Minnesota state parks are directed by statute to "re-establish desirable plants and animals that were formerly indigenous to the park area but are now missing." This direction is why native plant community restoration is so important to the Parks and Trails Division. We strive to restore 800 acres every year, returning disturbed or agricultural lands back to prairies, wetlands and forests.
Native plant community restoration is a long-term, generational commitment. We value this work, and we believe that restoring our natural heritage will benefit all current and future Minnesotans.
In many cases, sites have been completely converted from prairie and savanna to other land uses. In these instances we use a variety of techniques to reconstruct the native plant community by re-introducing the native vegetation that was lost.
Seeds are often hand-collected and broadcast after the site has been prepared. Live plants, shrubs and trees may also be planted to further the site's species diversity.
During the establishment phase, sites are routinely mowed and monitored for invasive species. Eventually, prescribed fire is often re-introduced to maintain the restoration site. In some cases grazing is also used as a restoration management tool.
The majority of forest lands in Minnesota fall within the Eastern Broadleaf and Laurentian Mixed Forest Provinces. Changes in land use patterns that occurred throughout the 19th and early 20th century, like forest conversion, logging, and fire suppression, resulted in changes in the structural and functional characteristics of forests and woodlands throughout the state. More recently, these changes have been compounded by the introduction of several non-native invasive species. In many instances, we work to restore forests and woodlands to reflect the historic native plant community at the time of Pre-European settlement. In other cases, where traditional plant community restoration is no longer possible due to the effects of climate change, we apply climate adaptation strategies to our forest restoration work, including the planting of species more well-suited to current and anticipated climatic conditions. These techniques and strategies are helping us maintain a more resilient forest for the future.
Insect survey at Frontenac State Park.
Staff evaluate a potential public water access site.
Nerstrand Big Woods climate adaptive tree plantings
The division places a high priority on restoring and reconstructing wetlands where they have been degraded or lost. Many of the same restoration tools and techniques used in upland settings work equally well in wetland restoration practice. Where wetlands have been disturbed or filled due to our own site development or construction activities, the division offsets those impacts by creating wetlands of equal or higher ecological value elsewhere.
Insect survey at Frontenac State Park.
Staff evaluate a potential public water access site.
