In an effort to control vegetation and to help establish new forests, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be applying herbicides to approximately 469 acres of state land in the area overseen by the DNR Two Harbors office. That herbicide treatment includes 392 acres in the Grand Portage State Forest in Hovland.
“All of the sites that will be treated have been planted,” explained DNR Forester Alex Brothen of the Grand Marais office. “The reason for the spraying will be to release the planted trees from competing vegetation.”
The DNR plants trees on state lands to reforest harvested areas, provide wildlife habitat, protect watershed values and maintain the quality of state forests. Professional foresters determine the tree species appropriate for the site. The DNR hires private contractors to do the actual planting. Brothen said white pine, red pine, white spruce, and jack pine are the species that were planted and will be released.
According to Brothen, spraying will begin approximately August 11 and will be finished by September 12. However, he said the starting date is approximate and may change based on vegetation development and the weather. “We have to wait until the buds on the desired trees have hardened off for the fall before we begin spraying,” said Brothen.
Brothen said Scotts Helicopter would treat four sites with aerial spraying of herbicide. Two of the sites are located at the end of the Andy Lake Forest Road. The third site is located north of the Andy Lake Road along the Superior Hiking Trail. Thelast site is located about 2.5 miles east of the Arrowhead Trail on the Otter Lake Road.
“All access points to the sites will be posted when the site is treated and the signs will remain up until the end of the growing season,” said Brothen. He said the signs would be removed in the fall.
Brothen said he believes the chemicals to be used are a mix of Accord concentrate and Oust XP. Accord is a Glyphosate. Oust XP is a Sulfometuron methyl.
John Bachar, DNR forester in the Finland office, now retired, told the News-
Herald
earlier this year that during May, local DNR foresters seeded about 397 acres and planted 1,198 acres in the Two Harbors area. Bachar said over 694,000 trees, predominantly pines and spruces, were planted.
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