Message from Stewardship Program

Seventy-nine percent of North Dakota's rural forests are privately owned. Forest Stewardship focuses on educating and assisting these non-industrial private landowners to better manage, protect and utilize their natural resources. This is accomplished through the development of a Forest Stewardship Management Plan and direct financial assistance. The program emphasizes tree planting, aspen regeneration, fire mitigation and rehabilitation, forest health management, forest products utilization and improving forest stands for wildlife. Cooperative assistance is also provided for renovating farmstead and field windbreaks through an agreement with North Dakota's local soil conservation districts.

The North Dakota Forest Service provides leadership for the Forest Stewardship Program. Under this voluntary program, eligible landowners may receive technical assistance from a variety of natural resource professionals in cooperating local and state agencies.

State Forestland Statistics:

• Total forested acres = 673,200 acres
• Privately owned =348,785 acres
• Native American = 39,735 acres
• Government =26,490 acres
• State Owned = 13, 278 acres

Stewardship in North Dakota:

• Number of stewardship plans = 1,444
• Acres covered by stewardship plans = 73,517 acres

Stewardship Contact:

Thomas S. Berg

North Dakota Forest Service

Email: Tom.Berg@ndsu.nodak.edu

Links:

• North Dakota Forest Service
• Natural Resources Conservation Service, North Dakota
• North Dakota Extension Service
• North Dakota County Extension Offices
• The Nature Conservancy, Dakotas Chapter

• Western Forestry Leadership Coalition

• North Dakota Natural Heritage Program
• EPA: Global Warming Impacts on North Dakota
• North Dakota Tree Information Center
• Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, USGS
• North Dakota's Forests and Parks

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