7. DNR violates federal rules to wrongfully favor timber industry rather than enhance wildlife habitat

Written By Devon Cupery

Issue: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service criticized and withheld money from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for not using federal money for its intended purpose, the Star Tribune reported in 2023. This is an example of the timber industry’s inappropriate influence on the DNR. Minnesota’s independent auditors similarly found in 2025 that, six years after this problem was identified, DNR has still not remedied the issues and cannot show it’s following the law.

Minnesota has hundreds of tracts of land devoted to public hunting and wildlife viewing, known as Wildlife Management Areas, or WMAs. By law, they must be managed for wildlife, for public hunting, fishing, and trapping, and other activities such as foraging and photography. Logging is permitted, but only as a tool to shape wildlife habitat. Felling trees is done to improve habitat — “not to satisfy relentless timber quotas,” the Star Tribune reported.

Because of DNR violations, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service temporarily withheld a $22 million grant to Minnesota.

A Fish and Wildlife Service report assessed the DNR’s misuse of federal wildlife funds. The report’s central finding was that: “The primary purposes of the forest management on WMAs seems to be to provide timber for the Minnesota timber industry, accomplish Minnesota DNR forestry goals, and produce revenue for Minnesota,” the Star Tribune said.

The DNR also improperly diverted hunting and fishing license revenue to fund work on commercial timber harvests rather than fish and wildlife work.

Feds increase DNR scrutiny: As part of a deal reached in December 2023, the Fish and Wildlife Service released federal grant money to the DNR and required the DNR to comply with more stringent reporting requirements. The DNR must show, in advance, how each timber sale will improve wildlife habitat. Nevertheless, problems remain.

Office of Legislative Auditor (OLA) finds continued fault and recommends DNR changes: As reported in the Star Tribune in 2025, the OLA undertook a special review and found that the DNR’s lack of plans, poor documentation, and unclear guidance makes it uncertain if DNR is protecting wildlife habitat as required by law. The OLA’s published report recommends that:

  • DNR ensure timber stands identified for potential harvest are subject to additional scrutiny to ensure wildlife considerations are prioritized over other competing interests.

  • DNR amend its policies and procedures to clearly state that timber will be harvested only to the extent that the decision is consistent with the statutory purpose and the documented wildlife habitat goals of the WMA.

  • DNR specify how the agency will ascertain and document the purpose of each proposed harvest.

  • And DNR ensure WMA forest habitat management policies and procedures are readily available to staff and are the subject of ongoing leadership attention and staff training.

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Devon Cupery
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