Minnesota DNR offers $95 per bushel for red pine cones

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is paying residents to collect red pine cones to bolster the state's seed supply for future forest and park plantings. Because red pine, also known as Norway pine, produces a significant bumper crop only once every decade, the DNR is seeking assistance to collect as many ripe, closed cones as possible during the current season.

The agency is offering $95 per bushel for clean, ripe, and closed red pine cones. Collection is encouraged through October. To ensure the seeds are viable for nursery use, the DNR recommends collecting cones directly from the trees rather than from the ground, as fallen cones often contain debris or have already released their seeds.