Partnerships
Partnerships play an integral role in the shared stewardship of the Superior National Forest. Our partners include other government agencies, nonprofit and for-profit entities, and local communities. Working together with these partners allows us to make positive changes across boundaries and on a larger scale.
The Forest Service is committed to building and expanding our relationships. Partnerships need to involve projects that are mutually beneficial to the national forest and partnering entity. Many partnerships have formal arrangements that involve legal documents or administrative tasks.
Stewarding the Superior
Stewarding the Superior is a USDA Forest Service initiative to identify organizations that care for the natural resources of northeast Minnesota so they can better connect with the area’s communities and with each other. The project is focused on the Arrowhead Region, home of the Superior National Forest.
Acknowledging that we can accomplish greater things when working together, the project seeks to answer the question, “Who is conducting stewardship in the region, where are they working, and how can we better support each other?”
How To Get Involved
The project begins with a survey for groups to voluntarily provide data about their work and will culminate with the development of a new, interactive mapping tool.
The tool will identify, map, and visualize the work and relationships of land stewards such as volunteer groups, recreational and trail clubs, civic and environmental organizations, Tribal and government entities, community-based groups, and nonprofits.
Add your group to the Stewarding the Superior network today!
Take the project’s brief survey that collects data about stewardship groups, where they work, and who they work with.
Benefits of sharing your data and getting on the map include:
- Increasing collaboration by supporting and building networks
- Amplifying, visualizing, and telling the story of stewardship work within the region
- Connecting communities and volunteers to stewardship groups of interest
In addition to the mapping tool, the information collected will live in a searchable database and online dashboard and will be used to help guide the Superior National Forest’s partnership activities, including the development of a partnership strategic plan.
Stewarding the Superior is being completed by the Superior National Forest and the Northern Research Station Stewardship Mapping and Assessment Project (STEW-MAP.)
Get Involved
Founded in 2014 as the Northwoods Volunteer Connection, the newly, in 2025, rebranded Friends of the Superior National Forest is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to volunteer-powered stewardship of the Superior National Forest.
Great River Greening planting at Pfeiffer Lake Campground.
Together with the USDA Forest Service’s National Partnership Office, the National Forest Foundation is assisting local forests in creating strategies to better understand and strengthen their partnership efforts. In 2024-2025 the National Forest Foundation and the National Partnership Office worked with the Superior National Forest to conduct a partnership assessment. The report and presentation summarize the findings of the assessment.
Background
The Isabella Section House is a historic mid-1900s railroad building transferred to the Forest Service in 1980. It's still structurally sound but has seen little use and limited maintenance, leaving it in poor condition. The Forest Service now needs to decide whether to retire the building or invest in giving it a new purpose.
Isabella Section House Reimagined Project
This project aims to work with partners and the public to explore realistic options for reusing the historic building and supporting recreation and economic activity in the greater Isabella area (about a 20‑mile radius). The work includes public engagement, exploring alternatives, and creating a business plan to help the Superior National Forest make an informed decision.
Progress to Date
Since early 2025, the forest has worked with the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program, Quantified Ventures, and the National Forest Foundation. Through open houses, community events, emails, an online survey, and more than 3,800 hub views, the team has gathered community feedback and ideas for future uses.
Next Steps
NPS‑RTCA has provided the engagement results to the forest and Quantified Ventures.
- Quantified Ventures will use the findings to develop a business plan focused on top themes and deliver it to forest leadership (expected winter 2026).
- Forest leadership will review the findings and consider how they align with facility needs, recreation goals, partnerships, and local and national priorities.
Contacts
For questions, contact:
Tofte District Ranger Ellen Bogardus‑Szymaniak – Ellen.Bogardus-Szymaniak@usda.gov, 218‑663‑8061
Partnership Coordinator Emily Munter –Emily.Munter@usda.gov, 218‑451‑8591
How to Partner with the Forest Service
Partner With Us!
Reach out to our Partnership Coordinator to learn more about partnership opportunities with the Superior National Forest!
Partnerships 101
Is your organization interested in exploring partnership opportunities with the Superior National Forest?
Check out our Partnerships 101 page to learn more about
- the Forest Service,
- legal requirements for partnerships, and
- details about funding and other information to get started.