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January 24, 2020

Annual Sand Dunes State Forest open house set for Feb. 24

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will hold a public open house to share information about management activities in the Sand Dunes State Forest on Monday, Feb. 24. The meeting will take place from 6 to 9 p.m., at Liberty Elementary School, 17901 205^th Ave NW, Big Lake.

The purpose of the meeting is to share what’s currently going on in the Sand Dunes State Forest and what’s being planned for the upcoming months. DNR will present a 20-30 minute overview of management activities, then attendees can get more specific information by visiting with staff at individual stations. Management activities to be discussed will include planned timber sales, prescribed burns, invasive species controls, etc.

Modifications to management activities may occur as the season progresses. For example, some planned prescribed burns may not occur if weather conditions aren’t right or if sufficient staff aren’t available, and some planned timber sales may be deferred if field staff check the site and determine a harvest isn’t currently needed.

Sand Dunes State Forest, established by the Minnesota legislature in 1945, consists of about 6,000 acres that are owned and managed by the state. It features a variety of plant communities and landscapes—including pine plantations, rare sand dunes, wetlands, woodlands, oak savanna, and prairie. It is home to more than two dozen rare plants and animals. Located about an hour northwest of the Twin Cities in Sherburne County the forest is a popular recreation destination for hikers, horseback riders, hunters, campers, and others.