The “Arrowhead” region of Minnesota is comprised of Cook, Lake, and St. Louis counties (sometimes argued to include Koochiching, Itasca, and Aitkin counties) and is named due to its triangularly pointed “arrowhead” shape. The Arrowhead Region encompasses the pristine lakes of the Boundary Waters, much of the Iron Range, and the sun dappled rivers and streams of Minnesota’s North Shore. This region of Minnesota is rural, heavily forested, contains thousands of lakes, and is comprised largely of public lands.
A burned jack pine forest after the Ham Lake Fire in the Superior National Forest Dave Hanson
Importance of Landscape-level Management and Partnerships
Arrowhead Project Goals
- Applying Risk-Based Resource Responses: directing resources for sustainable forests & communities
- Improving Forest Resiliency: to address climate change effects on the forest
- Performing Ecological Restoration: to improve biodiversity and forest health, and reduce invasive impacts
- Highlighting Ecosystem Services: that enhance and protect the beneficial uses/expectations of the forest, including water quality, recreation, forest products and wildlife habitat
- Managing at Landscape Levels: to treat more acreage in support of common goals
- Sharing Technical Data: to strengthen data/information and improve efficiencies
- Supporting Common Plan Goals: drawn from existing plans (e.g. MFRC’s Northeast Landscape Plan )
- Developing Stand-Level Tools/Guidance: to assure field foresters have what they need to succeed
Collaborating agencies in the Arrowhead Landscape Pilot Project include the Ruffed Grouse Society , Minnesota Forest Resources Council , Minnesota Department of Natural Resources , St. Louis County Land Department , USFS Superior National Forest , 1854 Treaty Authority , USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service , The Nature Conservancy , the forest products industry, and general public/ private landowners.
- Tristan Nelson - District Forester - North St. Louis Soil and Water Conservation District - Virginia MN
Natural resources professionals who are interesting in contributing to the Arrowhead Pilot Project or wish to learn more about this effort can contact the project coordinators:
Email: jaime.thibodeaux@state.mn.us
