Restoration work continues at Bailey School Forest Park, established in 1993 in Newport.
Starting late last year and continuing into 2028, the restoration project is a joint venture between the South Washington Watershed District and the City of Newport, calling for restoration work and starting with nine acres at the entry to the forest. Great River Greening is assisting in restoration effort at the Bailey School Forest, established from a former tree plantation of Bailey Nurseries in 1993, following earlier site donation by the Bailey family and acquisition by the city.
Funding for the restoration work is being provided through sources including the Outdoor Heritage Fund. Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment through the Metro Big Rivers Phase 15 grant and Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program, along with the city of Newport and SWWD.
Restoration work at the Bailey School Forest off Wild Ridge Trail follows a city effort started with Xcel Energy in 2024 to enhance the grasslands at the forest site, forest efforts aimed at restoring oak and native savanna. Restoration efforts as such will include forest mowing to remove the thick undergrowth of non-native and aggressive shrubs, as well as thinning of the tree canopy to bring sunlight to sensitive plant species in the forest’s understory. Removal is focusing on hazardous trees, those growing to densely, along with non-native and noxious species. Among the means to be used are grazing goats and biochar kilns, the latter a low-carbon alternative to open burning disposal, the former with an appetite that will help clear non-native plant species. Native animal species expected to burrow or leave the area during restoration work, being unharmed by work.
Initial restoration work began in December, followup scheduled by season through fall 2028. Starting this summer and fall, native species will be planted in multiple areas, followed by seeding of native grasses in winter 2026. Followup will be made this summer and fall on woody invasive, a targeted tree harvest for native forest planned this winter.
Come 2027, the project will see efforts against invasive plant species followed alongside planting of native plant species., with seeding of native forms and wildflowers in winter 2027. Come 2028 the project will see shrub and plug planting, along with continued establishment maintenance and followup as the native species take root.
Newport Superintendent of Public Works shared more on the rationale behind the Bailey School Forest project in a recent letter to local residents:
Dear Neighbor,
Starting in December 2025, Great River Greening and the South Washington Watershed District (SWWD), in conjunction with the City of Newport, will be conducting contracted natural resource management activities at the Bailey School Forest property. Our initial set of work will start in December and continue over the next few months, with future follow-ups to continue managing native habitat establishment in the school forest. You may see and hear machinery while we are working.
Oak forest and savanna native plant communities are some of the rarest plant communities in Minnesota. These dynamic habitats have been negatively impacted by dominant non-native plants and reduced management, and these projects aim to revitalize these self-sustaining and vibrant ecosystems. We will start by removing buckthorn shrubs, which are invasive plants that “crowd out native plants and displace the native shrubs and small trees in the mid-layer of the forest where many species of birds nest” (Minnesota DNR). Some native trees and shrubs will also be removed during this process, with limited thinning of tree canopy to improve overall habitat for the forest. This work is part of a larger effort to bring back open woodland dominated by native plant and animal species to the City of Newport Park System.
We will begin work in the winter to reduce the impact to the ground, native plants and animals. Most native species will be unharmed by the work that will occur, sheltering in ground burrows, high up in trees, or simply leaving the area ahead of the work. Using natural solutions to manage land, like removing invasive species, helps wildlife in the long term by creating a better habitat.
This work is supported by funding provided from the Outdoor Heritage Fund as part of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment through the Metro Big Rivers Phase 15 grant and the Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program, as well as the City of Newport and the SWWD. If you have any NON-Emergency questions, concerns, or requests about the work, please contact the project managers below as soon as possible. Please note that this property will be open to the public during this work, with temporary trail closures as required.
Thank you!
Matt Yokiel, Superintendent of Public Works, City of Newport
myokiel@newportmn.gov or (651) 459-2475
Rebecca Tucker, Metro Program Manager, Great River Greening
rtucker@greatrivergreening.org or (651) 272-3982
Tony Randazzo, Watershed Restoration Specialist, South Washington Watershed District Tony.Randazzo@swwdmn.gov or (651) 714-3717