Forest management and Rajala Woods
Minnesota Power has actively managed its forests for more than a century, dating to the construction of dams and reservoirs for the production of hydroelectricity. About 18,000 acres of the company’s 30,000 acres are considered productive forest land and about 500 acres are harvested each year. The land is professionally managed through practices that ensure sustainable use of the forest, improve biodiversity, bolster forest resiliency during climate change, conserve aquatic resources and enhance wildlife habitat and recreation.
In concert with the company’s ongoing professional forest management practices, Minnesota Power announced its Rajala Woods forest legacy initiative in 2015. Under this initiative, white pine and other conifer trees will be restored or enhanced to a higher percentage of total tree species. We expect to plant up to 3 million white pine, red pine, jack pine and spruce tree seedlings over 10 years across approximately 3,000 acres near the communities of Royalton, Pillager, Duluth, Cohasset, Winton, Hoyt Lakes, and Schroeder.
For more information about Rajala Woods, visit mnpower.com.