Forest Management
Approximately 1.5 million acres of Minnesota’s school trust lands are classified as commercial timberland. Revenue is generated primarily through the sale of timber harvested from these lands.
The Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry manages school trust timberlands and administers timber sales. Its responsibilities include forest planning and modeling, timber inventories, appraisals and sales, reforestation following harvest, verification of forest products removed from school trust lands, maintenance of forest access roads, and the collection and accounting of forestry revenues.
Commercial timber species found on school trust lands include aspen, balsam fir, black spruce, white spruce, jack pine, white pine, red pine, and northern hardwoods. The timing and location of timber harvests depend on factors such as forest type, stand age and condition, market demand, access, management requirements, and long-term timber potential.
DNR applies the Minnesota Forest Resources Council’s Site-Level Forest Management Guidelines when conducting timber harvesting and forest management activities. The guidelines address economic, ecological, and social forest values and recommend practices intended to limit impacts on wildlife habitat, riparian areas, soil and water resources, and other forest functions. They include guidance related to coarse woody debris, biomass removal, leave trees, riparian areas, seasonal ponds, and rare species and communities.
DNR-managed forestlands, including school trust timberlands, are also managed under third-party forest certification standards established by the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. Independent auditors periodically evaluate DNR’s conformance with those standards. Forest certification establishes requirements related to forest management practices, planning, monitoring, and environmental and social considerations.
According to DNR Forestry, forest management costs, including salaries, contracting, administration, fuel, and other expenses, have increased in recent years. At the same time, timber values have remained relatively stagnant amid weak demand and reduced mill capacity. In FY2025, these market conditions, together with DNR’s adoption of a more comprehensive cost-accounting methodology, resulted in management costs exceeding qualifying forestry revenues. Consequently, forest management activities on school trust lands currently produce no net revenue for deposit into the Permanent School Fund.