Restoration Project To Revive Forest Along St. Louis River Underway

DULUTH, Minn. — A restoration project is underway to revive forest along the St. Louis River that’s dying from an Emerald Ash Borer outbreak from a decade ago.

The work is happening along the shorelines and islands in the upper St. Louis River Estuary. Crews are preparing to plant 60,000 tree seedlings over the next three years. The Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve is behind the project in partnership with the Wisconsin DNR.

“There is an invasive or non-local species called Emeralds Ash Borer that had reached this area about 10years ago and the Ash Trees are dying,” said Kirsten Rhude, Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve. “Here in the Estuary, we have a lot of Ash monoculture so that’s the only tree in some of these wetland forest and we’re planting some seedlings of other species to help maintain forested ecosystem.”

Stewardship Coordinator Kirsten Rhude tells us it’s not just about growing new trees, it’s also about protecting the river’s natural resources.

“We’re hoping that these areas remain forest ecosystems they’re on islands that are protecting wild rice beds where there’s wild restoration happening so keeping these areas forested the island will stay in place and hopefully continue protect those wild rice or manoomin beds and also just maintain an ecosystem,” said Rhude.

Experts say restoring wild rice to the St. Louis River Estuary will benefit birds and other mammals. As it ripens in the fall, wild rice provides feeding and resting areas for migrating birds and local native birds.

It’s also a habitat for muskrats and other mammals.