BEMIDJI — The Beltrami Soil and Water Conservation District quickly dispersed thousands of trees in Bemidji on Tuesday, May 26.
Nearly a year has passed since a major windstorm swept through the Bemidji and western Leech Lake areas.
People were lining up in the Lueken’s North parking lot before the dispersal of the conservation-grade trees even began.
One hour into the event, Kaylie Carver and the rest of the Beltrami SWCD were nearly cleared out, with only a handful of swamp oaks remaining.
“Right away, folks came and took a bunch of trees,” Carver said. “We started with about 3,700 trees. We had bur oak, swamp white oak, red oak and then some pecan trees that we got last minute.”
This was the second free tree event advertised so far this month, with the nonprofit Let’s Plant Trees dispersing 15,000 trees to restore Bemidji’s tree canopy.
An estimated 9 million trees came down in the June 2025 wind storm, drastically altering the local landscape.
-
Contributed/Itasca County Outdoor Recreation PlanPublic comment on the draft is open July 10-Aug. 10, 2026. The county is also hosting informational meetings. -
Contributed/Mike Lindell FacebookIn a Truth Social post, Trump endorsed Lindell and called him one of the "most hard working patriots." -
Maria Hileman/KAXEKAXE's weekly list of concerts near you features Aida Shahghasemi, Charlie Parr, Amanda Standalone, Emily LaPlant, Tattletale, The Jayhawks, Menstrual Tramps and more. -
And: Trump endorses Lindell; MPCA seeks new members for advisory group; and Itasca County looks for public input on outdoor recreation plan. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEThe size of the fires, weather conditions and remote location create a complex, long-term situation. Fires aren't expected to be fully out until it snows. -
Andrew Dziengel/KAXEThe 58th Annual Watermark Art Festival returns to downtown Bemidji between July 18-19, 2026. -
Contributed/Sora Shimazaki via PexelsFor those already in poverty or who disproportionately find themselves ensnared in the criminal justice system, the costs of bail, representation, probation or parole, fines, commissary and communication add up . -
A 2025 inspection found the company failed to maintain equipment that monitored and reduced air pollution. -
Contributed/Bemidji PDBemidji Police Chief Mike Mastin says the Minnesota State Patrol is handling the ongoing investigation. -
During the week of July 14, 2026, we enjoy reports of dragonflies, red-bellied snakes, and daddy longlegs. Staff phenologist John Latimer responds.
