Hunters will find more birds, less land

When Minnesota's ruffed grouse hunters head to the woods for the season opener Saturday, they'll likely find more grouse.

The population is up about 30 percent from last year.

But some hunters also likely will encounter something they don't want to see: more "no trespassing" signs.

That's because the fragmentation of the state's forests continues as major industrial landowners continue to sell or lease lands, most of which used to be open to public hunting. Those lands total 1 million acres in northern Minnesota -- nearly the size of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Potlatch Corp., the largest private landowner in the state with about 312,000 acres, has leased about 155,000 acres of that to 1,240 individuals or groups -- mostly hunters -- under a program begun five years ago.

Strong demand for the leases indicate plenty of hunters are pleased to get their own place to hunt. And Potlatch said the leases provide revenue demanded these days by shareholders.

And Minnesota hunters are blessed with an abundance of public hunting land. Of the state's forested lands, 27 percent are owned by the state, 13 percent by counties and 18 percent by the federal government. Forty-two percent is privately owned.

But there's no denying that the new trend toward leases and land sales has changed access to Minnesota's forests, probably forever.

"That's land that was entirely open to the public, that now is leased by individuals or groups and posted," said Dick Peterson, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources forest legacy program director.

"And those lands are 'checkerboarded' with other parcels of state, county and federal lands, which are open to the public," Peterson noted. Access to those public lands sometimes is restricted by the posted private lands.

Said Peterson: "Yes, we have a lot of public lands already, but because this 1 million acres is checkerboarded, it's an integral part of the North Woods. You take those out and there are some gaping holes. We need to keep that fabric together."

The growing number of "no trespassing" signs hasn't gone unnoticed by hunters accustomed to using those lands, Peterson said. The DNR has received complaints.

But those who lease land obviously have accepted the idea.

"It gives a good hunting experience to a lot of people," said Matt Van Vleet, Potlatch's director of corporate communications. "The program is growing every year. The results have been improved stewardship of the property; people who lease treat it like their own."

And in a way we're spoiled, Peterson said. Minnesotans have been fortunate that those large forest products companies traditionally allowed public access to their lands, something that wasn't always the case in other states.

A forest legacy

State and federal officials and conservation groups all have expressed concern about the fragmentation and the effect on public recreation and the forest industry.

"Until it's gone, you don't realize what you've lost," said Tom Landwehr of The Nature Conservancy, part of a public-private coalition called the Forest Legacy Partnership that is trying to reverse the trend.

The program is using federal, state and private funds to buy development rights and conservation easements that allow public access from those large timber landowners.

The short-term goal is to raise $26 million to try to get easements on about 70,000 acres of those lands. The forest companies will continue to own the lands and manage them for timber harvest, but the lands will permanently remain open for public recreation -- including hunting.

Most of that money has been raised, and easements have been signed or are in the works for about 60,000 acres of forest, Landwehr said.

That includes an easement that was purchased for 4,800 acres of Potlatch lands in Cass and Crow Wing counties. And an easement on 1,660 acres owned by Liila Forest Products in Itasca County-- called the Sugar Hills property.

Money and time is short

Officials aren't sure how many of the 1 million acres they can secure. Money and time is the big obstacle.

The DNR is hoping for $20 million from the Legislature next session. And one proposal to dedicate a portion of the state sales tax for natural resources -- a concept kicked around at the Legislature without success for nearly a decade -- could provide millions of dollars annually for the forest legacy program.

But there's no turning the clock back. "No trespassing" signs likely are here to stay. Because even that amount would only secure a portion of those 1 million acres, officials say. While they have no target goal, Landwehr said an argument could be made to protect about 500,000 acres over the next 10 years.

That could cost billions of dollars, he said.

Time is another factor.

"The window of opportunity might be five years, or maybe 10 years," said Dave Schad, DNR Fish and Wildlife Division director.

"If we don't act and tie up some of this land with easements, we've lost the game. It will pass to private ownership and be broken up into small parcels and we'll never get it back."

Doug Smith • dsmith@startribune.com