Polaris Industries recently gave the National Forest Foundation (NFF) a $10,000 grant to restore heavily damaged portions of the Chippewa National Forest in North Central Minnesota.
The Chippewa National Forest encompasses more than half a million acres of forest and wetlands and is home to more than 250 wildlife species, including 180 nesting pairs of bald eagles. In July 2012, a storm with severe 85 mph winds hit the Chippewa National Forest, causing mature red and white pine trees to collapse. According to minnesota.publicradio.org, the storm affected an area 10 miles wide and 40 miles long, leaving 17,000 acres of forest with severe damage.
With the help and support of Polaris, the NFF is working with the Chippewa National Forest to restore the areas most affected by the storm. The project, scheduled to begin in the spring, will involve planting more than 20,000 native conifer seedlings to replace those removed or damaged by the storm. This reforestation will ensure that mature trees, particularly red and white pine, are available for nesting bald eagles now and well into the future.
Bill Possiel, president of the NFF, commended Polaris and its pledge to improve the environment through business practices. He also believes that Polaris’s support will “expand this vital wildlife habitat and restore forest cover.”
Stacy Bogart, president of the Polaris Foundation, responded by saying that Polaris is proud to align with the NFF to “help restore this treasured forest” and is “thrilled to be making a positive impact on a National Forest in [their] home state.”
The National Forest Foundation engages Americans in programs that promote the health and public employment of the 193-million acre National Forest System and administers private gifts of funds and land for the benefit of the National Forests.
