Crow Wing County Forest

In March 2026, we protected 315 acres of mixed pine and hardwood forest, including over half a mile of Dean Brook frontage. Our work here creates more outdoor recreational opportunities for hiking, hunting, wildlife observation and cross-country skiing, improves water quality, and helps connect a larger corridor between Upper and Lower Dean Lakes. 

In 2023, TPL helped add an additional 1,280 acres near Emily, a single block of forest known as Dahler Lake, expanding recreational opportunities, protecting wildlife habitat, and preserving water quality throughout the region. The acquisition also permanently protected a key segment of the Emily Snowbird snowmobile trail.

In 2019, we helped protect over 155 acres of land as an addition to the Crow Wing County Forest, including over a mile and a half of river frontage on the Mississippi River. 

The Brainerd Lakes Area is one of Minnesota’s most rapidly growing regions and a popular destination for many types of outdoor recreation. It also provides valuable habitat for spawning fish, migrating waterfowl, and Blanding’s —a threatened species. For nearly ten years, Trust for Public Land and partners have worked to protect this landscape, linking it to nearby conservation lands, and creating a nine-mile stretch of protected land along the Mississippi River