. The applications are slated to begin around July 15 and continue through approximately September 12. Signs are to be posted on all herbicide treatment sites, the agency says.
“Herbicides are applied to state land to help establish new forests,” Jeff Rengo, area program forester said. “Herbicides help minimize competition between existing vegetation and newly planted trees.”
The DNR plants trees on state lands to reforest harvested areas, provide wildlife habitat, protect watershed values and maintain the quality of state forests, the agency said. Part of the reforestation process involves applying herbicides to the harvested areas prior to, or following, tree planting. Once a planting site has been prepared, professional foresters determine the tree species appropriate for the site and private contractors hired by the DNR do the actual planting.
The agency notes that more than 4,000 acres of state forest lands are planted and seeded each year. This year in the Tower area, DNR foresters have seeded about 375 acres and planted over 500 acres during May. Over 400,000 trees, predominantly pines and spruces have been planted on sites prepared during the past year.