Mille Lacs Uplands, Subsection Forest Resource Management Plan
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Mille Lacs Uplands Subsection Forest Resource Management Plan Strategic Direction and Stand Selection Results - Final - Minnesota Department of Natural Resources June 2008 Division of Forestry Planning Document Copyright 2008, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry Printed June 2008 This document is on the Internet at www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/subsection/millelacs Information about the Division of Forestry Subsection Forest Resource Management Plan (SFRMP) process can be found at www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/subsection Abstract: This document presents the final plan outlining strategic direction for forest management of DNR administered lands in the Mille Lacs Uplands subsection. It includes the criteria used to select stands for the initial seven years of management, lists the stands that satisfy those criteria, and identifies new access needs resulting from stand selection. Mille Lacs Uplands SFRMP Team Members The following DNR personnel participated in the preparation of the Millle Lacs Uplands Subsection Forest Resource Management Plan: Lynn Sue Mizner (Forest Resources Planner/Team Leader) Peter Willis (Timber Program Forester, Little Falls) Lillian Baker (Program Forester, Cambridge – now Timber Program Leader in St. Paul) Daren Wysocki (Timber Program Forester, Aitkin) Dean Makey (Timber Program Forester, Brainerd/Backus) Brian Haugen (Timber Program Forester, Sandstone) Tony Miller (Timber Program Forester, Sandstone) Bruce Schoenberg (Timber Program Forester, Cloquet) David Kanz (Assistant Area Wildlife Manager, Aitkin) Gary Drotts (Area Wildlife Manager, Brainerd) Richard Tuszynski (Manager, Mille Lacs Wildlife Management Area) Chris Balzer (Wildlife Biologist, Cloquet) Beau Liddell (Area Wildlife Manager, Little Falls) David Pauly (Area Wildlife Manager, Cambridge) David J. Johnson (Wildlife Biologist, Sandstone) Doug Tillma (NE Region Silviculturist) Paul Olson (NE Region Forestry GIS* Specialist) Mark Wurdeman (Central Region Timber Program Forester) Rick Dunkley** (Area Forest Supervisor, Sandstone) Kevin Woizeschke (Nongame Wildlife Biologist, Brainerd) Tim Quincer (NE Region Forestry Wildlife Coordinator) Mike Albers (NE Region Forest Health Specialist) John Grossbach (NE Region Forest Manager) Wayne Damerow (Central Region Forest Manager) Jeff Lightfoot (NE Region Wildlife Manager) Kurt Rusterholz(Ecological Services, St. Paul) Bruce Carlson, (Ecological Services, Duluth) *Geographic Information Systems ** Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe asked that Rick Dunkley represent its interests in this process. This document was prepared for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry by the consultant team of Pro-West & Associates, Inc. (Walker, MN) and Applied Insightsnorth (Duluth, MN). Mille Lacs Uplands SFRMP -i - Final Plan Document Contents 1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 1.1 2. Desired Future Forest Composition: An Overview ................................................................. 2.1 3. Final Issues, DFFC, and Recommended Strategies................................................................. 3.1 4. Stand Selection Criteria ........................................................................................................... 4.1 5. Seven-Year Stand List & New Access Needs ......................................................................... 5.1 Appendix A. Seven-Year Stand Selection List.......................................................................... A.1 Appendix B. List of Selected Stands Containing White Pine.....................................................B.1 Appendix C. Glossary.................................................................................................................C.1 Appendix D: Acronyms ............................................................................................................. D.1 Appendix E. Responses to Public Comments on Issues/Assessment Document .......................E.1 Appendix F. Responses to Public Comments on Step 3 Strategic Direction Document............ F.1 Appendix G. Oak Regeneration Plan......................................................................................... G.1 Appendix H. Red Shouldered Hawk Habitat in the Planning Area........................................... H.1 Appendix I. Patch Size Determination for the Planning Area.....................................................I.1 Appendix J. Early Successional Habitat in the Planning Area ....................................................J.1 Appendix K. The Two-Lined Chestnut Borer ........................................................................... K.1 Appendix L. Historical Disturbance Regimes .............................................................................L1 Appendix M. Brief Descriptions of Landtype Associations (LTAs) in the Mille Lacs Uplands Subsection (212Kb) and Glacial Lake Superior Plain (212Ja) ...................................................M.1 Appendix N. Directions 2000—Forest Resources Section........................................................ N.1 Tables Table 1.1 Steps in the SFRMP Process....................................................................................... 1.4 Table 3.1. Extended Rotation Forests in the Mille Lacs Upland and Glacial Lake Superior Plain* ...................................................................................................................................................... 3.3 Table 3.2. Forest* Over Normal Rotation Age (Mille Lacs Uplands, Glacial Lake Superior Plain, and St. Croix Moraines)..................................................................................................... 3.4 Table 3.3. Extended Rotation Forests1 by LTA Group................................................................ 3.4 Table 3.4.Desired Future Composition of Commercial Forest Types (Mille Lacs Uplands and Glacial Lake Superior Plain)........................................................................................................ 3.6 Table 3.5. Current and Desired Patch Sizes in the Planning Area............................................ 3.15 Table 4.1. Summary of Stand Selection Criteria (Mille Lacs Uplands/ Glacial Lake Superior Plain/St. Croix Moraines) .......................................................................................................... 4.31 Mille Lacs Uplands SFRMP -ii - Final Plan Document Table 5.1 Selected 7-Year Stand Acres by Cover Type by Area Office .................................... 5.2 Table 5.2 Summary of Annual Treatment Acres by Cover Type under Proposed 7-Year Stand List ............................................................................................................................................... 5.3 Table 5.3 Summary of Annual Treatment Acres by Cover Type for Brainerd Area.................. 5.4 Table 5.4 Summary of Annual Treatment Acres by Cover Type for Aitkin Area ..................... 5.5 Table 5.5 Summary of Annual Treatment Acres by Cover Type for Cloquet Area................... 5.6 Table 5.6 Summary of Annual Treatment Acres by Cover Type for Little Falls Area .............. 5.7 Table 5.7 Summary of Annual Treatment Acres by Cover Type for Sandstone Area ............ ...5.8 Table 5.8 Summary of Annual Treatment Acres by Cover Type for Cambridge Area............. .5.9 Table A.1. Seven-Year Stand Examination List by Location....A.Error! Bookmark not defined. Table B.1. Stands With a White Pine Component on the Seven-Year Stand Examination List .B.1 Table I.1. Current and Desired Patch Sizes in the Planning Area ...............................................I.2 Table J.1. Percentage of Forested land in Aspen-Birch Forest Type by LTA.............................J.2 Figures Figure 1.1 Mille Lacs Uplands Subsection................................................................................. 1.1 Figure 3.1. Landtype Associations (LTAs) Identified as Priority Open Landscapes ................ 3.16 Figure 4.1. Change in Ash Abundance From Historical Levels................................................. 4.2 Figure 4.2. Current Age-Class Distribution of Ash Forests......................................................... 4.3 Figure 4.3. Change in Aspen Abundance from Historical Levels .............................................. 4.4 Figure 4.4. Current Age-Class Distriubtion of Aspen and Balm of Gilead Forests ................... 4.5 Figure 4.5. Change in Birch Abundance from Historical Levels ................................................ 4.7 Figure 4.6 Current Age-Class Distribution of Birch Forests ...................................................... 4.8 Figure 4.7. Current Age-Class Distribution of Northern Hardwoods Forests ............................ 4.9 Figure 4.8. Current Basal Area Distribution of Northern Hardwoods Forests ......................... 4.10 Figure 4.9. Change in Red Oak Abundance from Historical Levels ........................................ 4.12 Figure 4.10. Change in Bur Oak Abundance from Historical Levels....................................... 4.13 Figure 4.11. Current Age-Class Distribution of Oak Forests ................................................... 4.14 Mille Lacs Uplands SFRMP -iii - Final Plan Document Figure 4.12. Current Basal Area Distribution in Oak Forests................................................... 4.14 Figure 4.13.Change in wWhite Pine Abundance from Historical Levels.................................