The Minnesota Forestry Association is working to inform residents about healthy forests, how and where to find opportunities and incentives to create a healthy forest on your property. Opportunities include tax incentives from the Department of Revenue. Course includes a free visit to your property from a consulting forester with no strings attached.

Instructor: Dave Roerick

Fee: No cost

Register here or call 218-327-5730.

WEBINAR

Speaker: Alex Garvin, epidemiologist, Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Vectorborne Diseases Unit

If you spend time in the woods, you probably come into contact with ticks, but do you know how to prevent tick bites? Epidemiologist Alex Garvin will present on tick biology and ecology, diseases that can be transmitted by ticks and mosquitoes in Minnesota, and ways to reduce your disease risk.

Spruce Budworm in Minnesota's Forests: 2024 Update

April 15 | 11-12:30pm | In Person at CCHE & Zoom

Presenters & Partners: UMN Extension Educators, US Forest Service, and North Shore Forest Collaborative

Join us to learn about the identification, biology, and management of budworm in the forests of northeast Minnesota. Find out the latest information on the current spruce budworm outbreak and its impacts on our public and private forest lands into 2024 and beyond. Learn about local programs and resources that are available during spruce budworm management, such as tree planting and fencing programs. This workshop will be hosted by UMN Extension Educators with partners from the US Forest Service and the North Shore Forest Collaborative.

Contact info: 218-387-3411 | office@mycche.org

WEBINAR

Speaker: Jonathan Osthus, EAB technical assistance coordinator, Minnesota Department of Agriculture

An overview of where EAB is in Minnesota, MDA’s early detection efforts, and options for management.  Replacement trees for ash will also be discussed.

Maple Syrup Festival

Saturday, April 6, 2024 | 1-4 p.m.

Saint John’s University

Sap collecting, syrup cooking, demonstrations, and hot maple syrup sundaes await the whole family! Details and registration coming in February 2024.

Before You Come:

• The festival is ENTIRELY OUTDOORS - rain, snow, or shine. Please dress for the weather.

• It is usually extremely muddy, snowy, and occasionally icy out at the sugar shack. We HIGHLY recommend wearing boots.
  

• Please LEAVE DOGS AND PETS AT HOME. While we love them too, they are not allowed in the Abbey Arboretum.

WEBINAR

Speaker: Anna Stockstad, UMN Extension educator, forestry

UMN Extension's Climate-Ready Woodlands project consists of climate-resilient, microfauna-friendly tree and plant lists for each ecoregion in Minnesota. This webinar will present the climate change basis for these lists, Extension's methodology, and ways that woodland stewards can apply these tree and plant lists to their woodlands.

Join Extension educators and DNR forest health professionals to learn more about the new implications of emerald ash borer (EAB) on trees and woodlands in Cass County. 

Morning coffee and lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.

This event includes an optional outdoor walk in the woods, so please wear appropriate attire if you plan to participate.

Audience

Cass County landowners and anyone interested in learning about emerald ash borer

Cost

• $50 - Regular registration rate

• $25 - Scholarship registration rate

• Free - Tribal member registration rate

We do not want cost to be a barrier to participating in our programming. If you are not able to pay one of the listed registration fees, please reach out to us at stock523@umn.edu. We will arrange for you to participate in the program at a reduced fee or at no cost.

University of Minnesota Extension acknowledges we have an obligation to Tribal nations and their citizens to reduce barriers to participation in our programs and access our services. We are committed to strengthening our relationships with Tribal nations and their citizens and continue to take meaningful actions toward meeting our responsibility. Therefore, we are waiving the fees associated with this event for Tribal members.

No refunds will be issued for cancellations after registration closes. Cancellations prior to the close of registration will be fully refunded.

Registration

Registration opens on Feb. 5 and closes on March 20. 

WEBINAR

Speaker: Lane Moser, Education Program Specialist, Sustainable Forests Education Cooperative

There are dozens of off-the-shelf first aid kits of all sizes, but do they have everything you might need while you're in the woods? Further still, recommendations for what belongs and what you can leave out vary widely; Lane Moser will go over the contents of multiple first aid kits (personal, vehicle, family) built from the ground up and explain what makes the cut and why when he's in the woods for work or recreation.

WEBINAR

Speaker:  Christian Nelson, Lake States Coordinator, Forest Stewards Guild

Forestry for Minnesota Birds (FMNB) is an initiative designed to help forest landowners and natural resource managers implement forest management to enhance habitat for forest bird species across the state. This webinar will provide a sneak peek into the forest management guidelines book being developed, the forest types and bird species included, and why it matters.

Rachael Dube will follow up on the broader forest health trends from February's webinar with a more comprehensive look at oak decline, the contributing factors, and what to do about it.

Each webinar is rated for one CAT1 credit; participants, keep an eye on the chat for the link to the webinar CE request form towards the end of the hour. We will record each webinar and post it on the SFEC YouTube Channel. Recordings are typically available within one week of the live broadcast.

Event Speaker

Rachael Dube, Forest Health Specialist, MN DNR

Learn all about basswood with instructor John Zasada. This class will cover how the tree grows, how bark is harvested and some of the simpler uses—making twine, small mats, and more. Participants will get hands on experience on what they can make from the inner bark and will get to try their hand at making their own project out of basswood. Materials are provided.

Cost:

Member Price: $35.00 each

Non Member Price: $40.00 each

Location: MacRostie Art Center, 405 NW 1st Ave, Grand Rapids, MN 55744

WEBINAR

Speaker:  Angela Gupta, UMN Extension Educator, Forestry

This presentation will help woodland owners identify trail users, select a trail coordinator, establish design standards, mark the trail, and understand important aspects of trail design, location, how to clear the trail, construct the tread, install structures, and finally establish wayfinding tools. 

The Minnesota Forestry Association is working to inform residents about healthy forests, how and where to find opportunities and incentives to create a healthy forest on your property. Opportunities include tax incentives from the Department of Revenue. Course includes a free visit to your property from a consulting forester with no strings attached.

Instructor: Dave Roerick

Fee: No cost

Register here or call 218-327-5730.

WEBINAR

Speaker: Brian Schwingle, MN DNR Forest Health Program Coordinator

In the last decade, Minnesota has experienced more growing seasons with extreme precipitation than in any prior decade where weather data has been recorded. The extreme precipitation fluctuations we’ve witnessed are stressful on our forests and trees. Tree pests have the advantage when trees are stressed.

The purpose of the Research and Practice Review is to present new applied research relevant to regional natural resource managers, with a focus on silviculture, forest management, and forest-associated wildlife. This focus includes research related to policy, economics, inventory, remote sensing, and other topics pertaining to forests and associated natural resources. 

Interested in presenting? Head on over to https://z.umn.edu/RPR24RFP for further instructions. It's in the name - both researchers and practitioners are welcome to present their work!

Cost: SFEC members: $75, nonmembers $140, students $40. Registration cost is the same for in-person and remote attendance. All registrants will have access to recordings and other content. 

Event Contact

R. Lane Moser, moser196@umn.edu

Registration questions

Extension Registration, ext-reg@umn.edu

WEBINAR

Speakers: Grace Milanowski and Ellen Candler, University of Minnesota

Offal Wildlife Watch has been collecting images of scavengers at deer gut piles (offal) since 2018 to understand better how this rich food source is used by wildlife in different Minnesota habitats. Researchers will share interesting project results and how you can get involved, even if you're not a deer hunter! 

Each year, the Minnesota DNR Forest Health team conducts both aerial assessments and on-the-ground monitoring to assess the health of the state’s forests. Join us for this webinar as Eric Otto provides an update on the status and trends in forest health from all corners of the state.

Each webinar is rated for one CAT1 credit; participants, keep an eye on the chat for the link to the webinar CE request form towards the end of the hour. We will record each webinar and post it on the SFEC YouTube Channel. Recordings are typically available within one week of the live broadcast.

The 2024 webinar series can be viewed free of charge.

Event Speaker

Eric Otto, Forest Health Specialist, MN DNR

Webinar Series Schedule

• Feb 13, 2024 09:00

• Mar 12, 2024 09:00

• Apr 9, 2024 09:00

• May 14, 2024 09:00

• Jun 18, 2024 09:00

• Jul 9, 2024 09:00

• Aug 13, 2024 09:00

• Sep 10, 2024 09:00

• Oct 8, 2024 09:00

• Nov 12, 2024 09:00

• Dec 10, 2024 09:00

WEBINAR

Often, the only forest management advice a family forest landowner receives is from a professional logger. The training and experience professional loggers possess can help facilitate wise and sustainable timber harvest practices. If you are a woodland owner and are considering harvesting timber, you should have a forest management plan and contract with an MLEP member logger for your harvesting needs.

USDA cost-sharing programs are a great support system for forest landowners. Those funds are not loans and do not have to be paid back, but they are taxable. Join Dr. Tamara Cushing from the University of Florida as she discusses strategies for managing those tax liabilities.

Celebrating the Avon Hills Conference

January 27 from 8:30-3:45 pm

Saint John’s University - 2850 Abbey Plaza, Collegville, MN 56321

A conference for landowners featuring award winning keynote speaker Heather Holm, live raptor presentations, breakout sessions with experts, exhibit hall, and demonstrations and field experiences within the habitat sanctuary of Saint John’s Abbey Arboretum just off interstate 94 northwest of St. Cloud.

Minnesota has a new forest-climate working group! We're gathering at the Cloquet Forestry Center on January 23 from 9am to noon. There's no charge, everyone's welcome, and we'd love to have you join us. We'll discuss the group's purpose and some ideas for projects and actions we can take, informed by three recent listening sessions.

Please let us know you're coming on this RSVP form, and if you have any questions reach out to Eli Sagor with SFEC, Jamie Mosel with MCAP or Stephen Handler with NIACS.

The University of Minnesota Extension Timber Management and Taxation School is designed to provide tax professionals, foresters, logging contractors, landowners, agricultural lenders, and farm management instructors with up-to-date information on federal tax treatment of income and expenses associated with the sale of timber.

The event will include presentations by Tamara Cushing, a timber taxation specialist from the University of Florida and Mike Kilgore of the UMN Department of Forest Resources, and will offer a rare opportunity to update your timber taxation knowledge.

The unique aspect of this event is that it involves professional foresters, logging contractors, landowners, and tax professionals in the same workshop. To best serve each group's clientele, each should understand the respective role(s) each group serves. The session will include ample time for questions and answers.

The course offers three Federal Tax update hours of CPE credit for tax professionals. Professional foresters will also receive SAF and MN FSP CE credits.

The registration fee covers workshop materials, refreshments, snacks, and lunch.

When: November 9th, 2023 from 10am to 3:30pm

Where: Black Bear Casino Clubhouse Restaurant, 1791 MN Hwy 210, Cloquet MN 55720 (map link)

Cost: $50 before November 7, 2023, $60 at the door

Event flyer

Questions? Contact either of the following:

• Eli Sagor, UMN Extension Forestry and Cloquet Forestry Center. esagor@umn.edu, 218-409-6115 (voice or text)

• Rob Holcomb, UMN Extension Center for Farm Financial Management. holcombr@umn.edu, 507-258-8754

Oaks are important and highly valued trees, but diagnosing problems with oaks is often not easy. Learn about issues affecting oak health in central Minnesota, including drought, native pests and diseases, and oak wilt. Also covered will be resources to help you identify oak issues and how to promote your trees’ health.

Join the University of Minnesota Extension and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to learn about oak tree health concerns.

Residents of Stearns, Benton, Morrison, and Sherburne counties can direct questions to quincy@umn.edu or call (320) 255-6169 x 1.

Cost

Free

Registration

• Register by November 3, 2023. 

• Max. registration: 90 participants

Accessibility

University of Minnesota Extension is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services, and activities. To request accommodations for persons with disabilities contact Quincy Sadowski two weeks before the start of the event. Requests received after this date will be honored whenever possible.

As Minnesota’s climate changes, forests will face pressures from tree diseases and pests, heavier and more frequent rainfalls, warmer temperatures and prolonged drought.

Join Extension educators to learn about how you can foster a healthy, resilient woodland by adding species that are predicted to adapt well to these changes. You'll also learn how to promote benefits for charismatic microfauna (pollinators, other insects, bats, etc.) in addition to climate resilience on woodlands of all sizes.

Audience

Woodland stewards

Cost

Free

Registration

Registration is required and set up through Cook County Higher Education. There is no registration deadline.

Accessibility

University of Minnesota Extension is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services, and activities. To request accommodations for persons with disabilities contact Anna Stockstad at stock523@umn.edu or 218-726-6466 two weeks before the start of the event. Requests received after this date will be honored whenever possible.

If you have a Stewardship Plan and are interested in enrolling in the SFIA, October 31st is the deadline to enroll. Don't wait until the last minute - there are a few steps to take so your paperwork is ready. Read through these enrollment steps to be prepared!

You can read more about the SFIA here.

Once your paperwork is ready, send it to:

Minnesota Department of Revenue
Mail Station 3340
600 N. Robert St.
St. Paul, MN 55146-3340

Questions? Contact the MN Dept. of Revenue at 651-556-6088 or proptax.sfia@state.mn.us.