Photo: Laura Durenberger-Grunow 

By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - May 8, 2026


The North Shore Forest Collaborative (NSFC), a multi-organization and community partnership established in 2011 to manage and restore the coastal forest landscape of Minnesota’s Lake Superior shoreline, has released a new resource specifically designed for property owners along the big lake titled the Coastal Forest Restoration Handbook for Landowners. The guidebook aims to provide practical management techniques for those living within the unique ecological corridor, referred to as the coastal forest, along Lake Superior’s North Shore. The coastal forest is defined as a relatively narrow strip extending approximately three to five miles inland from Lake Superior.

NSFC Coordinator Kelly Beaster shared with Boreal Community Media that the guidebook was created to address common questions from landowners, based on frequent site visits from NSFC partners, including "how to increase diversity, what to plant, and where to plant it." 

Specifically, the goal of the book is to address community members with smaller pieces of land, assisting them in increasing species diversity and determining appropriate planting locations.

According to Beaster, with the guide, the NSFC hopes to assist landowners in viewing their properties "as part of a larger ecosystem." Because a significant portion of this land is privately owned, the NSFC wants to spread the word that individual management choices have a collective impact on the broader landscape, and even small private properties act as "stepping stones" between larger intact forests. By restoring native species, landowners can help keep streams cooler, retain water on the landscape, and provide essential resources for migratory birds and pollinators. 

"Rather than focusing strictly on distance from the lake, the guidebook helps landowners identify forest communities based on soils, moisture, and indicator species," she said. 

Forest Types

A unique detail of the guidebook is that it talks about how forest conditions shift along a gradient moving inland. As many are aware, Lake Superior functions as a "natural climate regulator," which results in cooler summers, moderated winter temperatures, and increased humidity and fog. These conditions directly influence the types of vegetation that can thrive and affect wildlife patterns, such as white-tailed deer concentrations. 

The guidebook identifies four distinct forest types found along the North Shore and helps property owners distinguish which one they are located in. However, determining which type can be difficult due to historical changes. Beaster explains that while forests were once dominated by long-lived species like white pine and northern white cedar, factors such as "logging, wildfire, and deer browsing" have shifted many areas toward aspen and birch. 

One way to identify the forest type is to use what the NSFC refers to as the 'soil mantle,' the layer of soil where plants grow, which can range from deep ground to just a few inches over bedrock. By identifying these soil depths and moisture levels, landowners can choose species that are specifically suited to survive in their property’s unique conditions.

That all being said, once the forest type is identified, "the guidebook can offer additional species to plant to increase diversity and forest health," she said. 

However, instead of recommending specific species for landowners to plant, the book focuses on groups of species that naturally occur together in the different forest types. Beaster stated that this is an important distinction because "these communities have adapted to particular site conditions over long periods of time."

Climate Change

The guidebook also addresses the impacts of a changing climate and how landowners can prepare. According to the NSFC, some boreal species may decline while species from further south may begin to migrate into the region. The guide recommends maintaining high species diversity and protecting "cooler microhabitats," including ravines and north-facing slopes, while also highlighting the importance of long-lived species for forest stability. Some examples are white pine and white cedar, which can live between 450 and 800 years, and deciduous trees such as sugar maple and yellow birch, which can live up to 400 years. 

To learn more about the NSFC and access the Coastal Forest Restoration Handbook, click here.