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HomeMy WebLinkAboutForestry & Parks Committee - Minutes - 4/9/2018 BAYFIELD COUNTY FORESTRY AND PARKS DEPARTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING April 9, 2018 County Board Room Members Present: Shawn Miller, Chairperson; Fred Strand, Vice-Chairperson and Harold Maki, Jeffrey Silbert and Larry Fickbohm Staff in Attendance: Jason Bodine, Administrator; Steve Probst, Asst. Administrator and Pat Bruno, Office Manager Others in Attendance: Joseph LeBouton, WI DNR Liaison; Todd Naas, WI DNR, Wildlife Biologist 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 6:01 P.M. 2. Public Comment. Chairman Miller called for public comment; no one from the general public were in attendance. Public comment was closed. 3. Approval of the March 12, 2018 Meeting Minutes. MOTION: (Silbert, Fickbohm) to accept the minutes as presented. All: Yes. Carried. 4. Wildlife Opening Maintenance Request: Todd Naas, WDNR Wildlife Biologist. T. Naas reported on the past year’s accomplishments of the annual wildlife opening maintenance projects located on county forest land. Eighty-one of the one hundred twenty-eight goal openings were maintained by hand clearing and mowing. The third year of wet conditions prevented access to maintain 24 of those openings. Twelve openings were treated with herbicide. The plan for 2018, is to maintain 121 openings (114 acres) in the Towns of Hughes, Bell and Clover. MOTION: (Silbert, Strand) to support the wildlife opening maintenance requested by Todd Naas. All: Yes. Carried. 5. Monthly Reports. A. Forestry (all updates): 1) 2018 Budget. J. Bodine reports that March timber sale revenues were approximately $540,000 and the total is on pace with the past two years. The prediction is $4+ million for the year. Expenses are normal for the first quarter. 2) Red Cliff Land Sale (80 acres). The request for withdrawal from CFL of the 80 acre Sand River property is still under review by the DNR. Other details are in place to move forward with the sale of the property to the Tribe once the decision is received. Bayfield County Forestry and Parks Committee Page 2 of 4 April 9, 2018 3) Stewardship Grant. The application was preliminarily approved and appraisals are nearly complete. The initial Bibon Swamp land appraisal (Compass Land Consultant) came in at approx. half of what was expected. The DNR ordered second appraisals on the Bibon (match) and Ceres properties. The second appraisal is expected at the end of April. With lower than hoped valuations, this grant could be approximately half of what was initially expected. 4) Siskiwit River Preserve. Closing on this property is expected around the beginning of May, assuming the NOAA grant award is formally awarded. A second grant of roughly $10,000 is available that could be used for a parking lot, trail improvements and signage. Once the award letter is received, the department will begin work on preparing the property for public use, which will first require planning and collaboration with the Town of Bell and Bayfield Regional Conservancy. 5) Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine. An informational agenda item to make the committee aware of the recent statewide EAB quarantine. To date, EAB has not been discovered in Bayfield County. Ash wood products may be hauled freely within Wisconsin but restrictions are applied if a state line is crossed. 6) Oak Wilt. The WI DNR is taking the lead on public outreach to help raise awareness of the disease. Oak wilt has not yet been discovered in Bayfield County; however, it has been found 6 miles to the south of county forest land near Cable. In an attempt to reduce the spread of the disease, the Department has incorporated no harvesting restrictions (April 15 to July 15) on current and future timber sales, in the Cable block, with a significant oak component. The restriction addresses the period of time when the primary vector of overland spread of the disease (a sap feeding beetle) is most active. B. Parks. Due to poor weather conditions, a delayed campground opening date could be announced. Manager Brenda Garrett has returned and is in the process of preparation for the season. Some dead branches will be trimmed from a large white pine at Big Rock campground also. C. Trails and Recreation. 1) Motorized Trails. It was a successful winter season and the Snowmobile Alliance spent approximately $200,000 to maintain trails. If dry enough, ATV trails will open around Memorial Day. Local work on the digitized state funded trail network map is nearing completion. Work has begun on the annual DNR grant applications. A portion of the snowmobile trail in Cable may require a re-route. The trail currently travels West off Parker Road onto U.S. Park Service land and then through private property. The private property portion has been closed by the owner. Initial discussions with the Park Service have also not been favorable. In addition to not allowing a re-route, we have been informed that motorized trails will not be allowed on their property at all. To maintain connections, we may Bayfield County Forestry and Parks Committee Page 3 of 4 April 9, 2018 have to route the trail onto Randysek Road, which is not desirable. The road is maintained (plowed) and traffic is frequent. No alternative safe trail has been located. 2) Non-Motorized Trails. Nothing new to report. 3) Yurts. Occupancy at the Bayfield yurt was 77% in March and 52% in Cable. The new, third yurt, arrived last week. The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Public Services (oversee the UDC program) agreed to grandfather in the first two yurts. It was determined that Bayfield County completed due diligence to secure the proper permits. The local UDC inspector will follow up with a confirmation document to that effect. The third (new) yurt will be required to follow UDC protocols as part of construction. MOTION: (Maki, Silbert) to receive and place reports on file. All: Yes. Carried. 6. Spring Timber Sale Offering. Of the 30 tracts (2,623 acres) of which 3 tracts (171 acres) are re-offers for the spring timber sale offering. The minimum bid value is $1.22+ million. The maps are now two pages. The harvest requirements and a small inset map are now included on Page 2 of each. The bid sheet is a separate page. MOTION: (Silbert, Maki) to accept as proposed. All: Yes. Carried. 7. Recreational Use Request. Seeley Lion’s Club. Discussion and possible action regarding a request to utilize trails in the Town of Cable for the 24th annual Pre-Fat Mountain Bike Race on August 18, 2018. J. Bodine explained that the route is changed each year and it happens to include a portion of county forest land in 2018. MOTION: (Silbert, Fickbohm) to recommend approval. All: Yes. Carried. 8. Recreational Use Request. Cable Area Resources in Emergencies (C.A.R.E.), Discussion and possible action regarding a request to utilize trails in the Town of Cable for an annual 10k running event on July 4, 2018. J. Bodine recommends approval. No discussion. MOTION: (Maki, Fickbohm) to approve. All: Yes. Carried. 9. Amendment to the Bayfield County Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. Discussion and possible action regarding an amendment to the 2015-2019 Outdoor Recreation Plan, to include the Bayfield County Fairgrounds. J. Bodine explained adding the fairground campgrounds to the Plan will allow for future grant application considerations. He will research whether the shooting range should be included in the Plan also and will be include on the May agenda if needed and ready to present. MOTION: (Strand, Silbert) to recommend approval to amend the Outdoor Recreation Plan to include the Bayfield County Forestry and Parks Committee Page 4 of 4 April 9, 2018 fairgrounds. All: Yes. Carried. 10. Recognizing Shawn Miller Upon His Retirement from the Bayfield County Board of Supervisors, Including Eight Years as Chairman of the Forestry and Parks Committee. S. Miller was recognized and thanked for his years of service and direction while on the Forestry and Parks Committee and the many accomplishments that have been brought to fruition during those years. 11. Joseph LeBouton, DNR Representative. J. LeBouton expressed thanks to S. Miller also. The meeting adjourned at 6:59 P.M. The next Forestry and Parks Committee meeting and timber sale bid opening will be held Monday, May 14, 2018 at 6:00 P.M. at Bayfield County Courthouse, County Board Room, Second Floor, 117 E. 5th Street, Washburn, Wisconsin. Submitted by, Pat Bruno