Site-level Forest Management Program
As demands on Minnesota’s forests grow ever more complex, there is a need for forest management to support forest-based economic opportunities while maintaining forest ecological functions such as biological diversity and societal values such as outdoor recreation. Minnesota’s Sustainable Forest Resources Act mandated development of voluntary site-level timber harvesting and forest management guidelines that recommend economical ways to conduct management activities with limited impacts to forest functions and values. The MFRC Site-Level Program manages the development of these guidelines, provides guidance on monitoring guideline implementation, and conducts research and assessment of guideline effectiveness and forest health.
Site-level Reports
Forest Management Guidelines
The development of comprehensive forest management guidelines is a core mandate of the Sustainable Forest Resources Act. Development and implementation of the guidelines has served as a foundation of the work performed by the MFRCl. The guidelines are intended to reduce the potential for negative environmental impacts resulting from timber harvesting and other forest-management activities on all forest lands in the State. The guidelines are used primarily by forest managers, loggers, and forest landowners during forestry activities such as timber harvesting.
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Registration Process (PCRP)
PCRP provides a way for citizens to inform landowners, foresters, and loggers of specific concerns about timber harvesting and forest management practices that they see fit in Minnesota.
Guideline Research and Assessment
Given the voluntary nature of the guidelines, the SFRA requires the MFRC to establish implementation goals for various landowner categories. The MFRC initially established broad guideline implementation goals based on a set of defined criteria related to support, awareness, and commitment for guideline application.
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Site-level Monitoring
The Sustainable Forest Resource Act requires monitoring to assess rates of guideline implementation. Implementation monitoring documents the statewide rate at which forest guidelines are applied during management activities. Monitoring is an important aspect of the MFRC Site-level program, providing information for guideline revision and targeted outreach.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources oversees site-level monitoring via third-party environmental services contractors who evaluate on-site forest management guideline (FMG) implementation.