Paul Bunyan State Forest grows by 2,529 acres

Sep. 22—PARK RAPIDS — The Trust for Public Land and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recently announced the addition of 2,529 acres of land to the Paul Bunyan State Forest.

TPL donated the land, which is "roughly four-square miles of rolling hills of forests, lakes, ponds and wetlands near Park Rapids," according to a news release.

Previously owned by PotlatchDeltic, this parcel is surrounded by public land owned by Hubbard County. It's adjacent to Deep Lake Park, a year-round, recreational park that the county is currently developing.

The parcel includes a portion of the Scout Trail, a pre-existing Grant-in-Aid snowmobile trail.

It will be managed by the DNR as part of Paul Bunyan State Forest.

"This property is one of the largest remaining blocks of private forest in the entire state," Sophie Vorhoff, the Minnesota state director for TPL, said in the release. "Keeping this forestland intact will not only allow residents around Hubbard County to enjoy expanded recreational opportunities, but it will also protect water quality for people and wildlife alike."

The property will provide opportunities for hiking, wildlife observation, biking, fishing, hunting, canoeing and kayaking.

It also contains productive timberlands, which can contribute to the local economy.

"Continued stewardship of these lands as working forest maintains its ability to store carbon and provide benefits for generations to come," the release said.

"The addition of this land to the Paul Bunyan State Forest was five years in the making and is another great example of the success that happens when people dedicated to conservation work in partnership," said DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen. "This forested public land will have numerous environmental, economic and recreational benefits for Minnesota. We're grateful for the partnership with Trust for Public Lands and look forward to our continuing conservation work together."

According to the release, the project is part of TPL's Mississippi Headwaters Program, an effort to protect and preserve sensitive shoreline throughout the headwaters region, in partnership with the Mississippi Headwaters Board and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources.

The headwaters region includes approximately 400 miles of the main stem and associated watersheds, and it's home to "some of Minnesota's most outstanding freshwater ecological resources," the release states. It also provides habitat for fish and wildlife and is a major route for migratory waterfowl.

TPL purchased the land from The Conservation Fund, using funding from the Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Fund.

The Conservation Fund previously purchased most of the land holdings of the Potlatch timber company in Minnesota.

TPL is a national, nonprofit organization that "conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come."