Landownership
Nearly 40% of Minnesota's forestland is under private landownership and a majority of private forestland is non-industrial. We have collected several resources for landowners needing assistance with forest management.
Resources for Forest Landowners
Biomass / Biofuels
With an increase in the number of potential users of woody biomass, the council developed guidelines for the sustainable harvest of woody biomass, and in 2008 funded research to investigate the ecological impacts of woody biomass harvesting.
Forest Health
The council has spent considerable time addressing several aspects of forest health, convening agency experts and administrators to ensure we are using public and private resources to encourage coordinated, science-based policy responses that promote collaboration among public agencies, forest landowners, and other stakeholders.
Water Quality
Forests play an important role in maintaining water supply and quality. The Council protects water quality by helping to minimize the effects of forest disturbance and addressing development threats to Minnesota's forest lands.
Carbon Sequestration
The council is active in climate change policy discussions and encourages investigations into the role Minnesota's forest play in carbon storage as well as the effects climate change can have on our forests.
Forest Products Industry
Recognizing the importance of a healthy, competitive forest products industry for Minnesota, the council is actively involved in related policy discussions and encourages the consideration of ecological, economic and social sustainability in all decisions.
Parcelization
The council is currently examining the effectiveness of various policy tools in mitigating the adverse effects of parcelization and developing recommendations to help policy makers maintain the forest land base in Minnesota.
Certification
The council has been a strong proponent of rigorous certification programs in Minnesota, with the Timber Harvesting and Forest Management Guidelines serving as a critical components of the two principal forestland certification programs adopted in Minnesota.