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HomeMy WebLinkAboutForestry & Parks Committee - Minutes - 4/13/2015BAYFIELD COUNTY FORESTRY AND PARKS DEPARTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING April 13, 2015 EOC Room – Courthouse Annex Members Present: Shawn Miller, Chairperson; Marco Bichanich, Vice-Chairperson; Harold Maki; John Bennett; and Fred Strand Staff in Attendance: Jason Bodine, Administrator; Steve Probst, Asst. Administrator 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 March 9, 2015 Meeting Minutes. MOTION: (Strand, Bichanich) to receive and place on file the March 9, 2015 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 1) Department Budget Update: J. Bodine reported the timber sale revenues received to date are $1.25 million. Expenses are on target. 2) State of Wisconsin 2015-17 Proposed Budget: State staff discovered that an error had been made regarding the County Forest Administrator Grant (50% reimbursement to the County for wages, fringe benefits and WCFA dues). The WCFA dues reimbursement portion was the intended targeted budget reduction line item. This could negatively impact the Department’s budget by $4,000 annually; i.e. 50% of the total WCFA dues paid. 3) Stewardship Grant: The appraisals are almost completed. Once done, the DNR will review them first. Shortly, the county will learn if approved and the final property values. This is assuming the process is completed prior to July 1, 2015, the beginning of the state’s fiscal year. The county will then have one year to negotiate with the sellers. 4) Northern Long Eared Bat Listing: The northern long eared bat is officially listed as a threatened species. The impact is being reviewed and public hearing comments could potentially change the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 4(d) rule. The USFWS will be responsible for monitoring the bat. As it stands now, there will be restrictions on harvesting within 0.25 miles of known, occupied hibernacula (den sites such as caves); cutting or destroying known occupied maternity roost trees during June 1-July 31 (pup season); and clear- cutting within 0.25 miles of known, occupied maternity roost trees during the pup season. None of these scenarios are currently known to exist on county forest land. The caveat, however, is that Bayfield County Forestry and Parks Committee Page 2 of 3 April 13, 2015 Meeting Minutes conversion from mixed forests into intensively managed monoculture pine forests was not considered forest management under these guidelines and would not be covered under the exemptions. Bodine also noted that a 6 (approx.) acre fire occurred on April 12 off of the Pero Road (unattended campfire). The damaged county forest land held 3-4 acres of merchantable timber and the plan is to sell it as a salvage sale in the future. MOTION: (Bennett, Bichanich) to receive and place on file the March 2015 financial report. Carried. B. Parks J. Bodine shared that Norvado is set to run fiber cable to Delta Lake and Twin Bear Campgrounds after the road bans are lifted. Jeff Jolma has been contracted to set up the lines to the campgrounds. The new playset for Twin Bear campground has arrived. Rod Hipsher was hired to trim hazard trees at Twin Bear Campgrounds. Community service individuals have been working with John Mesko, Forestry and Parks Technician, cleaning up debris from Delta Lake campground. Every site at Delta Lake now has a lake view. C. Trails J. Bodine reports that if current dry conditions continue, the ATV trails could open May 1. Contract negotiations are currently taking place with the Snowmobile Alliance. MOTION: (Miller, Maki) to revise the motion to receive and place on file the March 2015 financial report to include Parks and Trails. Carried. 6. Recreational Use Request, CAMBA: Ron Bergin, Executive Director. Ron Bergin appeared before the Committee to explain the request to re-route a portion of the CAMBA mountain bike trail in the Town of Cable. The old, existing single-track trail runs straight up a steep hill. The request is to abandon this trail and create a new, safer and more sustainable traversing trail and entirely at CAMBA’s expense. J. Bodine recommended approval. MOTION: (Bichanich, Bennett) to approve the request received from CAMBA to replace a portion of the existing trail with a traversing trail in the Town of Cable. Carried. 7. Wildlife Opening Maintenance Request: Todd Naas, WDNR Wildlife Biologist. T. Naas was unable to attend the meeting. No discussion. MOTION: (Bennett, Bichanich) to approve the 2015 Wildlife Opening Maintenance Request as proposed by Todd Naas, WI DNR. Carried. 8. Access Permit Request. A request was received from Joseph Naylor and Mathew Ostrander to obtain a 10 year access permit to newly acquired 80 acre property in the Town of Barnes. J. Bodine explained that the previous owner held the access permit that expired upon the sale of the property. J. Bodine recommends approval. MOTION: (Maki, Bichanich) to approve the 10 year Access Permit as requested by Joseph Naylor and Mathew Ostrander to property located in the Town of Barnes. Carried. Bayfield County Forestry and Parks Committee Page 3 of 3 April 13, 2015 Meeting Minutes 9. Recreational Use Request: Cable Area Chamber of Commerce. A request was received from the Cable Area Chamber of Commerce to use existing trails on County Forest Land located in the Town of Cable for their annual Cable Area Off-Road Classic mountain bike race to be held on May 16, 2015. MOTION: (Bennett, Bichanich) to approve the request from the Cable Area Chamber of Commerce to use existing trails located on county forest land on May 16, 2015 for the annual Cable Area Off-Road Classic mountain bike race. Carried. 10. Spring Timber Sale Offering. J. Bodine presented the 2015 Spring Timber Sale Offering; the largest single offering to date. The 38 tract offering includes 2,800 acres, nearly 60,000 cords and minimum bid value of $1.7 million. The focus is on sand ground aspen. Included in the sale is newly acquired tax delinquent property near Duck Lake (non- county forest properties). F. Strand congratulated the staff on the excellent work done preparing this offering. MOTION: (Bichanich, Maki) to approve the Spring Timber Sale Offering as presented. Carried. 11. Bayfield County Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan Amendments. A few months ago the 2015-2019 Outdoor Comprehensive Recreation Plan was approved for the next five years. As part of the process, the Tribe and local units of government were solicited for revisions to the plan. The revisions were received and now the plan needs to be amended to include those revisions. If approved by the Forestry and Parks Committee, a resolution is required to be obtained from the full county board approving the amendment. MOTION: (Bennett, Strand) to approve the amended Bayfield County Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan and forward to the full county board for consideration. Carried. 12. Joseph LeBouton, DNR Representative. Comments. Fire season is in full swing. There are no new fiscal year state budget updates to report. The two remaining unfilled DNR positions that support Bayfield County will remain unfilled until the 2015-2015 budget is finalized. 13. Adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 6:30 P.M. The next Forestry and Parks Committee meeting will be held Monday, May 11, 2015 at 6:00 P.M. in the County Board Room, 2nd Floor of the Bayfield County Courthouse, Washburn, WI. Submitted by, Pat Bruno