Message in a Bottle

Greg and his wife, Marcia Rapatz’s passion for trees led to the creation of Snowy Pines Reforestation, a service-oriented forestry business committed to sustainable forestry and reforestation near Browerville, MN. Combined, Greg and Marcia have over 45 years of forestry experience. “Planting trees is like sending a message in a bottle,” says Greg Nolan. “Forestry takes time. Think of trees as living machines. They produce clean air, clean water, timber, recreational opportunities and hope for future generations.”

Snowy Pines was built on providing quality services and quality timber. Their business is diverse and includes:

• tree planting
• cone and acorn collection
• conifer release
• timber stand improvement
• timber harvest
• superior seed culturing
• trail construction
• prescribed burning
• maple syrup production
• Christmas tree shaping
• sawmill operation
• lumber and log grading
• forestry consulting
• selling firewood

Protecting Resources

Reforestation work accounts for 60 to 80% of their income. Some years, the company plants more than a quarter-million trees. Their goal is to provide services that enhance the natural environment and create meaningful, rewarding work for their family and friends. “This work is rewarding not only because it lets us be outdoors and keep in good shape, but it also lets us protect a resource we truly love,” says Marcia.

Greg and Marcia’s commitment to reforestation has also involved them in community projects. Greg is a key organizer of the Long Prairie River Stewardship Project. The project focuses on planting trees along the river for water quality, wildlife and enhancing the river’s natural beauty for the community. In a six-year span, the project planted over 65,000 trees on approximately 12 miles of river frontage, encompassing 40 landowners. Greg says, “The citizens of this community are the most powerful tool we have to make positive changes on the landscape.”

A Dream of Great Forests

In addition to their community work, they have a sawmill that processes 60,000 to 70,000 board feet of lumber each year. Every particle of wood that goes through the sawmill is used-the sawdust for trails is given away to horse farmers, and scraps are bundled for firewood. The sawmill gives the family another source of income and compliments their forest management business. Selected logging enhances natural regeneration of the forest. The sawmill has recently become “green certified,” which means the operation is certified as a sustainable forest operation by an international organization. Green certification lets consumers know that the wood was produced in a way that will assure that the forest will survive.

Beyond his own livelihood, Greg sees a great potential for forestry in his community-a way to take care of resources and generate economic development. “We can build great forests in Todd County. It will take foresight and management with an eye towards sustainability.” There are still over 135,000 acres of forested land within Todd County; Greg and others would like to see the trees managed sustainable and the wood used to create new jobs and new wealth.

Headwaters Forestry Cooperative

For this reason, Greg has been a driving force behind the fledgling Headwaters Forestry Cooperative, a member-controlled cooperative organized to improve the conditions of local forests and the relationships people have with them by adding value to the forest products, promoting economic development and improving water quality in the Mississippi Headwaters region.

The Co-op is following the international standards developed through the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and striving to have its products certified and labeled as SmartWood. SmartWood brings foresters, manufacturers, conservationists and consumers together to improve forest management. The SmartWood program allows for chain of custody certification and assures buyers that their wood was harvested in a sustainable manner. SmartWood certification is based on the idea that when managed effectively, timber production can maintain the long-term viability of commercial forests, protect the environment, and provide economic benefits to the local economy.

Giving Thanks

The same values that drive their business and community organizing efforts, are reflected in their family’s lifestyle. Greg and Marcia have raised their four children, Moriah, Cheyenne, Forest and Sunny on 40 acres of woodlands near Browerville. Their meandering driveway skirts through a cathedral of white pine up to their solar-powered home. The house was designed to make maximum use of the sun as a power source and was built primarily from wood harvested and milled from their own land. Not surprisingly, most of the food they eat is grown by Marcia on a oneacre organic garden.

Greg and Marcia have built their business on three basic building blocks: having respect for the next generation; utilizing individual and community intelligence in making business decisions and making a secure community. Greg says, “I want to write sentences to the people in the 21st century with projects that say ‘We gave thanks for the wealth that we have by investing in the natural systems around us, where all wealth starts.’ This is a kind of multi-generational wealth. More than anything else, I want the people who come after we’re gone to look at us as intelligent people who could work together, because we are.”