June storm blowdown reshapes wildlife habitat around Bemidji

The June 2025 derecho damaged more than 1,100 acres of DNR-managed forest around Bemidji, including about 300 acres at Lake Bemidji State Park, and the blowdown is still altering how wildlife uses the woods.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says the June 20-21 storm affected about 370 square miles and brought catastrophic damage near Bemidji from the strongest measured winds in Minnesota since 2012. The agency classifies the long-track system as a derecho, and the loss of trees changed nesting sites, cover, food sources and the way animals move through the area in the seasons that followed.

Blane Klemek, the DNR wildlife manager featured in the Bemidji Pioneer’s anniversary coverage, said area wildlife were mostly unaffected overall, but travel along hunting trails was likely affected by fallen trees. That matters across Beltrami County, where woods, lakes and public lands draw hunters, anglers and hikers into the same places the storm hit hardest.

Beltrami County officials estimated about $8.3 million in damage in August 2025, said wind speeds reached up to 120 mph and put the number of downed trees at roughly 9 million. Those numbers help explain why the storm has remained a practical issue long after the first cleanup, especially for people who rely on forest access for recreation and property access.

State crews have since turned to salvage harvests on damaged land. As of Sept. 4, 2025, more than 500 acres of impacted DNR-managed land had been offered for salvage harvest, part of a plan to promote forest recovery, improve safety, bolster forest health, reduce wildfire risk and speed reforestation. The work has been concentrated on state-managed land near Bemidji, where the storm’s footprint reached far beyond a single neighborhood or a single weekend of severe weather.