The DNR invites the public to stop by during the open house to review maps of existing and proposed trails, discuss the DNR proposals, and present their own recommendations for changes to the trail system and trail management.

In 2005 and 2006, the DNR completed classification and trail designation plans for the Chengwatana, Nemadji, General Andrews and St. Croix state forests. It classified all four forests as “limited” with respect to motor vehicle use, which means off-highway vehicles (OHVs) – including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), off-highway motorcycles (OHMs) and off-road vehicles (ORVs) – may only use trails specifically signed for the specific use. Motor vehicles (including all OHVs and highway-licensed vehicles) are allowed on all forest roads, unless the road is posted closed to a specific use. During specific seasons, licensed hunters may use ATVs off-trail for hunting and retrieving big game, constructing deer stands and trapping.

To improve trail sustainability and enhance user experiences, the DNR is considering adding new trails and trail connections, changing allowable trail uses, designating areas where motor vehicle use is restricted during trapping and fall hunting seasons, and closing unsustainable trails.

The DNR will use the comments received at the open house to develop a draft proposal for trail improvements. The DNR will also accept written suggestions through 4:30 p.m. Monday, March 19. Written comments may be submitted to Rebecca Wooden, OHV planner, DNR Parks and Trails, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4039 or rebecca.wooden@state.mn.us

Before the draft proposal is finalized, the DNR will hold another public meeting and provide a 60-day comment opportunity.

More information about the trail planning process or the open house is available online or by calling the Division of Parks and Trails at 218-999-7945 (Grand Rapids office) or 651-259-5584 (central office).

The DNR dropped 15 lakes with northern pike special regulations on Nov. 1, 2011. This action was necessitated by a change in state law that restricted the DNR to no more than 100 northern pike special or experimental regulation lakes. The 15 lakes that were dropped were lakes where fisheries biologists felt the regulation was least likely to achieve its management goal, or smaller lakes connected to larger lakes that also had a special northern pike regulation. Emergency rule was used to drop special regulations on these lakes. In order to drop these regulations permanently, the DNR is required to solicit additional public comment.

Open houses are scheduled at the following locations:

CENTRAL REGION

• Long and Crooked lakes (Stearns County), Montrose Area Fisheries headquarters, 7372 State Highway 25 SW, Montrose, MN 55363; 763-675-3301.
• Ogechie Lake (Mille Lacs County) and Little Sauk Lake (Todd County), Little Falls Area Fisheries headquarters, 16543 Haven Road, Little Falls, MN 56345;
  320-616-2450.

NORTHWEST REGION

• Cotton and Big Floyd lakes (Becker County), Detroit Lakes Area Fisheries headquarters, 14583 County Highway 19, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501; 218-846-8340.
• Lake Louise (Cass County), Walker Area Fisheries headquarters, 7316 State Highway
     371 NW, Walker, MN 56484; 218-547-1683.
• Lake Latoka (Douglas County), Glenwood Area Fisheries headquarters, 23070 North
  Lakeshore Drive, Glenwood, MN 56334; 320-634-4573.
• Campbell Lake (Beltrami County), Bemidji Area Fisheries headquarters, 2114 Bemidji Ave., Bemidji, MN 56601; 218-308-2330.

NORTHEAST REGION

• Caribou Lake (St. Louis County), Duluth Area Fisheries headquarters, 5351 North Shore Drive, Duluth, MN 55804; 218-525-0853.
• North Branch Kawishiwi (Lake County), Tower Area Fisheries headquarters, 650 Highway 169, Tower, MN 56470; 218-753-2580.
• Scrapper, Rice, Unnamed (#31-0881), Haskell lakes (Itasca County), Grand Rapids Area Fisheries headquarters, 1201 East Highway 2, Grand Rapids, MN 56744; 218-327-4430.

Those unable to attend an open house may submit written comments or comments by phone to appropriate area office. All comments must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 17. Public comments will also be accepted during an open house Feb. 22, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the DNR central office, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul.

The plan consists of two primary products. The public review document outlines the planning process, forest vegetation management goals and directions, and implementation strategies and stand selection criteria used to identify the forest stands to be site-visited by foresters and possibly treated over the next 10-year period, 2013 through 2022. The 10-Year Stand Examination List includes 268 stands totaling 3,883 acres that are being considered for site visits and possible treatment over the next 10 years.

“The focus of the public review is to seek comments on the process and criteria used to select specific forest stands for site visit and possible treatments,” said Robert Pulford, a forest planner with the DNR Division of Forestry. “We also are looking for comments about the specific stands included on the stand exam list.”

In addition to the ASP SFRMP, a management plan has been prepared specifically for the Sand Dunes State Forest located in Sherburne County. The focus of the operational plan for management of the Sand Dunes State Forest is to guide vegetation management within the Sand Dunes State Forest and is a part of the broader ASP SFRMP.

Stands on the list have received a preliminary prescription (i.e., harvest, thin, site visit to determine management or re-inventory) based on the directions as stated in the draft

ASP SFRMP. Once the stands are site-visited and evaluated, final treatment will be assigned. Based on past experience, not all stands identified for site visits result in a timber sale and harvest.

The Anoka Sand Plain SFRMP public review document, 10-Year Stand Exam List, and operational plan for Management of the Sand Dunes State Forest are available online.  Paper copies (235 pages) may be requested from the DNR at the address below.

Comments on the public review document or individual forest stands placed on the Ten-Year Stand Exam List may be submitted to: Robert Pulford, DNR Division of Forestry, 1601 Minnesota Drive, Brainerd, MN 56401; phone: 218-833-8704; fax: 218-833-8668; or email: robert.pulford@state.mn.us.

All written comments received will be considered with responses prepared. Comments and responses will be included in the final Anoka Sand Plain SFRMP scheduled for adoption by the DNR in April.

The Anoka Sand Plain is an ecological subsection in central Minnesota that includes approximately 42,000 acres of state forest timberlands (lands capable of producing timber) administered by the DNR divisions of Forestry and Fish and Wildlife. This subsection covers all or parts of 12 counties: Crow Wing, Morrison, Stearns, Benton, Wright, Sherburne, Mille Lacs, Isanti, Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Hennepin. However, the majority of lands subject to this SFRMP are located in Morrison, Sherburne, Anoka, Isanti and Chisago counties.

The draft ASP SFRMP takes into consideration a broad range of factors that affect forest management including: increasing forest health and productivity, managing vegetation for rare species and habitat, balancing timber age classes over time, identifying stands to be managed as older forest to accommodate diverse wildlife and ecological resources, and limiting impacts to cultural, visual and water resources – all balanced to provide sustainable forest resources. Sustainable forest management is the underlying goal of the SFRMP planning process.

The DNR prepares management plans consistent with ecological subsection boundaries to ensure that ecological characteristics are considered as forestry management is implemented. The ASP SFRMP is one of 10 ecological subsections in the state for which the DNR has prepared a subsection plan.

The conference, sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and other organizations, will offer several sessions that address blowdown issues. Sessions include how to avoid pest infestation, how landowners might salvage wood on their property, and how to protect against wildfire with so much fuel on the ground.

Other sessions include land management for specific tree species in the face of forest pests and for wildlife and recreation, plus information on the Firewise Program, which can help landowners make their property less susceptible to wildfire.   

The conference also includes a tour of sites where landowners have reduced wildfire risk.  A workshop on measuring the fire risk around a home or cabin and the surrounding landscape is the subject of another presentation. 

Cook County Firewise committee members will share their approach to dealing with a past devastating wind event in relation to woodlands.

The conference provides an opportunity to meet other woodland owners, discuss options and ideas, and learn more about blowdown issues. For more information, call Mimi Barzen at 218-327-4119 or Stephanie Kessler at 218-326-1130.

Information is also available by visiting www.mndnr.gov/forestry/woodlandconference.

New permit efficiency expectations require DNR permit applications from industry and other entities to be approved or denied within 150 days.

A year ago, Gov. Mark Dayton signed an executive order directing the DNR and MPCA to meet the benchmark to ensure quick response to industry requests. The DNR’s nearly 100 percent efficiency delivers on Dayton’s promise that DNR should “move at the speed of commerce,” as the governor said last year.

“The report shows the DNR is responsive to companies and other entities that require speedy review of their permit requests, while still safeguarding the state’s natural resources,” said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr. “In this economic environment, I’m pleased to show that the DNR is not only able to meet expectations, but exceed them.”

In many cases, DNR staff was able to render decisions on permits in less than two weeks, and often within a few days.

In addition to Dayton’s executive order, the governor signed legislation codifying the 150-day permit decision goal for the DNR. “It’s a goal we take very seriously,” Landwehr said.

As part of the legislation, the DNR and other agencies are required to deliver semiannual reports to the Legislature on permitting efficiency on Feb. 1 and Aug. 1.

The report examines the efficiency of permitting in the following categories: water appropriations, public waters work, aquatic plant management, endangered species takings, and mining. For any permit that fails to meet the goal, the DNR is also required to report the reasons for not meeting goal, steps it will take to complete action on the application and the expected timeline to meet the goal.

Between July 1, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2011, the DNR received 894 permit applications. Staff deemed 855 permit applications complete and made 891 permit decisions. The DNR missed the 150-day goal on only three permits during the reporting period, but all three permits have since been issued. In all three cases, which involved water appropriation or public waters work, the permit deadline was missed because of a combination of lack of staff and the state government shutdown last summer.

The vast majority of DNR permits during the reporting period involved water appropriations, work that would be done within public waters and aquatic plant management. In most cases, DNR staff made decisions on new permits within a day or two. Public waters work took more time, but staff was still able to make decisions on applications, on average, within two weeks.

Changes to permits took longer, but DNR staff was able, on average, to render decisions on applications between two and four weeks. On an iron ore and taconite mining permit, staff was able to render a decision within 79 days.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is in need of additional mentors to serve as guides for its safety training programs, particularly the “All Day Range and Field Day” portion of the hunter firearms safety course.

“The time shared between a youngster and a mentor is invaluable,” said Capt. Mike Hammer, DNR Enforcement Division safety education coordinator. “There simply is no better way to introduce a young person to safe, ethical and responsible aspects of hunting than with the close supervision of an adult mentor.”

Mentors work for about five hours with a group of three to four students, ages 11-15, facilitating, mentoring and evaluating students as they complete hunter-based scenarios that include big game, small game and turkey hunting, as well as shoot/don’t shoot, tree stand safety, outdoor survival, firearms transportation, common firearm action types, blaze orange and more.

Knowledge of various hunting activities and knowledge of the principles of safe, responsible and ethical hunting are required. Mentors also need to understand basic principles of mentorship and facilitation of “Range and Field Day” scenarios taught at instructor certification training sessions. Learn more about mentoring.

Mentor applicants must be 18 years or older and pass a background check. Prior to attending an instructor training session, applicants must complete instructor prerequisites.

Certification sessions are conducted by DNR trainers when and where there is a need.

People are encouraged to complete the instructor prerequisites as soon as possible, so they will be prepared when a convenient training session is offered.

More information is available by contacting the DNR Enforcement Education Program staff at Camp Ripley,15011 Highway 115, Little Falls, MN 56345. People also can call 800-366-8917 or send an email to enforcement.education@state.mn.us.

See list of current instructor training certification sessions, locations and dates.

“We’re fortunate to have so many dedicated Minnesotans who are willing to donate their time and talents for conservation projects,” said Renée Vail, DNR volunteer programs administrator. “We’re extremely grateful for their efforts. Many of our projects would not be possible without their help.”

DNR managers, professionals and technicians work alongside volunteers to help manage the state’s diverse natural resources. Volunteer positions can range from specialist jobs requiring extensive skill and experience to work requiring little or no previous experience.

For example, for several years now Russ Johnsrud, Ron Norenberg, Don Marg, Denny Ernst, Chuck Yliniemi and Steve Maanum have used their woodworking skills to assist staff at the Park Rapids Wildlife office.

Last year, the volunteers built 68 bluebird houses for the DNR Nongame Wildlife Program. They also built 103 Peterson bluebird boxes, 10 mallard nesting boxes, 50 wood duck boxes, and two purple martin houses. Most of these went to the Detroit Lakes Wildlife Management Area. Twenty-five bluebird houses were built for Park Rapids School and 30 bluebird houses were for Bagley School.

VARIETY OF OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
Volunteer opportunities are available at state parks, state forest campgrounds, wildlife management areas, fisheries and hatcheries, as well as at DNR area, regional and headquarters offices.

Special event sites offer volunteer experiences, too. More than 500 volunteers assisted the DNR at the Minnesota State Fair last year. They helped at the laser shot booth and archery range, acted as Smokey Bear, and provided entertainment and environmental education presentations on the DNR volunteer outdoor stage.

Elsewhere around the state, volunteers helped with firearms safety instruction, wildlife habitat improvement, river cleanups, state park campground hosting, loon monitoring, trail clearing, precipitation observing, burning permit issuing and wildlife research.

Read more about DNR volunteering opportunities. Information is also available by contacting the DNR Information Center at 651-296-6157 or toll-free at 888-646-6367.

Participants will be selected through a random lottery. Applications, maps and general information for the wild turkey hunt are available online.

This is the 10th consecutive year DNR and NWTF have cooperated to provide opportunities for first-time youth turkey hunters. More than 1,500 youth have been introduced to this unique hunting experience since spring youth turkey hunts began in 2002.

Most hunts will occur April 21-22, which is the first weekend of the regular wild turkey season. Nearly all youth will hunt on private land thanks to the generosity of private landowners and the NWTF volunteers who obtained permission.

To be eligible, a youth hunter must be age 12 to 17 on or before April 21; have a valid firearms safety certificate; and be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The program is for first-time turkey hunters only. Any youth who has ever purchased or been selected by lottery for a Minnesota turkey license of any type is not eligible.

Hunters and their mentors will be assigned a NWTF volunteer coach, who must accompany both the youth and parent or guardian throughout the entire hunt.

Participation in the hunts is only restricted by the number volunteers and private lands that are available. People who have an interest in providing quality turkey hunting land for the mentored youth hunts should contact a NWTF chapter online.

Nonresidents operating an ORV on state or grant-in-aid trails must possess a trail pass and display it on the machine where it can be easily seen. This pass is not required if the machine is registered in Minnesota, or if the ORV is operated on private property that is owned by the operator’s spouse, parent or child.

Nonresident one-year and three-year ORV trail passes are now available for sale through game and fish Electronic Licensing System (ELS) agents. A one-year ORV trail pass is $21 and the three-year ORV trail pass is $31. Duplicates are available for $2.50. ELS has three options for buying passes and duplicates: online, by phone or in person.

For more information or to buy a pass:

• Visit the DNR website.  
• Call 888-665-4236 (888-MNLicense) any time, seven days a week. Callers will receive a license identification number that will be valid until they receive the pass in the mail. All purchases must be made by credit card. A $3.50 convenience fee will be charged for each transaction.
• Find game and fish ELS locations.

Property owners along the pool should immediately begin to remove any docks and boat lifts from their shoreline that could be damaged by the higher water levels. Winter recreationists should be on alert, because ice conditions in the pool will be unpredictable for the rest of the winter.

The DNR recently met with representatives of the park district, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Weather Service and several local residents and community representatives, to discuss how to raise the pool in a safe manner to minimize damage to the shoreline and the danger to wintertime recreationists.

The DNR was advised to raise the pool slowly (no more than 6 inches per day) and to do it when open water is visible in the center of most of the pool. DNR and park district staff will monitor ice conditions on the reservoir, and as soon as the conditions are right will begin raising the pool.

DNR hydrologists do not believe this change in dam operations will affect overall peak flood levels along the pool. The Coon Rapids Dam pool does not contain enough storage to lessen flood levels. The water level of the pool when a flood starts does not make any difference in the severity of flooding.

DNR will begin reconstruction of the dam to make it a more effective Asian carp barrier either late this fall or early next year. The Three Rivers Park District and the DNR recently signed a joint powers agreement which paves the way for the dam reconstruction project.

Last year, the Legislature provided $16 million for the project. DNR will be replacing the gate system and making other badly needed repairs. DNR will keep the pool level at or near the normal summer pool level all year long in the future.