Land O'Lakes State Forest

Land O'Lakes State Forest
Land O'Lakes State Forest
Geography
Location	Cass, Aitkin, and Crow Wing counties, Minnesota, United States
Coordinates	46°56′03″N93°56′39″W / 46.9341225°N 93.9441309°W Coordinates: 46°56′03″N93°56′39″W / 46.9341225°N 93.9441309°W [1]
Elevation	1,358 feet (414 m)
Area	51,498 acres (20,841 ha)
Established	1933
Governing body	Minnesota DNR, Cass County, private
Website	www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/sft00031/index.html
Ecology
WWF Classification	Western Great Lakes Forests
EPA Classification	Northern Lakes and Forests
Disturbance	Wildfire
Dominant tree species	Populus tremuloides , Betula papyrifera

Last updated April 16, 2019

The Land O'Lakes State Forest is a state forest located primarily in Cass, Minnesota, with portions extending into adjacent Aitkin and Crow Wing counties. The forest has small shared borders with the Chippewa National Forest to the north, and the Hill River State Forest to east. Over half of the forest's land is managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; the remaining land is managed by Cass County or is privately held.

A state forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign or federated state, or territory.

Cass County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 28,567. Its county seat is Walker. The county was formed in 1851, and was organized in 1897.

Minnesota is a state in the Upper Midwest and northern regions of the United States. Minnesota was admitted as the 32nd U.S. state on May 11, 1858, created from the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory. The state has a large number of lakes, and is known by the slogan the "Land of 10,000 Lakes". Its official motto is L'Étoile du Nord.

History and overview

The land of the forest was originally covered in old-growth Eastern White and Red Pine, which was logged between 1800 and 1890 by several large timber companies. Originally, logs were driven to sawmills downstream in the Mississippi River via Mitchell Lake. The intensity of logging was increased by the implementation of a railroad grade in 1890 by the Simpson Logging Company. The remaining old-growth pine was logged on the holdings of the Pine Tree Lumber Company, a subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser, in 1907. Natural reforestation was stagnated after the original harvests due to a high incidence of wildfires, which ceased in the 1930s. Aspen and paper birch are now the dominant species, although pine, northern hardwoods, and deciduous and coniferous lowland species are scattered through the forest.

An old-growth forest — also termed primary forest or late seral forest — is a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance and thereby exhibits unique ecological features and might be classified as a climax community. Old-growth features include diverse tree-related structures that provide diverse wildlife habitat that increases the biodiversity of the forested ecosystem. The concept of diverse tree structure includes multi-layered canopies and canopy gaps, greatly varying tree heights and diameters, and diverse tree species and classes and sizes of woody debris.

Pinus strobus, commonly denominated the eastern white pine, northern white pine, white pine, Weymouth pine (British), and soft pine is a large pine native to eastern North America. It occurs from Newfoundland, Canada west through the Great Lakes region to southeastern Manitoba and Minnesota, United States, and south along the Appalachian Mountains and upper Piedmont to northernmost Georgia and perhaps very rarely in some of the higher elevations in northeastern Alabama.

Pinus resinosa, known as red pine or Norway pine, is a pine native to North America. It occurs from Newfoundland west to Manitoba, and south to Pennsylvania, with several smaller, disjunct populations occurring in the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia and West Virginia, as well as a few small pockets in extreme northern New Jersey and northern Illinois.

Recreation

Popular outdoor recreational activities such as boating, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming are available on the 1,590 acres (6.4 km²) Washburn Lake,^[2] and other smaller lakes accessible from the forest. The main campsite of the forest was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the forest's establishment in 1933. Trails are designated for hiking, with 14 miles (23 km) specifically designated for cross-country skiing in the wintertime, and 26.9 miles (43.3 km) designated for Class I and II all-terrain vehicle use.^[3]

Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity refers to recreation engaged in out of doors, most commonly in natural settings. The activities themselves — such as fishing, hunting, backpacking, and horseback riding — characteristically determine where they are practiced.

Boating leisure activity involving boats

Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels, focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or waterskiing. It is a popular activity, and there are millions of boaters worldwide.

Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other activities such as canoe camping, or where canoeing is merely a transportation method used to accomplish other activities. Most present-day canoeing is done as or as a part of a sport or recreational activity. In some parts of Europe canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an Open canoe.

External links

Land O'Lakes State Forest - Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

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References

↑ "Land O'Lakes State Forest". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey.
↑ "Washburn". Lake Finder. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2009-08-17. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
↑ "Land O'Lakes State Forest". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2010-10-17. Retrieved 2010-10-18.

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[1] "Land O'Lakes State Forest". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey.

[2] "Washburn". Lake Finder. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2009-08-17. Retrieved 2010-10-18.

[3] "Land O'Lakes State Forest". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2010-10-17. Retrieved 2010-10-18.