Woodland Stewardship Plans

The Itasca SWCD has a forester on staff who is available to write Woodland Stewardship Management Plans tailored specifically to your property and your management goals.  Stewardship plans help landowners with land management decisions that will help keep their woodlot healthy and productive for many generations.  Itasca County landowners who own at least 20 contiguous acres of undeveloped and non-agricultural land are eligible to take advantage of this service.  Contact the office for more information and to determine the cost of a plan for your property.  Landowners who agree to follow a stewardship plan on their property are eligible for incentive payments from programs such as the "Sustainable Forestry Incentive Act (SFIA)."  A stewardship plan is also one of the primary requirements for landowners who are considering enrolling their land in conservation easement programs.

The State of Minnesota recently passed a new classification for lands - the 2cManaged Forest Land classification that provides a reduced class rate of 0.65 percent to qualifying properties.  To reduce your 2010 property taxes, you'll need to complete the required paperwork by May 1, 2009.

Contact us for more information regarding stewardship plans and also to determine whether your property lies within a current "priority area."

Annual Native Tree and Plant Sale

Every Fall we begin taking orders for our annual native tree and plant sale.  We begin taking orders in September and will continue to take orders until early spring.  The objectives of the sale are to provide landowners with information about planting natives, to promote landowners to plant native species, and provide a means for landowners to order small or large quantities of native species depending on the size of their planting project.  A large variety of native trees (evergreen and deciduous), shrubs, wildflowers, grasses and sedges are available for a wide variety of site conditions and applications. 

Contact us and we can mail you a list of available plants and an order form.

Available Land Management Publications

Native Tree and Shrub Plantings for Wildlife Habitat - A power point style presentation authored by Andy Arens, Forestry and Shoreland specialist.  Click here to view the presentation.

The Itasca SWCD office has two land management assistance publications available free of charge:

Minnesota SWCD Forestry Association Tree Handbook:  This fifty page handbook was developed  by the MN SWCD Forestry Association and includes planting and care information for both trees and shrubs.  This book is available for pick up in our office

Beyond the Suburbs:  This is a property management and planning guide designed to help owners of small acreage woodlands get the most out of their property.  This book is available for pick up in our office.

Information about tree planting and care can be found on the MN DNR website by clicking here.