Crow Wing County completes annual tree planting

A trail stretches through mix of trees under partly cloudy skies — This year, 46,800 pine seedlings were planted on 60 acres in Wolford and Fairfield townships. About 4.1 million seedlings were planted on county-managed forest lands since 1983, a news release stated.

By Dispatch staff report

May 21, 2022 at 6:00 AM

BRAINERD — Crow Wing County Land Services completed its annual tree planting program for 2022.

This year, 46,800 pine seedlings were planted on 60 acres in Wolford and Fairfield townships. About 4.1 million seedlings were planted on county-managed forest lands since 1983, a news release stated.

The county tree planting program begins the next generation of forests. While many hardwoods like aspen, birch and oak regenerate naturally, county tree planting focuses on conifers to maintain and increase the diversity in forests, according to the release.

“Planting is an important element of sound forest management and ensures the resources will continue to provide wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, and forest products for future generations,” stated Ryan Simonson, an environmental services supervisor.

The land services department manages 105,000 acres of forest land for timber production and recreational opportunities. The sale of timber at public auctions during the year funds the county’s management of these lands while providing revenues to local communities.

County forest lands are managed to environmental standards established by both the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Minnesota Forest Resources Council.

By Dispatch staff report

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of "staff." Often, the "staff" byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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Crow Wing County completes annual tree planting

While many hardwoods like aspen, birch and oak regenerate naturally, tree planting by Crow Wing County focuses on conifers to maintain and increase the diversity in forests, according to a news release.