The northern forests of Minnesota were once dominated by stands of towering white and red pine, with jack pine-rimmed lakes. With climate change, some conifers are being replaced with trees like aspen, oak and maple. As the pines disappear, we lose an icon of the northwoods, and the habitat for songbirds, moose, great gray owls, lynx, pine marten, and other species that call the boreal forest home.
An initiative by The Nature Conservancy makes native conifers a priority, planting key evergreen trees in Minnesota’s northwoods as part of their broader ‘Plant a Billion Trees’ campaign. In 2018 alone, over 50,000 trees were planted, and partnerships with researchers, public and private groups and landowners is critical to the success of the project. “The motivation for a lot of work in northeastern Minnesota historically has been the widespread loss of long-lived conifers due to historic logging, limited restoration efforts and overbrowsing by deer,” says Meredith Cornett, Science Director for The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. She adds that this work in Minnesota could be a model for saving conifers in Michigan, Wisconsin and Canada.
Planting millions of trees, one at a time
Visitors to Minnesota’s North Shore may have noticed the stands of birch that are struggling. The ‘Highway 61 Reforested’ project underway at Cascade River State Park includes planting 13,000 trees over about 40 acres in partnership with the DNR. Crews and volunteers will plant white pines, white spruce, and other native species for a more diverse and resilient forest, and work on projects to protect these young trees from foraging deer.
“Minnesota’s conifers are at risk due to climate change. The Nature Conservancy is working with partners to create strongholds for these iconic species.” – The Nature Conservancy
Conifer Strongholds
The goal is a “mosaic” of trees in all stages of growth and healthier habitat – more like the northern forest conditions prior to logging. The Conservancy and researchers from the University of Minnesota have developed the idea of ‘Conifer Strongholds in a Changing Northwoods Landscape’ – identifying key places which are warming less rapidly, and planting a diverse group of conifer species that will thrive even in a warming climate.
“We are all connected. The survival of these big trees… depends on all of us.” – John Pastor
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For more information:
The Nature Conservancy Minnesota: Saving Minnesota’s Iconic Conifers
The Nature Conservancy Minnesota: Protecting and Restoring the Northwoods
WTIP.org: Nature Conservancy tree planting at Cascade under way
Cool Green Science: Saving Conifer Strongholds in the Northwoods