Financing Minnesota's Forestry Programs: New Horizons

In recent years, funding for traditional forestry operations has become more difficult to obtain, causing some state forestry agencies to shift the focus of their programs or to look to alternative funding sources. In Minnesota, the Division of Forestry is funded by roughly 50 different funds. The largest source of funding is state legislative appropriations, but the state also relies on dedicated accounts, which are revenues generated from its forestry programs or from related state programs, and federal sources. As a result, the overall funding levels for the state's forestry operations have remained essentially the same. The state's Timber Harvesting generic environmental impact statements have also identified recommendations for managing forest resources in a more environmentally sensitive manner, while at the same time supplying raw material to a major segment of the state's manufacturing economy.