Pine Point Research Natural Area is a natural area that is protected by the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...

, specifically through the branch of the Forest Service. It was established in 1932 and consists of of land. It is located in Cass County, Minnesota and is part of the Chippewa National Forest. The natural area is bounded on the north, east, and west sides by Lake Leech. To the south is Onigum, an unincorporated community that had been an Indian agency.

Ecology

Pine Point is a

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

ed area that consists mostly of

jack pine Jack pine (''Pinus banksiana'') is an eastern North American pine. Its native range in Canada is east of the Rocky Mountains from the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories to Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, and the north-central and ...

and red pine, as well as areas of

meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or artifi ...

. It also contains a lake and of marshland.

White-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

(''Odocoileus virginianus''), black bear (''Ursus americanus''), snowshoe hare (''Lepus americanus''), and North American

porcupine Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethizont ...

(''Erethizon dorsatum'') are common in the area.

Natural Landmark designation

The area has been designated a National Natural Landmark under the Historic Sites Act. It received this designation in 1980 from the

United States Secretary of the Interior The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natural ...

, giving it recognition as an outstanding example of the nation's natural history. The designation describes it as containing "undisturbed stands of red and mixed pine that have been protected for over 70 years. The site provides nesting habitat for the bald eagle and osprey".

Modern use

The natural area is open to the public but has no roads or marked trails. Research projects within Pine Point Research Natural Area must be approved by the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

References

Protected areas of Cass County, Minnesota Wilderness areas of Minnesota National Natural Landmarks in Minnesota {{CassCountyMN-geo-stub