Tentative Schedule of Quarterly Timber Sales
Periodic Timer Sale Announcement (pdf)
File Code: 2450
Date: November 25, 2024
Dear Prospective Purchasers of National Forest Timber,
This letter summarizes the approximate locations, estimated volumes, and approximate compositions of timber sale and stewardship contracts planned to be offered on the Superior National Forest during the next 12-18 months.
Our tentative goal for fiscal year 2025 is 56 MMBF (million board feet), which is approximately 90,500 CCF (hundred cubic feet), or approximately 112,000 cords. Approximately 15% of this total is expected to be offered through the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) agreement between the Superior National Forest and the State of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The attached pages contain more detailed information about our planned in-house timber sale and stewardship contracts. The exact composition of GNA sales to be offered is yet to be determined. Estimated volumes are conservative. At least one timber sale in fiscal year 2025 is expected be a small business set-aside. We will continue to aggressively market stands impacted and/or threatened by spruce budworm on the Tofte Ranger District, which is the epicenter of the current outbreak. We also plan to offer scaled sales in situations where scaling will reduce costs and increase efficiency.
We had three GNA timber sales and one Forest Service timber sale go no-bid in fiscal year 2024. Lack of demand for certain species, declining stand health, operating season restrictions, access, and remote locations were major contributing factors.
Fiscal year 2025’s target of 56 MMBF represents a 20% reduction from fiscal year 2024. We continue to have difficulty filling field-going positions in timber sale preparation and support programs. Budget reductions for fiscal year 2025 will limit our ability to pay overtime and have already prevented us from augmenting timber prep crews with seasonal staff from other programs this fall. Both have been critical to increasing our timber output in recent years.
Prospective Purchasers who have requested to be on our mailing list will continue to receive written notification when sales are advertised. Contract information, official documents, bid forms, and sale area maps will be posted under “Timber Sale Info” at the time of advertisement at https://www.fs.usda.gov/superior/
More detailed information about each anticipated sale may be obtained by contacting this office or the corresponding local Ranger District office.
Information regarding Minnesota DNR offerings of National Forest Timber is available at https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/timbersales/index.html
The USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. Sincerely,
Forest Supervisor Enclosures
cc: Aaron Kania, Sunny Lucas, Adam Cochran, Ellen Bogardus-Szymaniak, Kyle Stover, James McFarland, Darren Buckentin, Adrian Frank, Justin Burkey
Superior National Forest
Planned Timber Sale and Stewardship Contracts Fiscal Year 2025
(All Values Are Estimates Only)
| District | Sale/Contract Name (name links to map) | Estimated Acres | Estimated Total Volume (MBF) | Aspen (MBF) | Mixed Conifer Sawtimber (MBF) | Mixed Conifer Pulp (MBF) | Mixed Hardwood (MBF) | Percent Summer Operating Season | Planned Month of Advertisement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gunflint | Jiffy Stewardship | 450 | 5,050 | 2,300 | 350 | 800 | 1,600 | 90% | November |
| Gunflint | Reindeer Stewardship | 178 | 1,685 | 400 | 600 | 600 | 85 | 65% | December |
| Kawishiwi | Copycat Stewardship | 115 | 600 | 0 | 300 | 300 | 0 | 75% | November |
| Kawishiwi | Mulligan | 152 | 800 | 0 | 500 | 300 | 0 | 25% | March |
| Kawishiwi | Prize | 344 | 2,800 | 500 | 1,200 | 1,000 | 100 | 75% | January |
| Kawishiwi | Highlife | 98 | 300 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 0 | 30% | May |
| LaCroix | Leslie Road | 58 | 780 | 0 | 500 | 280 | 0 | 100% | December |
| LaCroix | Skyfall | 285 | 3,250 | 1300 | 1300 | 600 | 50 | 100% | April |
| LaCroix | Alces | 96 | 1,000 | 200 | 400 | 400 | 0 | 65% | April |
| LaCroix | East Crane | 320 | 3,500 | 3000 | 200 | 200 | 100 | 40% | July |
| Laurentian | Knuckey Lake Stewardship | 512 | 6,000 | 1,000 | 2,900 | 2,000 | 100 | 90% | November |
| Laurentian | Minnow Lake | 280 | 1,400 | 0 | 0 | 1,400 | 0 | 100% | May |
| Laurentian | Magpie (Scaled) | 276 | 3,000 | 1,200 | 100 | 1,600 | 100 | 30% | January |
| Laurentian | Sandy Boots | 100 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 90% | December |
| Laurentian | Balkan Lake | 500 | 3,000 | 0 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 0 | 100% | January |
| Laurentian | Jordan | 264 | 2,750 | 750 | 1,000 | 500 | 500 | 30% | August |
| Laurentian | Birch Knob Stewardship | 739 | 6,800 | 5,000 | 0 | 1,300 | 500 | 90% | June |
| Tofte | Blind | 280 | 2,300 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 200 | 0% | November |
| Tofte | Oz (SBA) | 304 | 3,000 | 900 | 900 | 900 | 300 | 70% | March |
| Tofte | Babble Stewardship | 581 | 7,000 | 4,000 | 200 | 800 | 2,000 | 30% | May |
| Tofte | Gator | 628 | 6,000 | 2,400 | 300 | 1,500 | 1,800 | 30% | June |
| Tofte | Fuzz Stewardship (Scaled) | 500 | 4,550 | 900 | 1,600 | 1,600 | 450 | 0% | August |
| Total | 7,060 | 66,465 | 25,650 | 14,150 | 18,880 | 7,785 |
Maps
