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HomeMy WebLinkAboutForestry & Parks Committee - Minutes - 3/17/2014BAYFIELD COUNTY FORESTRY AND PARKS DEPARTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING March 17, 2014 County Board Room Members Present: Shawn Miller; Chairperson; Marco Bichanich, Vice-Chairperson; Bucky Jardine, Harold Maki and John Bennett Members Absent: None Staff in Attendance: Jason Bodine, Administrator; Steve Probst, Assistant Administrator; and Pat Bruno, Office Manager Others in Attendance: Joseph LeBouton, WI DNR Liaison and Todd Norwood, Red Cliff Tribe of Lake Superior Chippewa 1. Call to Order of Forestry and Parks Committee Meeting. The meeting of the Forestry and Parks Committee was called to order by S. Miller at 5:30 P.M. 2. Approval of February 10, 2014 Meeting Minutes. MOTION: (Jardine, Bichanich) to receive and place on file the February 10, 2014 meeting minutes. Carried. 3. Public Comment. S. Miller called for public comments. None were received. 4. Logger Comments. S. Miller called for logger comments. None were received. 5. Monthly Financial Report. A. Forestry: J. Bodine reported that timber sale revenues and expenses are on average for the year to date. B. Parks: CY 2014 Seasonal balances are due at the end of March. Ways to increase occupancy at Delta Lake, adding Internet access to both Twin Bear and Delta lakes, advertise transient camping special rates, offering contracted canoe and kayak rental service, and implementing on line reservations are being addressed. C. Trails: Staff continues to work with the Snowmobile Alliance and area motorized clubs. Monthly staff and Alliance meetings will begin to address issues and to work toward a better functioning volunteer based trail maintenance system. J Bodine assured that the County will not have a role in the day to day trail maintenance. MOTION: (Bennett, Bichanich) to receive and place on file the February 2014 financial report. Carried. 6. Recreational Use Request: Cable Area Chamber of Commerce. J. Bodine has received a request from the Cable Area Chamber of Commerce to use trails located within Bayfield County Forest in the Town of Cable for the Cable Area Off-Road Classic Mountain Bike Race on May 17, 2014. Bayfield County Forestry and Parks Committee Page 2 of 3 March 17, 2014 Meeting Minutes MOTION: (Bichanich, Maki) to approve the request from the Cable Area Chamber of Commerce to use trails located in County forest land in the Town of Cable for the Off-Road Classic Mountain Bike Race on May 17, 2014. Carried. 7. Access Permit Renewal Request: John and Patricia Prusila. J. Bodine has received a request from John and Patricia Prusila to renew an access permit to their property located off East Eight Mile Lake Road in the Town of Barnes. Bodine explained that this access permit is one of the very few that provides access to a primary home. MOTION: (Maki, Bichanich) to approve the access request renewal from John and Patricia Prusila to their property in the Town of Barnes and to have the Forestry and Parks Administrator offer a permanent easement to the property owner. Carried. 8. Access Permit Renewal Request: Bob and Emily Nesvold. J. Bodine received an access permit renewal request from Bob and Emily Nesvold to property located off Friendly Valley Road in the Town of Bayview. MOTION: (Maki, Bennett) to approve the ten year access permit renewal request from Bob and Emily Nesvold to their property located off of Friendly Valley Road in the Town of Bayview. Carried. 9. Telemark Land Exchange. This potential land exchange between the current land owner and the County is on hold pending further information. No action taken. 10. Town Road Aid Fund. A proposed solution to the town road maintenance issue is to increase the funds available to towns with the greatest need for road repairs. Bayfield County would provide the road materials and the towns the labor and equipment. MOTION: (Maki, Bichanich) to approve the increase the 2014 town road aid reimbursement fund from 1% of the past year’s timber sale revenue to 2%; which includes the Town of Highland in Douglas County. Carried. 11. Land Sales Within Red Cliff Reservation. The County and Tribe have held numerous discussions regarding the sale of county forest land (to the Tribe) located within Reservation boundaries. Bodine presented a general summary of those discussions. Currently, there is approximately 1,420 acres of County Forest Land located within the boundaries of the Red Cliff Reservation. Roughly 600 acres is mature and ready for management. The rest has either already been managed or has (or will) be removed from management due to riparian protection or inoperable slopes. The focus of discussions has been the sale of county forest land, to the Tribe, after the land has been managed. Proceeds from the sale would then be used to purchase land in other areas of the county (as per the 15 year plan). No specific parameters have been outlined, but both parties have shown interest in the concept. The Committee expressed numerous concerns with the concept. Some of the major concerns included: the potential for roads that had been open in the past to be closed to future timber hauling from adjoining County Forest Land, as well as general public use; land that was formerly open to public hunting could Bayfield County Forestry and Parks Committee Page 3 of 3 March 17, 2014 Meeting Minutes potentially be closed to non-tribal members; property values for existing private landowners could be reduced; access to private land, that currently go through the county forest, could be denied or restricted; determining the fair market value of the land in question. Bodine added that discussions were only beginning and that everything was just conceptual at this point. Bodine commented that the concept has merit and was confident something could be worked out that would be agreeable to both parties. MOTION: (Maki, Bennett) to not sell County owned forest land currently located within the Red Cliff Reservation and continue to manage the land as has been done in the past. Roll call vote: Yes: H. Maki, M. Bichanich, B. Jardine, J. Bennett. Carried. 12. General Discussion Items: A. Town of Highland. Because the Town of Highland is again considering adopting spring hauling restrictions on all of their Town roads, this impacts Bayfield County’s timber sale contractors who need to use those roads to get the wood out to Highway 27. A stretch of 5-6 miles of sand road is impacted the most. J. Bodine will meet with the new town board this summer to address a long term solution to the issue. No action taken. 13. Joseph LeBouton, DNR Representative Comments. None at this time. 14. Supervisors’ Comments. S. Miller called for supervisor comments. None were received. Meeting was adjourned at 6:30 P.M. The next Forestry and Parks Committee meeting will be held Monday, April 7, 2014 at 6:00 P.M., Bayfield County Courthouse, Washburn, WI. Submitted by, Pat Bruno