Timber Harvesting

The objective of timber harvesting activities at the Cloquet Forestry Center is to help provide and maintain the variety of forest types, age classes, and management conditions required to meet the research, teaching, and outreach mission of the Center. Table 3 identifies the current vegetative composition of the Center's land base by dominate species cover type, including acres by type and the associated percent occupancy of the forest.

Table 3. Cloquet Forestry Center Vegetations Types 2002
Upland Vegetation Types Lowland Vegetation Types
Species Acres Percent Forest Cover Species Acres Percent Forest Cover
Red Pine 878 26.3 Black Spruce 229 6.9
Aspen 563 16.8 Mixed Lowland Conifers 222 6.6
Jack Pine 324 9.7 Tamarack 138 4.1
White Spruce 131 3.9 Black Ash 42 1.3
Balsam Fir 123 3.6 Cedar 30 0.9
Birch 118 3.5 Lowland Brush 293 8.8
White Pine 23 0.7 Stagnate Spruce 66 2.0
Scotch Pine 5 0.2 Marsh 61 1.8
Open 54 1.6      
Experimental 40 1.2      
Total 2,259 67.6 Total 1,081 32.4

During the period July 2001 through June 2011 a harvesting treatment will be applied to 18 separate areas totaling 344 acres, approximately ten percent of the forest. Both clearcutting and partial cutting will be used, the decision based on species, age, stocking, and quality of the stand.

Clearcuts are prescribed for 11 areas ranging in size from 9 to 25 acres, totaling 218 acres. For management purposes, these stands are past desired rotation age, poorly stocked, or stocked with poor quality low value timber.

Thinning is prescribed for five areas ranging from 19 to 45 acres in size, totaling 128 acres. These are high value stands that have not yet reached a desired rotation age, but need silvicultural treatment to maximize growth.

Table 4 lists and describes each of the harvesting areas. Figure 5 identifies the location of each of the 18 areas to be treated, the type of treatment it is to receive, and the proposed year of treatment. Table 5 provides a summary of the planned timber harvesting by forest type.

Table 4. July 2001 - June 2011 Harvesting Area Descriptions
Area Dominant Type Age Acres Harvest Type
(CC=Clearcut, PC=Partial Cut)		 Stand Description and Management
2002-1 Aspen 50-55 24 CC Mature aspen stand that will be clearcut. Many portions of the stand are understocked with basal areas less than 50.
2002-2 Jack pine 98 11 CC Jack pine and aspen are over-mature. Area sustained ice storm damage in 2001 causing severe damage in the jack pine.
2003-1 Jack pine 89 9 CC Over-mature jack pine, stands sustaining heavy mortality.
2003-2 Balsam fir 90 10 CC Over-mature balsam fir and white spruce. High mortality and poor stocking on much of the area.
2004-1 Balsam fir 88 19 CC Heavy mortality in over-mature balsam fir. Much of the area is poorly stocked.
2004-2 Jack pine 90 11 PC Remove over-mature jack pine. Leave red pine for shelterwood reproduction.
2005-1 Black spruce 93 16 CC Remove cover type to establish fire break between forest and office area. Maintain as low stocked open area.
2005-2 Aspen 45 11 CC Mature aspen with pockets of over-mature aspen which will result in poor stocking in the near future.
2006-1 Jack pine 91 22 PC Remove all species except red pine and other advanced conifer regeneration. Manage to promote natural conifer regeneration.
2007-1 Red pine 37 19 PC First thinning red pine plantation.
2007-2 Red pine 35 21 PC First thinning red pine and jack pine plantations.
2008-1 Jack pine 114 24 CC Over-mature jack pine, birch and aspen clearcut to promote birch regeneration.
2008-2 Aspen 55 25 CC Multi-aged aspen stand clearcut to establish well stocked, even-aged aspen stand.
2009-1 Black spruce 96 12 CC Mature black spruce. Cut to improve age class distribution of cover type.
2009-2 Aspen 54 20 CC Clearcut mature aspen and over-mature jack pine, leave advanced conifer regeneration.
2010-1 Red pine 30-34 46 PC First thinning red pine and jack pine plantations
2011-1 Jack pine 29 23 PC First thinning jack pine
2011-2 Red pine 28 21 PC First thinning red pine
TOTAL     344    

Figure 5: Proposed Harvest Areas
Click here for a printable version of Figure 5
Click here for a printable version of Figure 5

Table 5. Harvest Summary by Forest Type for July 2001 - June 2011
Forest Type Acres Clearcut Acres Partial Cut Total
Red Pine 2 85 87
Jack Pine 42 64 106
Aspen 91 0 91
Balsam Fir 22 0 22
Black Spruce 28 0 28
Birch 10 0 10
Total 195 149 344

Timber harvests will be conducted by contract loggers. Each harvesting area will incorporate a unique forest management objective or process to enhance the research, teaching, or outreach mission of the Center. Where special harvesting requirements needed to meet research or teaching needs are costly to the harvesting operation, the timber will be sold at a negotiated rate. Timber sales with unique but non-costly harvesting requirements will be sold to the highest bidder as a lump-sum or consumer scale sale.

All areas will receive an intensive pre-sale timber cruise to determine volumes, values, and harvesting requirements necessary for research, teaching, and proper forest management. Precise harvesting instructions will be included in each sale contract. Site level forest management guidelines will be applied as appropriate on every sale.