Burntside State Forest
Encyclopedia
The Burntside State Forest is a state forest
located near the town of Ely
in Lake
and St. Louis
counties, Minnesota
. 82% of the forest land falls within the limits of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
to the north which belongs to the Superior National Forest
, and thus falls under the federal jurisdiction of the United States Forest Service
.
There are over 43 lakes in the forest, the rough topography
of the area is due to its situation in the Laurentian Upland
. There are six public accesses to the 7313 acres (2,959.5 ha) Burntside Lake
within the forest, which has substantial populations of Walleye
, Lake trout
, and the Great Northern Loon.
Prior to the arrival of lumberjacks in the late nineteenth century, the majority of the forest was covered with young Jack pine, a nearly unprofitable timber tree. The land speculators
and lumberjacks left that area in 1874, after a wildfire
destroyed what was left of trees nearing maturity and Jack pine and aspen
were established.
State forest
A state forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign state.The precise application of the term varies by jurisdiction...
located near the town of Ely
Ely, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,724 people, 1,912 households, and 916 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,369.5 people per square mile . There were 1,912 housing units at an average density of 703.2 per square mile...
in Lake
Lake County, Minnesota
Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 10,866. Its county seat is Two Harbors. Lake County was founded on February 20, 1855, as Superior County, though its name was changed on March 3, of that year to St. Louis County. On March 1, 1856, St...
and St. Louis
St. Louis County, Minnesota
St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 200,226. Its county seat is Duluth. It is the largest county by total area in Minnesota, and the second largest in the United States east of the Mississippi River; in land area alone, after Aroostook...
counties, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. 82% of the forest land falls within the limits of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness , is a wilderness area within the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota under the administration of the U.S. Forest Service...
to the north which belongs to the Superior National Forest
Superior National Forest
Superior National Forest, part of the United States National Forest system, is located in the Arrowhead Region of the state of Minnesota between the Canada – United States border and the north shore of Lake Superior...
, and thus falls under the federal jurisdiction of the United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
.
There are over 43 lakes in the forest, the rough topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
of the area is due to its situation in the Laurentian Upland
Laurentian Upland
The Laurentian Upland is a physiographic province which, when referred to as the "Laurentian Region," is recognized by Natural Resources Canada as one of five provinces of the larger Canadian Shield physiographic division...
. There are six public accesses to the 7313 acres (2,959.5 ha) Burntside Lake
Burntside Lake
Burntside Lake is a lake located northwest of Ely, Minnesota, in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Its western boundary adjoins the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on Tamarack Creek....
within the forest, which has substantial populations of Walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, Lake trout
Lake trout
Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
, and the Great Northern Loon.
Prior to the arrival of lumberjacks in the late nineteenth century, the majority of the forest was covered with young Jack pine, a nearly unprofitable timber tree. The land speculators
Speculation
In finance, speculation is a financial action that does not promise safety of the initial investment along with the return on the principal sum...
and lumberjacks left that area in 1874, after a wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
destroyed what was left of trees nearing maturity and Jack pine and aspen
Populus tremuloides
Populus tremuloides is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, and Quakies,. The trees have tall trunks, up to 25 metres, with smooth pale bark, scarred with black. The glossy green leaves, dull beneath, become golden...
were established.