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REGIONAL— Spruce budworms continue to make their methodical march through the North Country, and that’s creating a lot of concern for property owners in those areas hard hit by the native …
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REGIONAL— Spruce budworms continue to make their methodical march through the North Country, and that’s creating a lot of concern for property owners in those areas hard hit by the native forest pests.
Despite their name, spruce budworms in our region feed most heavily on balsam fir, leaving behind a landscape of dead trees primed for wildfire. In 2023 alone, spruce budworm killed balsam fir across nearly 665,000 acres of forest in northern St. Louis, Lake, and Cook counties, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
Fortunately, there is money available to help landowners affected by this damage create a more fire-resistant landscape.
Bob and Colleen Christianson were among those who recently turned to a new funding partnership to help address a large swath of dead balsam on their property near Brimson, which was one of several spruce budworm hotspots in 2024.
“The biggest problem I was worried about was the fire danger,” said Bob Christianson. “And if any fire got going in here, it would burn everything. Not only that, I wanted to improve the land for wildlife.”
That’s where the Arrowhead Forest Partnership, or AFP, created in 2018 through an agreement between the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and five northeastern Minnesota soil and water conservation districts, jumped in to help. Since its creation, the Natural Resources Conservation Service has contributed $1.14 million through two three-year agreements and two one-year extensions that fund regional Farm Bill foresters.
For the Christiansons, the partnership helped cover the cost of hiring a logger to remove and chip all of the dead balsam on about a six-acre parcel near their home. “I couldn’t afford to do it without that [assistance]— at least not in a larger scale. Every part of it was great, except for the paperwork,” Christianson said.
Hull Forest Products completed the work last August, turning a dense stand of mature balsam into wood chips that will help to feed the pine, maple — and possibly oak — seedlings that Christianson expects to naturally regenerate along with aspen and other understory plants. The crew left a few dead pines as wildlife habitat. Downed logs remain for insects, reptiles and small mammals.
“Diversity in the stand is the biggest thing,” said Tristan Nelson, a forester with the North St. Louis Soil and Water Conservation District. “On a larger scale, we’re reducing that fire risk. If there were a fire to start here, (before) pre-treatment there’d be a real good chance of a crown fire — which could spread who knows how far. It could be really devastating for the area. But reducing that fire risk hopefully will help protect against that.”
Christianson said the balsam fir formerly fed red squirrels and provided thermal cover for deer, but little else.
“It’s going to be great for wildlife, bring in a different variety of animals and plants,” Christianson said.
The North St. Louis SWCD is using a separate federal reimbursement program (not tied to the AFP) to make SWCD forester-written woodland stewardship plans available for free to landowners, for parcels up to 250 acres. Landowners’ priorities shape the stewardship plans, which provide in-depth management recommendations tailored to each type of forest cover. The plans and implementation are optional.
“The goal, bigger picture, is to get a more fire-adaptive community in the Arrowhead. It’s also to try and (help private landowners) tackle multiple resource concerns,” said Zach Evans, a North St. Louis SWCD-based regional Farm Bill forester, who worked with Nelson on the Christianson’s project.
While many of the plans in the region are focused on the removal of dead or dying balsam fir, projects funded through the AFP can include the removal of invasive species to planting of native trees on sites ranging from half an acre to 300 acres. The partnership has already helped dozens of landowners in the region.
Seeing the forest through the trees
Although he is familiar with every inch of the woods, Christianson said seeing it every day made it harder to recognize what had gradually changed over the years and might benefit from management. He bought the 40-acre property 15 years ago and moved there 10 years ago after retiring from his job as a Twin Cities-based large-appliance service technician.
“All the large balsams are dead and gone. I didn’t realize that it would kill everything,” Christianson said of the outbreak. “It’s incredible what it’s done, and now it’s time to start fresh.”
For Christianson, that means focusing on forest health and wildlife on the newly cleared site, and in the black spruce-tamarack and jack pine stands elsewhere on the property.
To learn more or reach out for assistance, you can contact Tristan Nelson at the North St. Louis Soil and Water Conservation District at 218-288-6146 or Zach Evans at 218-750-8506.