Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has instructed the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to increase annual timber sales from roughly 800,000 cords to 900,000 cords, with an eye towards boosting annual stumpage sales to one million cords.
Governor Dayton recently sent a letter to Timber Producers Association (TPA) Executive Director Vice President Wayne Brandt. In his letter Dayton extolled the timber industry, saying, “It’s a vital part of our economy, but it’s also the driver for the harvest that allows us to manage our forests for their habitat, recreational, and environmental benefits as well.”
The governor has asked the DNR to analyze the long-term sustainability of cutting 1 million cords of wood, and he also directed the DNR to hire an independent forest modeler to help with that determination.
As part of the process, the governor has convened a stakeholder group to study the feasibility of the 25 percent increase in harvest. Brandt and the TPA past president Dale Erickson are members of the group.
In the meantime, the governor has asked the DNR to move faster on its outreach efforts to private landholders and also, “to engage other land managers in supporting and encouraging their efforts to offer more wood,” using the US Forest Service’s Good Neighbor Authority.
“We understand that healthy mills are essential to healthy forests, and I want to assure you that we will do everything we can to support the industry during this critical time of increased global competition, high raw material prices, and increased demand for state timber,” Dayton said.
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