Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

What Minnesota Department of Natural Resources does

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is a state government agency headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, responsible for managing the state's natural resources, public lands, wildlife, fisheries, forests, and outdoor recreation infrastructure. Tracing its origins to conservation agencies established in 1849, the agency employs 1,001–5,000 staff and operates an extensive portfolio of physical assets including 64 state parks and recreation areas, 75 state forests, 35 state water trails (4,500+ miles of paddling opportunities), 22,000+ miles of snowmobile trails (over 21,000 miles maintained by volunteer clubs), 1,100 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails, 700+ Aquatic Management Areas covering 770 shore land miles across 73 counties, and 49 Ruffed Grouse Management Areas totaling over 100,000 acres. The DNR also administers Scientific and Natural Areas, hunter walking trails, wildlife management areas, and watercraft operator permitting, and runs wildlife monitoring programs including the FalconCam (16th year in downtown St. Paul), loon monitoring, moose population surveys (4,470 estimated), and invasive species surveillance.

The agency's core digital products are LakeFinder (a database covering 4,500+ lakes and rivers with water quality, stocking, and fish consumption data, integrated with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, University of Minnesota, and Minnesota Department of Health), Recreation Compass (an interactive map built on Google Maps tile services), and the Electronic Licensing System (ELS) — a newly modernized online platform built with vendor PayIt and integrated with Login.gov, processing over 2.7 million annual fishing and hunting license transactions. Physical products and services include fishing and hunting licenses, state park vehicle permits, the Great Minnesota Ski Pass, campsite reservations (over 5,000 campsites in state parks plus 46 state forest campgrounds with 1,000 campsites), snowshoe rentals at 26 state parks, OHV program services, and prescribed burn coordination with tribal partners.

The business model is a hybrid public-funding structure: dedicated license and permit fees (fishing, hunting, state park permits, boat registrations), unit-priced camping/lodging fees, state legislative appropriations, federal grants, and dedicated funds such as the Game and Fish Fund. Notable programmatic revenue and expenditures include the Nongame Wildlife Program (~$3M annual budget, ~$1M from the state tax checkoff), the ReLeaf and Community Tree Planting grants ($12M annually), $2.3M in Chief's Coulee water quality projects, and a $5M digital licensing modernization project. Customer segments are dispersed across anglers, hunters, campers, OHV users, winter recreationists, boaters, researchers, urban communities, and conservation donors.

Name

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Legal name

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Website

https://dnr.state.mn.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2026

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is a state government agency managing Minnesota's public lands, wildlife, fisheries, and outdoor recreation. It operates 64 state parks, 22,000+ miles of trails, and digital tools like LakeFinder and the Electronic Licensing System serving residents and visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural Resource Management and Outdoor Recreation

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Conservation Programs (924120), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Forestry (800), Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH), Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration (BPAIAMAG), Forestry & Public Lands Administration (State/National Forests) (BPAIAMAF), Minerals, Mining & Geologic Resources Administration (BPAIAMAJ)

Keywords

• Natural resource management
• Outdoor recreation services
• Wildlife conservation
• Fishing and hunting licenses
• State parks administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. License and Permit Fees: Revenue from fishing licenses, hunting licenses, state park permits, boat registrations, and various recreational permits. Licenses can be purchased online, from approved vendors statewide, or in-person. Over 2.7 million annual licenses processed.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is a state government agency that manages Minnesota's natural resources, including state parks, forests, wildlife, fisheries, and outdoor recreation. It issues fishing and hunting licenses, maintains public lands and trails (64 state parks, 22,000+ miles of snowmobile trails, 35 state water trails), provides interactive mapping tools (LakeFinder, Recreation Compass), runs wildlife monitoring and conservation programs, and operates an Electronic Licensing System processing over 2.7 million annual licenses.

Product overview

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources operates a comprehensive platform of public natural resource management and outdoor recreation services. The portfolio consists of digital tools (LakeFinder, Recreation Compass, Electronic Licensing System) and physical infrastructure (66 state parks, 35 state water trails, state forests with 46 campgrounds, 49 Ruffed Grouse Management Areas, 700+ Aquatic Management Areas, and Scientific Natural Areas). The digital products serve as portals to access real-time recreation data, licensing services, and interactive mapping. The Electronic Licensing System handles over 2.7 million annual transactions while LakeFinder provides data on 4,500+ lakes. The recreation infrastructure supports activities including fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, snowmobiling (22,000+ miles of trails), cross-country skiing (1,100 miles via Ski Pass), and off-highway vehicle riding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LakeFinder: Online tool that finds and displays detailed information about lakes in Minnesota including fishing regulations, lake maps, stocking reports, and water quality data.
• FalconCam
• Recreation Compass

Products and services

• LakeFinder Online information portal providing detailed data on Minnesota's lakes and rivers including fishing regulations, water access, maps, water quality, and stocking reports for anglers and researchers.
• Recreation Compass Interactive web-based mapping tool for outdoor recreation planning, displaying state and federal parks, trails, water bodies, wildlife refuges, and management areas across Minnesota.
• Electronic Licensing System (ELS) Digital system for purchasing fishing, hunting, and recreational licenses online, processing over 2.7 million annual transactions through a web portal with Login.gov authentication.
• State Parks and Recreation Areas Network of 64 state parks and recreation areas providing camping (over 5,000 campsites), hiking, fishing, picnicking, and educational programs for visitors.
• State Forests Managed state forest lands offering 46 campgrounds with 1,000 campsites, dispersed camping, hiking, mountain biking, OHV riding, and cross-country skiing opportunities.
• State Water Trails Network of 35 designated water trails providing over 4,500 miles of paddling opportunities with detailed maps showing rapids, campsites, and accesses for canoeists and kayakers.
• State Trails State-managed trail network for hiking, bicycling, snowmobiling (over 22,000 miles groomed), and cross-country skiing across Minnesota.
• Hunter Walking Trails (HWT) Designated hunter walking trails providing access to grouse and woodcock hunting areas across Minnesota's primary grouse range through Wildlife Management Areas and state forests.
• Aquatic Management Areas (AMA) Program administering 700+ aquatic management areas covering 770 shore land miles across 73 counties, providing angler access and protecting critical shore land habitat.
• Scientific and Natural Areas (SNA) Program protecting native plant communities, rare species, and geologic features across designated natural areas available for low-impact recreation and scientific research.
• Ruffed Grouse Management Areas (RGMA) 49 designated areas totaling over 100,000 acres managed for ruffed grouse and woodcock habitat, providing 184 miles of hunter walking trails.
• Fishing Piers and Shore Fishing Sites Accessible fishing piers and shore fishing sites installed statewide through cooperation with local governments, providing parking and hard surface paths for anglers.
• Great Minnesota Ski Pass

Quantifiable outcome

• Minnesota ranked #1 state in nation for catch-and-keep fishing with 80 million pounds of fish harvested annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior ChippewacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026Collaborative prescribed burn on 17 acres of Minnesota Point in Duluth to restore red pine forests. Joint effort between DNR, the tribal band, and city of Duluth for forest regeneration and ecosystem health.
• Great River GreeningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner assisting with statewide tree planting efforts targeting 10,000 trees by end of 2029, including student tree plantings at schools like Harding High School in St. Paul to address urban heat islands.
• Voyageurs Wolf ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration documenting cougar breeding in Minnesota for first time in over a century. Trail cameras operated by the project captured female cougar with three kittens near Voyageurs National Park.
• City of Thief River FallsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-phase collaboration over a decade on water quality improvement and flood damage reduction projects in Chief's Coulee, a tributary threatening the city's drinking water intake.
• Red Lake Watershed DistrictmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on $2.3 million in water quality and flood damage reduction projects featuring hydrodynamic separators, underground piping, and grassed waterways to filter stormwater and agricultural runoff.
• Pennington Soil and Water Conservation DistrictmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Chief's Coulee restoration work including $2.3 million in water quality projects completed by late 2025.
• Town Square (St. Paul)minorOthersBuilding location hosting FalconCam nesting box for peregrine falcons on Town Square building in downtown St. Paul for 16th consecutive year.

Scale indicators31 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mndnr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MinnesotaDNR
• Facebookfacebook.com/MinnesotaDNR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mndnr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Minnesota Department of Natural Resources