$1 Million Gift to Support Forest Conservation

Funding to help Minnesota Forest Legacy Partnership ensure sustainable forestry, public access and wildlife habitat

Minneapolis, MN—November 3, 2005—A $1 million gift from the Surdna Foundation will support the Minnesota Forest Legacy Partnership’s efforts to ensure sustainable forestry, protect wildlife habitat and guarantee public access on forestland in the Itasca County region of northern Minnesota. The contribution, in honor of long-time Minnesota philanthropist John Andrus, kicks off the effort to match a $6 million challenge by the Blandin Foundation in response to rapidly changing economics in the forest products industry.

“All our interests come together in this grant,” said Edward Skloot, Executive Director of the Surdna Foundation. “We help support an important environmental initiative, we leverage our funds with the Blandin Foundation’s, and we honor the wise and forward-looking leadership of our chair-emeritus, John E. Andrus, III. It’s a pleasure for the foundation, its staff, and the larger Andrus family to be part of this worthy enterprise.”

Throughout the nation, short-term investors are replacing traditional forestland owners, leaving communities unsure about the fate of their natural and economic resources. The Minnesota Forest Legacy Partnership, hoping to reverse this trend, is working to secure conservation easements up to 75,000 acres of industrial forestland. The easements will limit development and subdivision while ensuring sustainable forest practices and public access opportunities for a variety of recreational pursuits including hunting, fishing and hiking. Once purchased, the easements will be transferred to the state Department of Natural Resources, which will monitor the legally-binding agreements. The Partnership includes The Nature Conservancy, the state Department of Natural Resources, The Conservation Fund, the Minnesota Forest Resources Council, the Trust for Public Land, state legislators and local governments.

“The Surdna commitment provides a great early shot in the arm for this effort,” said Ron Nargang, State Director of The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota. “The Foundation deserves a considerable amount of credit. By protecting large blocks of working forestland from fragmentation we can preserve the connection between Minnesota’s healthy forest-based industries, healthy forest ecosystems and healthy forest-based communities.”

With the support of the Blandin and Surdna Foundations, the Partnership can leverage public funds to purchase conservation easements – legally-binding agreements that will protect wildlife habitat, ensure sustainable forestry and guarantee public access – on private industrial forestland in Itasca County.

The Surdna Foundation was established in 1917 by John Andrus’ grandfather. Today the Foundation offers grants in a variety of areas, among them Biological Diversity and the Human Communities That Depend on It, with forests as a primary focus. Mr. Andrus served in many leadership roles for the Conservancy, including as chair of the national board.