News - DNR schedules first advisory group meeting for Sand Dunes State Forest

[Rick]

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will hold the first in a series of monthly meetings to share information and gather feedback about management of the Sand Dunes State Forest, located in central Sherburne County, about 3 miles west of Zimmerman.

The first meeting of the Sand Dunes State Forest stakeholder advisory group will be 6 to 9 p.m. Monday, June 27, at the Big Lake High School cafeteria, 501 Minnesota Ave., Big Lake.

Members of the group include local landowners and others interested in forestry, ecology, recreation and wildlife management in the Sand Dunes. All meetings are open to the public. Those with an interest are encouraged to attend.

This initial three-hour meeting will include an introduction of the stakeholder advisory group members, an overview of the DNR’s goals for the Sand Dunes State Forest, and focused discussion. Monthly meetings will continue through November or December.

Sand Dunes State Forest, established by the Minnesota Legislature in 1945, covers a roughly 11,000-acre area, about 6,000 acres of which are owned and managed by the state. It features a variety of plant communities and landscapes, from pine plantations to rare sand dunes, oak savanna and prairies; and it is home to more than two dozen rare plants and animals.

The forest is popular among hikers, horseback riders, hunters, campers and others. By law, state forests are managed to produce timber and other forest products, to provide outdoor recreation, to protect watersheds, and to perpetuate rare and distinctive species of native flora and fauna.

For news about the forest and future meetings of the advisory group, sign up for email updates. Enter an email address and then select Sand Dunes State Forest from the drop down list.

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