The agency is divided into six divisions - Ecological & Water Resources, Enforcement, Fish & Wildlife, Forestry, Lands & Minerals, and Parks & Trails.

In 1911 the Minnesota Division of Forestry was established to conserve the state's forests by promoting fire prevention and protection.

Federal unemployment programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration provided labor to construct buildings, clear trails, and plant trees.

These threats include: harmful invasive species, fish and wildlife diseases, and the negative impact human development can have on the environment.

This would include trumpeter swans, bald eagles and Minnesota's state bird, the common loon.

[7] The division enforces permits implemented to protect and preserve Minnesota's water resources.

Conservation Officers employed by this division enforce laws regarding hunting, fishing, trapping, recreational vehicles, State Parks and wild rice harvesting.

Cooperative management with private land owners vary and are carried out by the Forest Stewardship Program.

The third goal is to support opportunities for visitors to enjoy recreational activities in the parks, without causing damage to the wildlife, so people will be able to appreciate the resources for generations.

[11] It is distributed bimonthly, mailed to subscribers the first weeks of January, March, May, July, September, and November.

There are over a dozen specific volunteer programs offered through the DNR that aim to preserve the state's natural beauty.

The DNR offers a variety of educational resources including curriculum supplements (Project Learning Tree, Project WET, Project WILD, MinnAqua), outdoor skills and safety training, education materials (field guides, learning kits), volunteer training (Master Naturalist, hunter education), and a variety of other resources (DNR for kids, grants).