Help Minnesota’s state tree grow

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking the public for help collecting red pine cones and has increased its payment to $95 per bushel for clean, ripe and closed cones. This year's crop is expected to be the best the state has seen in a decade. Cones will be ready for collection from early September through October.

Red pine, sometimes called Norway pine, is Minnesota's state tree. It produces a good seed crop every few years but only has a true bumper crop like this year about once every 10 years. The DNR needs help from Minnesotans this season to collect as many ripe, closed cones as possible to build a strong red pine seed supply for plantings in future years. DNR processes the cones it purchases to extract seeds, which are sown into nursery beds at the State Forest Nursery in Akeley to grow seedlings for reforestation projects. Annually, the DNR reforests roughly 2,000 acres of red pine, which takes nearly 1 million seedlings.

"Red pine plays a major role in our forests. Their height provides great nesting sites for eagles, they provide food for wildlife, and red pine timber helps support Minnesota’s economy,” said Jarrod Amundson, DNR seed and cone consultant. "Every year, Minnesotans collect cones to help reforest the state. With a bumper crop of red pine cones this year, we need people’s help more than ever. We hope to purchase 1,000 bushels of red pine from collectors.”

In a new requirement this year, collectors must register as a supplier before they can sell cones to the DNR. Payment will be provided through a mailed check or direct deposit. Detailed instructions for registration are available online, and collectors are encouraged to complete the process before collecting.

People should check in with their local DNR Forestry area office before collecting to ensure the office is still accepting cones. Offices can also help collectors identify state forests or other places to collect in. Only high-quality, ripe, closed cones free of stems and debris are eligible for purchase. Do not confuse red pine with Scotch, Austrian and Ponderosa pine. For identification help, please see the DNR’s red pine guide.

The University of Minnesota, in collaboration with the DNR and other partners, is hosting several in-person workshops throughout the state to train seed collectors. The workshop focused on red pine is Sept. 10 from 3-5:30 p.m. at a Carlton County Red Pine Tree Orchard in Otter Creek. Workshops are free, but registration is required. For a full list of their workshops, please visit the website.

For more information, including how to register as a supplier, find a buying station location, learn about other tree seeds the DNR needs, and locate in-person training workshops, visit the DNR's seed and cone collection webpage.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.