Cloquet Forestry Center

Cloquet, Minnesota

Combining a large forest—covering nearly 3,400 acres—with a well-documented history, excellent facilities, and on-site professional and support staff makes the Cloquet Forestry Center one of the premier experimental forests in the country. Part of the College of Natural Resources, since 1909 the Center has provided a focal point for University research on managing Minnesota’s forests. The Center has grown in size and scope and now conducts a broad range of activities in research, education and outreach related to northern forests.

Permanent plot measurements carried out at the Center since 1910 have shown the resilience of Minnesota’s northern forests.

A National Treasure

A number of distinctive natural and managed forest environments are within the Center’s borders. Five old-growth reserves, totaling 102 acres, have trees ranging from 144-to-170 years of age. Some areas treated or planted during the Center’s early years are still being evaluated, and new research projects are started each year.

Much of the knowledge used to manage Minnesotaís 17 million acres of forest land has been developed through research conducted at Cloquet. Many long-term and controlled studies completed or under way here have improved the quality and quantity of harvestable timber.

Other studies enhance the use of Minnesotaís forests for recreation, and help protect water quality, provide an understanding of ecological processes and enable conservation of wildlife. Research helps forest managers address a range of complex issues related to sustainably managing our nationís forests. Research on residential construction materials and methods is helping to determine what works best in cold climates.

The Center studies the management and best uses of forest products from timber harvest to final use in cold climate housing.

The Center provides a variety of forest wildlife habitats. Some of the species that call it home for all or part of the year are moose, gray wolves, black bears, porcupines, pine martins, snowshoe hares, goshawks and ruffed grouse. Because the ruffed grouse has established territory within the Center, data on population fluctuation, changes in habitat, and weather have been collected for more than 40 years.

students find Cloquet a unique outdoor laboratory

A Student Educational Resource

Cloquet is an important resource for the University’s natural resources undergraduate students. It provides field experience essential to their education as future managers. Many former students identify the Cloquet residential field session as the highlight of their collegiate career. Graduate students also use Cloquet as a place to develop field research skills and increase their knowledge of forest ecosystems and forestry practices.

Both undergraduate and graduate University of Minnesota students find the Center a unique outdoor laboratory for learning and research. Students have the opportunity to record, observe and study riparian ecology, wildlife, and forest management. In this wooded setting, wildlife thrives.

Continuing education programs for natural resource professionals are offered by Center staff to communicate and demonstrate the latest research results. Programs on forest ecosystems and natural resource management are also offered to the public, particularly to private woodland owners, to increase understanding of how our forests accommodate multiple demands and objectives. Extension programming covers agroforestry, windbreak development, non-timber forest products, forest ecology, forest economic development, recovery from major weather events (particularly windstorms), and backyard and sustainable forestry.

The Cloquet Forestry Center, with modern dorms and fully equipped classrooms in a beautiful setting, hosts short courses and professional workshops.

A scientist collects seeds as part of the Center’s research on sustainably managed forests.

The natural beauty of the site sets the tone for several sessions of the Universityís residential Split Rock Arts program each summer.

The Cloquet Forestry Center is one of the oldest experimental forests in the United States. Continually evolving, it is positioned to continue providing a wealth of research, education, and information to the citizens of the state.