Sand Dunes State Forest, an 11,040-acre gift of nature bordered by Co. Rds. 5, 4 and 1 just north of Big Lake, is a complicated place.
For 70 years, its pine trees, planted during the Dust Bowl, have grown tall and straight. People have moved into private spaces adjacent to the forest to enjoy the quiet, the beauty and the nature abounding in them.
Horse folk have ridden, hikers have walked, and snowmobile riders have driven the various trails. A campers park ranks as the second-most-used of its kind in the state.
And the hunters.
And the unique ecosystem that is home to various endangered species.
And the DNR . . .
The Minnesota DNR owns and manages about 6,000 acres of the forest. They’ve been pretty quiet doing their work over the years, but as their trees, red and white pine, have matured and have become ripe for harvesting, things have changed over the past year or so.
Clear cuttings of these pine, sold by the DNR to timber people of the north, have pushed all of these concerns to a flash point in the past months.
And after a few contemptuous meetings over the winter months, the DNR and locals are agreeing to sit down and discuss things.
They did so for three hours Monday night at BLHS, when the DNR and local citizens group met with perhaps a dozen interested parties. Among them were the Minnesota Trail Riders Association, Minnesota Forest Industries (which purchases the forest timber), Minnesota Habitat for Wildlife, the Wildlife Society, the Izzac Walton League and Friends of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, which borders the Sand Dunes to the north and occupies space within the Dunes forest.
Add to that perhaps 15 DNR officials from St. Paul, representing varied nature interests.
In the end, the groups agreed to keep meeting and talking and working towards some form of agreement on a managemant plan for the forest.
Nudge From Newberger
That is, because it is necessary, according to language of an agreement augered by Rep. Jim Newberger and the DNR at the state capitol in this spring.
He had entered a bill calling for cessation of all DNR activities in the forest, but in negotiations, agreed the DNR would suspend clearcutting of timber for a year and only do cleanup work on contracts already begun.
Included in that agreement, the local citizenry would enter into a pact with the DNR outlining its future management of the forest.
That is why these meetings have started.
Also sitting in on the session were Rep. Sondra Erickson of Princeton and Republican Sen. candidate Matthews of Milaca.
The first half of Monday’s meeting was devoted to DNR presentations, outlining history and management philosophy for the SDSF.
Forrest Boe, director of forestry for the DNR, assured the 50 or so attending his department expected a detailed process “that will take many months to get to all the issues.”
But he assured them the DNR would be there to listen, it would be “a two-way communication.”
Those words were echoed by John Korzenlowski, DNR area forest supervisor from Little Falls.
Following a break, meeting-goers broke into small groups to discuss the proposed DNR plan for managing the forest and their concerns for that management.
Thirdly, they were asked what will make the next six months of advisory group meetings meaningful for them.
Their reactions were shared with the group.
The Issues
The clearcutting of trees remains a prominent concern of the local residents, as is the remaining cleanup of slash left from cutting of this past year.
The DNR’s proposed clearcutting of trees at the Ann Lake camp is of high concern to residents.
Don and Donna Bouley, 43-year residents on 242nd Avenue, also express concern for poison ivy, chemicals that would be used in cleanup - the endangered species.
They also are concerned for the abundant wildlife that has come near their home in past years, but likely won’t do so with clearcutting not far away.
Deer, turkeys, and the rest, they say.
Hunters won’t be able to walk through the slash for some time, Donna said. The slash, growing more tinderlike, is a a perfect candidate for a forest fire.
Burning slash is a serious concern for the residents. The DNR maintains they must do it to use the funds allocated for it.
Rep. Newberger suggested the DNR forget about the money and not burn.
Condition of township roads and the effects of heavy timber truckers is a prime concern for Bob Hassett, supervisor for Orrock Twp.
“But, I get the feeling they are serious about this,” he told the Orrock supervisors at their regular meeting Wednesday.
The group discussed what level of agreement should be reached in order to effect a new management plan for the SDSF.
“Someone said we should have an 88% agreement on a plan,” said Donna. “It’s high, but we want to make it high.”
Chewing over the input from Monday’s meeting, the group wil plan again to meet July 25. Time and location to be announced.
