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HomeMy WebLinkAboutForestry & Parks Committee - Minutes - 10/12/2020 BAYFIELD COUNTY FORESTRY AND PARKS DEPARTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING October 12, 2020 County Board Room and Microsoft Teams Members Present: Fred Strand, Chairperson; Jeffrey Silbert, David Zepczyk, Larry Fickbohm, Steve Sandstrom (connected virtually) Staff in Attendance: Jason Bodine, Administrator; Lindley Mattson, Office Manager; Steve Probst, Assistant Administrator Others in Attendance: Joseph LeBouton, DNR Liaison; Charly Ray, County Board Member 1. Call to Order of Forestry and Parks Committee Meeting. This meeting was called to order at 6:00pm. 2. Public Comment: None 3. Approval of the September 14, 2020 Meeting Minutes. MOTION: (Zepczyk, Silbert) to approve the minutes as presented. All: Yes. Carried. 4. Monthly Reports. Discussion of general activities, events, issues and accomplishments. Possible action on report(s) only. a. Forestry (all updates): a) 2020 Budget. After a normal August revenue, roughly $220k was generated in September, about 45% under the three year average. To date, a total of $2.62 million has been received. If the stumpage revenue trend continues, timber revenues should end up between $3 - $3.1 million. Expenses are on target. b) Carbon Offset/Marketing. After making good progress this project has taken a step backwards. Finite Carbon is reassessing their workloads. The department is still looking into Carbon Marketing options. c) CFL Withdrawal/Red Cliff Land Sale. Received a verbal approval from the DNR on the CFL withdrawal. Corp Counsel is working with Red Cliff to complete the sale. Expecting a closing date of October 23. d) Pratt Rd Land Acquisition. Corp Counsel is working with the realtor to close on this sale as well. Tentative closing of October 30. We received a snowmobile trail aids grant for the DNR to help with this acquisition. The total project will cost $15,775. The grant will reimburse $11,775, the rest being funded with the non-lapse land acquisition account. e) Barrens Wildlife Monitoring. We have been collaborating with the NRRI Duluth on the development of a barrens wildlife monitoring project. The monitoring project would potentially have three primary components: 1) sharp-tailed grouse monitoring; 2) a breeding bird survey; and 3) small mammal monitoring. All three components are key to building a better understanding of how wildlife is using (or not using) the barrens landscape that we are actively developing. NRRI has stated that they may be able to help find additional funding sources. f) Stewardship Land Acquisition Project. The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is in the process of negotiating terms on the large potential acquisition project with Ceres Timber. They are also in the process of identifying potential funding sources for the other half of the total acquisition costs. The other half would be secured through Stewardship grant we would apply for this winter. If all goes as planned roughly 2,000 acres of diverse forest land located in the Bayfield peninsula could become part of the county forest by the end of 2021 at almost no cost to the county. b. Parks Total campground revenues are roughly $112k, exceeding the $110k budget. Given the unknowns surrounding the start of the 2020 camping season, this year was a tremendous success. a. 2021 Seasonal Camping Applications: The process was completed over the weekend. 36 sites at Twin Bear and 30 sites at Delta. All sites were reserved at Twin Bear and there are still a few openings at Delta Lake. b. 2021-2023 Parks Manager Contract: Still working on this. Contract will be presented to committee at the November meeting. c. Trails and Recreation: a) Motorized Trail Updates: Work has begun on the ATV covered picnic shelter off the Flag Road trail. This project is 100% grant funded. Hoping to have this completed by early November. The supplemental payment to the Alliance will be the most ever at roughly $170,500. This large supplemental transaction will potentially require a budget amendment. b) Non-Motorized Trail Updates: Work on the Siskiwit Falls trail is expected to begin this month, nothing yet. We have had to replace a few boards on the Lost Creek Falls trail. We have had a few issues with trail counters, although they are now back in service. c) Perch Lake Access Project. Map was presented to the committee. Improvements to the existing access road were completed and a small parking area at the end. There are temporary signs there now letting people know this is public access to the lake. There is a possibility of more developments depending on use of this area. d) Carroll Lake Access Project. As approved last month, the next lake access project will be Carroll Lake. It is almost entirely owned by Bayfield County. The existing road will be improved, hiking trails and a small rustic campsite could be considered in the future at this location. e) Yurt Updates: Bodine presented the occupancy rates for August-November. Still continue to be very popular. Still dealing with mice. Seems to be getting better. The road work on the service road to the yurts should be completed this month. f) Events. No new events were addressed this past month. d. Delta Landfill Update: : The official application for a change in scope of work, as well as a request for additional funding was submitted by Wisconsin Emergency Management to FEMA. Mark also recently hosted a conversation with the Town of Delta representatives regarding the 12.5% of total costs that we would be responsible for and options to address that expense. Otherwise, nothing new to report. MOTION: (Zepczyk, Fickbohm) Receive and place on file. All: Yes. Carried. 5. Fall Timber Sale Offering J. Bodine presented a summary of the 2020 fall timber sales. A total of 32 sales, covering 2,608 acres will be offered this fall. Of the total number of sales, 8 are re-offerings, including 1 of the salvage sales that remains unsold. Fall timber sale results from surrounding counties are starting to come in and have been better than expected. Regarding the bid opening, Bodine recommends implementing the same process as the spring offering (and salvage sales). Make all bids due at noon on the day of the November meeting, open all bids shortly after noon, determine the winning bidder for each and develop a summary. The summary would then be brought to the meeting for formal approval. Bodine again recommends temporarily suspending the need to include a bid bond with each bid. MOTION: (Silbert, Fickbohm) Approve the proposed timber sales and for the bid opening to be handled as it was this spring. All: Yes. Carried. 6. County Conservation Aid Grant Resolution A valid resolution is required when applying for a conservation aids grant. When applying for the latest round of conservations aids, the DNR noted that our standing resolution is relatively old. Even though there isn’t an expiration date listed in the resolution, the DNR has requested that the document be updated. Attached is the exact same resolution that has been used in the past, but with a new date. MOTION: (Zepczyk, Silbert) Motion to advance this resolution to the full county board. All: Yes. Carried. 7. Wisconsin Society of American Foresters Innovation in Forestry Award Our Department was recognized by WI SAF for innovation in forestry. A slideshow was presented to the committee that was used by the speaker when presenting the award to two of our staff (virtually). Also presented to the committee was a copy of the award. Some discussion by the committee to bring this to the full county board to recognize the hard work of the Department. Consensus: have this be an agenda item at the next full county board meeting. 8. Bayfield County Forest Comprehensive Land Use Plan Revision a. Remaining Timeline. Final plan is not ready yet. Bodine did not have much time this month to work on it. Hoping to have more for the November meeting. 9. Joseph LeBouton, DNR – Joseph wanted to congratulate the department on the award and thank us for our hard work. The next Forestry and Parks Committee meeting has been scheduled for Monday, November 9, 2020 at 6:00 P.M. Meeting adjourned at 6:56 PM Submitted by, Lindley Mattson