The Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources continues their management plan of the Sand Dune State Forest.

 

Part of the forest will remain planted in pine, however plans are underway, most notable in the near future for the west side of Ann Lake, to return other areas of the forest to oak savanna.

 

“This winter we will examine 10 forested stands,” said DNR Forester John Korzeniowski in a letter some Orrock residents received.

 

“We will be looking at tree age and health to determine appropriate management techniques. Activities might include thinning trees, removing most of the trees in a tract to foster reforestation or deferring any action to a future time.”

 

Residents were invited to sign up for a tour of the Sand Dunes State Forest Saturday, where much of the focus was placed on the Uncas Scientific and Natural Areas, home to the Leonard’s Skipper, a rare, stubby brown butterfly capable of flying at tremendous speeds, and the small, black-bellied plains hog-nosed snake, which dines on reptiles such as toads and skinks and stinks if it is attacked.

 

The tour included a hike though the scientific area, revealing a wide variety of habitat in a short distance, including pine forest and open sandy areas where beach heather grows.

 

Beach heather is not a fire loving plant like those found in an oak savanna. It grows in open sandy areas of soil, which provide natural fire breaks, DNR Non-game Wildlife Specialist Erica Hoaglund, who led the tour explained.

 

“This are has exceptional biological value,’ she said.

 

Stands of forest go through a long evaluation process as biologists search for plants, animals, rare species and invasive species before deciding how to proceed, Hoaglund said.

 

“What we are trying to achieve is this really special place. It is forest that is used for recreation and for wildlife habitat,” Hoaglund said.

 

What they are trying to achieve is oak savanna, (an endangered habitat), created by the ancient formation of inland sand dunes. The scientific wildlife area  where the rare species are found still has lots of trees and a diverse plant community. It is not the desired future condition the DNR sees for the rest of the land.

 

“If there are prairie plants in a wooded lot, we remove the maple, ash and aspen and burn the understory,” Hoaglund said. ”We are not clear cutting. We are selectively cutting the trees to nudge the area towards our goal.”

 

“We are trying to save all the pieces,” said DNR Public Relations Officer Harland Hiemstra. “They are rare.”

 

“We work really hard to do this kind of work in a responsible way,” said Hoaglund, who admits there will be burning involved on the land as part of the process, which will affect residents of Orrock Township far more than the prescribed burns which take place on the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge.

 

The tour included a brief visit to an area which would already be considered oak savanna.

 

Forester Wade Mapes, who works out of the Zimmerman office, also showed another area of the forest closer to the recreational area, where the oaks have been removed from the landscape and pine trees are being allowed to self-seed.

 

“They took out all the oaks but we asked them to leave every pine they can” he said.