State

MINNESOTA PLANNING
COMMUNITY-BASED PLANNING

The 1997 Community-Based Planning Act (Senate File 1905, State Govt. Operations Finance Bill) charges Minesota Planning with providing technical and financial assistance for townships, cities or counties that voluntarily choose to prepare land use plans that meet the 11 goals stated in the Act. The goals are in the following areas: citizen participation, cooperation, economic development, conservation, livable community design, housing, transportation, land use planning, public investments, public education and sustainable development. The conservation goal is "to protect, preserve, and enhance the state's resources, including agricultural land, forests, surface water and groundwater, recreation and open space, scenic areas, and significant historic and archeological sites." Four pilot projects have been funded.

MILESTONES

Minnesota Milestones, 1992. The plan presents a vision and twenty specific goals for Minnesota. Four of the goals relate directly to natural resources. The plan is currently being revised; the revision should be complete by April 1998.
Minnesota Milestones: 1996 Progress Report, 1996.

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

Cloquet Forestry Center Forest Management Plan 1992-2001, 1992. The plan outlines management goals for the 3,340 contiguous acres of the CFC and complements and supports CFC's mission as a unit of the College of Natural Resources.
Toward the 21st Century: A Strategic Plan for the College of Natural Resources,1994.

CAMP RIPLEY

Camp Ripley Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan, 1994. The plan will be updated based on the environmental review currently being conducted.

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

The DNR is working to implement ecosystem-based management as a basic operating principle within the Department and, therefore, is working to integrate the planning processes of the department, divisions, programs, and regions. As a result of this effort, the regions are moving toward more comprehensive strategic planning. The intent is for each region to have a regional natural resources plan by the end of spring 1998. Each regional plan will be based on the Department's strategic plan (Directions for Natural Resources), and on the division plans, but will reflect the situation of the individual region. Several of the regions also continue to be guided by forest management plans.

Directions for Natural Resources: An Ecosystem-Based Framework for Setting Natural Resources Management Priorities, 1997. The plan provides primary goals for carrying out DNR's vision of sustainability, a frame-work for priority setting, preliminary statewide resource management priorities that are based on that framework, examples of ecosystem-based approaches for addressing these priorities, and strategies for attaining DNR's fundamental goals. It is intended to be a guidance document and does not provide specific directions on which programs should be emphasized. It was developed as a five-year document, but portions of it will probably be refined and revised during that five-year period.
Minnesota Wetlands Conservation Plan, 1997. The sponsoring state agencies for the plan were the DNR, the Dept. of Agriculture, the Pollution Control Agency, the Board of Water and Soil Resources, and the Dept. of Transportation. The plan is intended to provide a framework to link the different responsibilities of these agencies and to provide guidance for administering wetlands programs, staff and budgets.

go to top

DIVISIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

FISH AND WILDLIFE
The Division has developed plans for certain fish and wildlife species and for the major units of the Wildlife Management Areas and the Scientific and Natural Areas.

DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife Strategic Plan, 1992. The plan outlines issues and actions facing fish, wildlife, and native plant resource management.

FORESTRY
The Minnesota Forest Resources Plan is the division's overall guiding document. Statewide and regional work plans are developed annually to establish goals, programs directions, special emphasis projects, and objectives. The Area Plans continue to provide guidance at the regional level but will probably not be updated.

Minnesota Forest Resources Plan: Program Direction, 1991. This document is an update of the program portion of the MFRP first completed in 1983. It presents a future division direction, a budget and staffing summary, and a recommended program.
MFRP: 1995 Assessment, 1995. The assessment describes the status of Minnesota's forest resources, projects supplies and demands for forest related goods and services, and is intended to provide the basis for management policies and programs.
Baudette Area Forest Resource Management Plan, 1990.
Cambridge Area Forest Resource Management Plan, 1989.
Lewiston Area Forest Resource Management Plan, 1988.
Moose Lake Area Forest Resource Management Plan, 1985.
Orr Area Forest Resource Management Plan, 1987.
Park Rapids Area Forest Resource Management Plan, 1987.

MINERALS

Strategic Plan, Division of Minerals, 1997. The plan outlines issues, desired outcomes, and strategies for mineral resource management, community outreach, the division's organization and role, regulation and environmental review, and research and development.

go to top

PARKS AND RECREATION
Sixty-two of the sixty-six state parks have a basic unit plan. The plans vary in how up-to-date they are; the intent is to review/revise each plan every ten years. The plans are developed to provide clear direction and park specific objectives based on the State Park Strategic Plan. The Division is currently developing a statewide land-based plan for the parks system.

1995-2005 Strategic Plan, Mn DNR Division of Parks and Recreation.
State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan 1995-1999, 1994. The plan outlines trends, issues and strategies that will guide recreation-related land acquisition, facility development and operations, and recreation programming. The plan satisfies the requirements of the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, which requires states to have a SCORP on file with the National Park Service in order to participate in L&WCF cost-share funding. Due to funding changes, it is likely that this will be the last SCORP developed for Minnesota.

SNA

go to top

Wildlife Management Areas

State Parks

go to top

TRAILS AND WATERWAYS

The Division has developed a plan for each state trail as well as a statewide snowmobile trail plan. Over the next two years, the Division will conduct a Border-to-Border Trail Study which will inventory and integrate local, regional, state and federal trail systems and plan for future development.

Minnesota State Trails: Improvements for the Future, 1992. The report summarizes the results of a two-year planning process and presents user group perspectives, interagency strategies and a vision for the state trail system.
The Minnesota DNR Trail Plan, 1984.
Strategic Plan, DNR Division of Trails and Waterways, 1997.

WATERS

Strategic Plan, DNR Division of Waters, 1993. The plan outlines goals, strategies and actions for the issues of human resources, regulatory activities, comprehensive water resources management, water supply, water information management, and communication and coordination. The plan will be revised, but the revision process has not yet begun.

REGIONS
The regional natural resource plans are at various stages of development and are intended to be completed by the end of spring 1998. Each region has a biennial work plan which identifies projects and priorities. Current work plans are for fiscal years 1998-1999.

REGION 1

Land Management Plan for the Northwest Region, 1995. The plan presents region-wide goals and strategies as well as desired future conditions, goals and strategies for each of 6 landscapes within the region.
Baudette Area Forest Resource Management Plan, 1990.
Park Rapids Area Forest Resource Management Plan, 1987.

REGION 2
Regional staff may begin to work with communities on comprehensive lake and shore land management planning over the next two years. Regional forestry staff will complete the last of nine area five-year timber harvest plans in FY 1998.

Division of Forestry, Northeast Region Plan: Main Plan: Programs, 1994.
Division of Forestry, Northeast Region Plan: Appendix: Forest, Fish and Wildlife Management Program, 1994. The appendix includes the NE Region Biodiversity Guidelines (revised in 1996 and now being used as the NE Region's direction to prepare Timber Management Plans for Division of Forestry Areas) and the NE Region Forest Management Units Documentation, Descriptions and Desired Future Conditions, Maps and Statistics.
Orr Area Forest Resource Management Plan, 1987.

REGION 3

In addition to the regional natural resources plan, plans will be developed for 7-8 ecological subsections over the next few years.

REGION 4
The region is a partner in several landscape and watershed management efforts, including the Minnesota River watershed and the Big Woods landscape.

Lac qui Parle Area Management Plan, 1997. The plan is a comprehensive management plan for the area including the Lac qui Parle Wildlife Management Area and Lac qui Parle State Park.

REGION 5
Landscape teams will develop strategic plans for their landscapes. These plans will be integrated with the regional natural resources plan. The region is a partner in the development of plans for several rivers and watersheds. The regional forestry staff are considering revising the Dorer Forest plan.

REGION 6
Regional staff are working with local communities to develop comprehensive watershed plans for trout streams and lakes in the region.

go to top