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HomeMy WebLinkAboutForestry & Parks Committee - Minutes - 11/3/2014BAYFIELD COUNTY FORESTRY AND PARKS DEPARTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING November 3, 2014 County Board Room Members Present: Shawn Miller; Chairperson; Marco Bichanich, Vice-Chairperson; John Bennett, and Harold Maki and Fred Strand Members Absent: None Staff in Attendance: Jason Bodine, Administrator; Steve Probst, Asst. Administrator, Andrew O’Krueg, Forester; Leigh Neitzel, Recreation Forester and Pat Bruno, Office Manager Others in Attendance: Joseph LeBouton, WI DNR Liaison and members of the public 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 6:00 P.M. 2. Approval of the October 6, 2014 Meeting Minutes. MOTION: (Bichanich, Bennett) to receive and place on file the October 6, 2014 meeting minutes. Carried. 3. Public Comment. S. Miller called for public comments. Robert Huray, Futurewood Corporation, inquired on the status of Smith Fire Lane repairs. The Department is working with the Town to resolve road issues and the Town Road Aid request for reimbursement of expenses check is being held pending satisfactory repair of the road. A specific question was asked regarding the status of the Little Sioux River Road’s culvert repairs. J. Bodine responded the Department is in communication with the Towns regarding the repairs needed and working towards resolution. 4. Logger Comments. S. Miller called for logger comments. None were received. 5. Timber Sale Bid Opening. J. Bodine read the timber sale bids of the 2014 fall timber sales (33 tracts offered). The unofficial winning bids were announced. MOTION: (Maki, Bichanich) to accept the unofficial bids as presented for the Fall 2014 Timber Sale offering. Carried. 6. Monthly Financial Report. A. Forestry: October’s timber sale revenues are at $332,000. The County Administrator’s office has received a request from the Red Cliff Tribe of Lake Superior Chippewa for a meeting with the full County Board to discuss land ownership and access. Bodine noted that the northern long-eared bat has the potential to be listed on the endangered species list due to white nose disease. Protection efforts are expected to preserve the young bats’ habitat. If the Bayfield County Forestry and Parks Committee Page 2 of 3 November 3, 2014 Meeting Minutes endangered listing goes into effect, which could be early 2015, the consequences to the local and nationwide timber harvesting industry could be severe. More information to come in the future. B. Parks: Campgrounds closed on October 31. Campground winterizing, road and launch repairs and a small timber harvest at Delta Lake campground are in progress. The one-half day call-in reservation event for camping season 2015 yielded all but two of the seasonal campsites at Twin Bear being reserved. The two remaining campsites are limited by the size of the camper the sites will accommodate. C. Trails: J. Bodine reported that communication with the clubs to connect the Mason/Sanborn trail is still in progress. Also, communication with Legendary Waters Casino is in progress; working to establish trail connections for casino access. The five-year Bayfield County Recreational Comprehensive Plan is due to expire at the end of 2014. The Plan, which had been the responsibility of the Tourism Department, is a document important to area clubs and organizations that use it for purposes of grant applications. The required completion date is May 1, 2015. The Administrator’s office, Tourism Department and Forestry and Parks Department are working to determine the most appropriate department to produce the revised Plan. MOTION: (Bennett, Bichanich) to receive and place on file the October 2014 financial report. Carried. 7. Stewardship Grant Application. At the November 12 meeting, the full Bayfield County Board will be considering for purchase 1,392 acres from Meteor Timber as part of the Knowles-Nelson grant project. Property currently owned by the County will be used for the required match. The potential project match properties are: 405 acres at Duck Lake, 160 acres in south Barnes, and 40 acres purchased from the BCPL. The total Stewardship project has an estimated value of over $1.96 million. As part of the Grant, the WDNR will pay the County 100% of the appraised value of land that has been owned for less than one year and 50% of the appraised value for land owned more than one year. Also, the Stewardship grant pays for one-half of the final agreed upon purchase price as well as ½ of the appraisal and other relevant fees. Bayfield County should be able to craft a grant, through match properties, that will result in $0 out of pocket costs for this project. Also, it’s expected that approximately $700,000 to $1.0 million in stumpage will be removed from the new parcels in the next 10 years and $1.25 to $1.5 million in additional stumpage in the following 10 years, at current market prices. The Committee already approved moving forward with this application during the meeting in October. In addition, a second Stewardship Grant could also be applied for. The second grant would purchase approximately 463 acres of land from Lyme Timber. This Stewardship grant would follow the same parameters as those listed for Meteor Timber. Bayfield County would provide a match, in land, to cover all of our required costs. This Stewardship project has an estimated value of roughly $650,000. Committee approval is required to move forward with the second application. All of the properties for both projects are of good quality industrial forest land (primarily dominated by fully stocked red pine plantations). Bayfield County Forestry and Parks Committee Page 3 of 3 November 3, 2014 Meeting Minutes MOTION: (Strand, Bennett) to move forward with the second Knowles-Nelson Stewardship grant application for funding the purchase of forest land and eventual enrollment into County Forest Law. Carried. 8. Recreational Use Request. Bayfield Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Bureau. J. Bodine has received a request from the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Bureau to use existing trails located in the Towns of Bayfield and Russell for the 20th annual Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race on February 7 & 8, 2015. MOTION: (Bichanich, Bennett) to approve the request made by the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Bureau to use existing trails on Bayfield County forest land in the Towns of Bayfield and Russell for the 20th annual Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race on February 7 & 8, 2015. Carried. 9. Joseph LeBouton, DNR Representative. Comments. None. 10. Adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:00 P.M. The next Forestry and Parks Committee meeting will be held Monday, December 15, 2014 at 6:00 P.M., Bayfield County Courthouse, Washburn, WI. Submitted by, Pat Bruno