HomeMy WebLinkAboutForestry & Parks Committee - Minutes - 3/13/2023
BAYFIELD COUNTY FORESTRY AND PARKS DEPARTMENT
COMMITTEE MEETING
March 13, 2023
County Board Room
Members Present: Fred Strand; Jeffrey Silbert; Larry Fickbohm; Charly Ray; Steve Sandstrom
Staff in Attendance: Jason Bodine, Administrator; Madelaine Rekemeyer (County Board Supervisor); Cassie
Taylor, Office Manager
Others in Attendance: Joseph Lebouton, WI DNR; Kathleen Radtke; Steve Smith; Cindy McDonnell; Mike
Radtke; Elizabeth Andre; Deborah Zvosec; Dave Ullman; Emily Stone; Dustin Long; Tom Fitz; Michael
Weispfenning; Josh Swan; John Kotar
1. Call to Order of Forestry and Parks Committee Meeting.
This meeting was called to order at 6:04 PM. Announcement made by Chairman Strand that Agenda Item
#9 (Committee Members Discussion) will be moved up to immediately follow Agenda Item #2 (Public
Comment). Strand also announces that County Board Member Rekemeyer is joining the Committee for
tonight’s meeting.
2. Public Comment:
Public Comment opens at 6:05 PM. Thirteen citizens speak regarding the Ashwabay SMA timber sale.
Two speak in favor of the sale as written, seven speak against the sale as written, and four speak neither
for nor against but to identify a need for collaboration and review. Public Comment closes at 6:30 PM.
See item #9 for Committee Members Discussion.
3. Approval of the February 13th Meeting Minutes.
Will be addressed at April 10th meeting.
4. Monthly Reports.
a) Forestry (all updates): Stumpage revenue for the month of February was just over $346k. Current
total timber sale revenue is just under $670k. The revenue received last month is well above
average and nearly double the amount receipted last year. Total revenue is also currently ahead
of the pace set last year. The annual town road aid letters were distributed on March 1.
Applications will be addressed during the April meeting.
a. Carbon Project. Department is looking into development of a forest management/carbon
management/financial program model. Likely first revenues are now pushed back to late
second to early third quarter.
b. Land Acquisition Project(s). Sandstrom notes that the County has acquired close to 4,000
acres of land for the sale (referring to Red Cliff sale) of approximately 1,100 acres. Chairman
Strand adds that several grants were obtained by Bodine to assist with acquisitions. Brief
discussion regarding potential SMAs in new land acquisitions. Bodine confirms that around
110 acres in the Lost Creek purchase will likely be SMA, and that the 2,000 acres at Sand
River will mostly fall within an active management schedule, incorporating BMPs for
riparian management zones.
a. Sand River. Still waiting on official word from NOAA; for every month they hold
this property, department is charged an additional $13k. Hope to hear something
soon.
Bayfield County Forestry & Parks Committee
March 13, 2023 Meeting Minutes
Page 2 of 3
b. Bark River – Town of Clover. Closed on February 28. Now in process of
withdrawing parcels from MFL and enrolling in CFL. Adding roughly 1,580 acres to
county forest.
c. Sustainable Forestry Grant. Will have as an action item during April meeting.
d. Lake States Bat Habitat Conservation Plan. A draft application should be ready for review at
April’s meeting.
b) Campgrounds and Day Use Parks. Nothing new to report.
c) Trails and Recreation.
a. Motorized Trails: Preliminary (mid-January through mid-February) snowmobile trail
counter numbers are presented: the counter near Iron River, which is off the corridor, had
indicated over 5,100 uses (in one month); the one near Namakagon was nearly 5,500; and the
one outside Washburn was nearly 3,000, Barnes (nearly 4,000 uses), Drummond (4,015 uses)
and Herbster (nearly 1,100 uses). Trails will officially close March 31. Will keep counters up
for ATV use tracking.
i. DNR Winter Storm Damage Grant. The storm damage grant application was
submitted on March 1. Collectively, it was determined that the December heavy
snowstorm caused about $30k in damage. The DNR recently announced that
compensation will be considered once the season is over and final expense reports
submitted to the state. If the snow damage expenses can be addressed through normal
maintenance and supplemental funds, then it’s likely that no additional compensation
will be necessary.
b. Non-Motorized Trails: Bayfield Nordic continues to groom new ski trail at Siskiwit
property. A trail counter has been installed to track use. February recorded around 280
counter trips. Timber sale at Ashwabay continues to generate interest. Work will soon begin
on the management plan for the Cable SMA.
c. Yurts. Current occupancy rates presented by Bodine.
d. Events. Nothing new to report.
d) Delta Landfill Update. The 2022/2023 budget amendment is addressed below. Otherwise,
nothing new to report.
MOTION: (Silbert, Ray) Receive reports as presented and place on file. All: Yes. Carried.
5. Access Permit Request. Jeffrey and Kimberly Nelson are requesting a 10-year temporary access permit
in the Town of Iron River. Bodine recommends approval.
MOTION: (Ray, Sandstrom) Approve access permit request. All: Yes. Carried.
6. Access Permit Request. Brett Diersen is requesting a 10-year temporary access permit in the Town of
Iron River. Bodine recommends approval.
MOTION: (Silbert, Ray) Approve access permit renewal request. All: Yes. Carried.
7. COR. The FCOR and CCOR have been combined in one document. Forestry did recommend a change
to the FCOR during the last meeting. Bodine recommends striking what was approved during the
Forestry meeting and replacing with new condensed language discussed. Changes were approved by
Executive Committee with recommendation to be forwarded to the full Board.
This was a discussion item only. No action taken.
Bayfield County Forestry & Parks Committee
March 13, 2023 Meeting Minutes
Page 3 of 3
8. Resolution: 2022 and 2023 Budget Amendment. The budget amendment addresses the work already
completed on the Delta Landfill project and incorporates revenue received from Delta in 2022
($12,500), the expected revenue to be received from the Town in 2023 ($12,500), and the expected
return from FEMA in 2023 (hopefully 87.5% of total annual costs).
MOTION: (Ray, Fickbohm) Approve budget amendment and forward to the County Board.
All: Yes. Carried.
9. Committee Members Discussion. Ray expresses appreciation for the amount of public interested in the
Ashwabay sale. This sale has sparked the realization to many trail users that they recreate on public
lands with diverse uses, and that the County has taken reasonable steps to accommodate the users at
Ashwabay. Fickbohm reads the Department’s mission statement aloud and extends a vote of confidence
in Jason Bodine, attesting that the Administrator’s greatest concern is long-term forest health. Silbert
thanks the citizens in attendance and those who wrote in comments. He shares that the committee
members are staunch environmentalists and that this issue should not feel like “us” versus “them.” He
adds that Mike Amman was artistic in his development of the Ashwabay sale. Sandstrom thanks the
public for attending, reiterates that the committee members have personal connections to Ashwabay, and
that this sale isn’t taken lightly. He suggests that emotions can cloud judgement and asks the public to
trust the Forest Administrator who has worked on this sale for the past two years.
10. Joseph Lebouton: No comments.
The next Forestry and Parks Committee meeting has been scheduled for Monday, April 10th at 6:00 P.M.
Meeting adjourned at 7:08 PM.
Submitted by,
Cassie Taylor
