Isanti SWCD, sporting groups complete buckthorn clean sweep at wildlife areas

The Isanti Soil and Water Conservation District recently completed 73.5 acres of buckthorn removal to improve wildlife habitat at public hunting areas.
Buckthorn is an invasive tree originally brought to Minnesota for landscaping, but has since escaped into the wild where it is aggressive. The SWCD focused on removing light infestations of buckthorn in an effort to preserve high quality, but at-risk habitat.
The DNR wildlife staff in Cambridge identified areas where buckthorn removal was feasible and would have benefits to wildlife and sportsmen. Thirty-nine and one-half acres were treated at Marget Lake Wildlife Management Area in Bradford and Stanford townships. Thirty-four acres were treated at Crooked Road WMA in Spencer Brook Township. The trees were cut and the stumps spot-treated with herbicide to prevent re-sprouting.
Once buckthorn becomes dense it is difficult to eliminate and changes the nature of the habitat dramatically, so removing the light infestations before they become thicket-like is favored. Buckthorn prevents other plants and desirable trees like oaks and maples from growing by shading them out and producing a chemical from their roots that negatively affects other plants’ growth.
“Buckthorn is a problem from backyard edges to large forests,” said Tiffany Determan, the manager at Isanti SWCD. “Once it is well established, it takes many years of intense work to get rid of it. In this project, we were able to inexpensively knock back buckthorn were it was scattered, but poised to become more dense. Some very nice maple-basswood and oak forests are now free of buckthorn.”
Determan noted additional areas have been identified for future work.
The work was made possible by the Isanti County Sportsman Club and the Isanti County Chapter of the MN Deer Hunters Association. Both groups provided donations that the Isanti SWCD used as cash match for a Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment grant, which provided most of the funding. Independent contractor Natural Resources Restoration, Inc. did the buckthorn treatments.
“We realize private landowners face some of these same challenges with buckthorn and forest management,” said Determan. “Even in small backyards we want to see beautiful trees and good wildlife habitat. The SWCD provides guidance to landowners wishing to improve habitat on their property through buckthorn control, planting trees or other means.”
For those wishing to plant trees, the Isanti SWCD provides an economical option. It is currently taking orders for trees and shrubs that will be available in late April. They sell 28 different species of seedlings in multiples of 25. Purchasing these quantities at seedling size is a good option for forest improvement or property borders. Single larger trees may also be purchased. Ordering information is at www.IsantiSWCD.org or call 763-689-3271 for an order form.
– Article provided by the
Isanti Soil and Water
Conservation District