cutting to insure that good forestry practices are 

 followed. In addition, a number of counties are 

 engaged in planting programs. With this expanding 

 activity it is to be expected that counties as a group 

 soon will come much closer to their allowable cut 

 figure than was indicated in 1953. 



Management Varies on Private Lands 



Forest industries own about one-half million acres 

 of forest in Minnesota, a much smaller area than is 

 held by other groups. However, because of the 

 good location and selected quality of most of the 

 tracts, these lands have considerable significance. 



Pulp and paper companies are the principal in- 

 dustrial owners. Of these, 2 Minnesota companies 

 have the dominant share, with 2 Wisconsin companies 

 having most of the remainder. The pulp companies 

 have been enlarging their holdings steadily over the 

 past 10 years, and se\-eral have an expressed aim of 

 owning enough timberland to supply at least one-third 

 of their annual wood requirements. 



Privately owned lands that are not controlled by 

 forest industries and are not on farms aggregate more 

 than 2,600,000 acres. Little is known about the 

 actual ownership status. County tax li.sts include 

 real estate companies, banks, mining companies, 

 resorts, estates, and of course many individuals, both 

 resident and out-of-State. The impression gained by 

 survey personnel was that very few were doing any- 

 thing active in the way of forest management. 



That a large volume of timber is being harvested 

 from these lands of mixed ownership is evident. In 



1953, the actual cut on the private lands of this kind 

 was considerably greater than the estimated allowable 

 cut. There is little doubt that some tracts are being 

 subjected to very destructive cutting. 



Farm forestry has been making gains, but it is 

 difficult to find measurable indices of change in 

 farm woods. However, observations during the 

 survey indicated, for example, that grass fires burning 

 uncontrolled along the bluffs of the Mississippi 

 River and tributary streams are now uncommon, 

 whereas, at the time of the first forest survey in 1936 

 they were an annual occurrence. Grass fires are 

 much less frequent also in the Red River \'alley. 

 This change accounts for much of the improved 

 density of stocking noted in many of the survey plots. 



There is evidence of considerable new planting of 

 windbreaks and forest groves, especially in certain 

 soil conservation districts where leaders have an 

 active interest in trees, and where the Agricultural 

 Conservation Program offers to share costs on farms for 

 tree planting and care. Many farmers are requiring 

 selective cutting, and some are doing the logging 

 themselves. Extension foresters and Service foresters, 

 employed by the Conservation Department are 

 providing assistance to farmers and other landowners. 



Overall, however, the records indicate that too 

 much high-quality growing stock of the high-value 

 species is being cut on farm woods and not enough 

 of the overmature, decadent, and cull material. 

 Use of wood for fuel is definitely on the wane in 

 Minnesota, and no substitute outlet has been found 

 for low-grade material. 



U 



Forest Resource Report No. 13, U. S. Department of Agriculture 



