Land, Water & Forest Resources Committee — Agenda Packet

1 Sawyer County Land, Water & Forest Resources Committee Meeting Wednesday, October 7, 2026 @ 8:30 AM Sawyer County Board Room AGENDA 1. ZOOM LINK a. To view or participate in the virtual meeting from a computer, iPad, or Android device please go to https://zoom.us/j/99719807086. You can also use the dial in at 1-312-626- 6799 with the Webinar ID: 997 1980 7086. Use *9 to Raise/lower hand and *6 to Unmute/mute. If you are on a computer, click the "Raise Hand" button and wait to be recognized. If you are on a telephone, dial *9 and wait to be recognized. If additional assistance is needed please contact the County Clerk's Office at 715- 634-4866 prior to the meeting. This meeting will be recorded and will be available on our website at: https://sawyercountygov.org. 2. CALL TO ORDER 3. ROLL CALL 4. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 5. CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS LAW 6. MEETING AGENDA 7. PUBLIC COMMENTS At this time, members of the public will be given the opportunity to address the Committee. Please adhere to the following when addressing the Committee: • Comments will be limited to 3 minutes or less per individual. • Comments should be directed to the Committee as a whole and not directed to individual Committee members. • The Committee cannot respond to your comments during this time. • Please sign in and fill out a public comment sheet if you wish to speak and hand it to the County Clerk (please respect the signs and do not approach Board members at the table). 8. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING a. Draft LWFRC Minutes 9.9.26 9. EVENTS (DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION) a. Events Applications- No applications Received Page 1 of 16 2 10. REGISTER OF DEEDS REPORT a. Register of Deeds Report 11. LAND RECORDS AND COUNTY SURVEYOR REPORTS a. Real Property Lister Report b. GIS Changes to Acreages Discussion c. County Surveyor Report 12. FORESTRY a. County Forestry Report b. Wisconsin DNR Report c. US Forest Service Report d. Recreational Trails Report 13. ZONING & CONSERVATION 14. RESOLUTION 2026-____REMOVE RESTRICTIONS ON BASS LAKE PARCELS (DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION) a. Remove Restrictions on Bass Lake Parcels 15. BOARD APPOINTED COMMITTEE UPDATES 16. CORRESPONDENCE, REPORTS FROM CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS 17. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 18. FINALIZATION OF BUSINESS 19. NEXT MEETING DATE /TIME: NOVEMBER 4, 2026 AT 8:30 AM 20. ADJOURNMENT DISCLAIMER: A quorum of the County Board of Supervisors or of any of its committees may be present at this meeting to listen and observe. Neither the Board nor any of the committees have established attendance at this meeting as an official function of the Board or committee(s) or otherwise made a determination that attendance at the meeting is necessary to carry out Page 2 of 16 3 the Board or committee’s function. The only purpose for other supervisors attending the meeting is to listen to the information presented. Neither the Board nor any committee (other than the committee providing this notice and agenda) will take any official action with respect to this noticed meeting. Copy sent via email to: Committee Members, Associated Staff and News Media. Note: Any person wishing to attend whom, because of a disability, requires accommodation should call the Sawyer County Clerk’s Office (715.634.4866) at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting so appropriate arrangements can be made. Land, Water, and Forestry Resources Committee Mission Statement: "Develop, guide and implement policies that protect and ensure the sustainability of our biodiverse community." Page 3 of 16 Minutes of the September 9, 2026 Meeting of the Sawyer County Land, Water & Forest Resources Committee of the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Board Room, Sawyer County Voting Committee Members (X) Present: Others Present: Steve Kariainen Mike Markgren Brian DeVries Randy Neumann Liz Klein Tim Davison Kay Wilson Jay Kozlowski Adam LaSalle Marshal Savitski Greg Peterson James Doss Steve Longtine Rachel Thompson Brody Fischer Allison Jonjak Call to Order – Chair Kariainen called the meeting to order at 8:30 am. Certification of Compliance with the open meeting law was met. Roll Call was taken; a quorum was met; the agenda was set. Public Comments – Linda Zillmer Minutes from the previous meeting dated: August 12, 2026 Motion to approve made by: Mr. Longtine Second by: Mr. Neumann Motion carried without negative vote. Events— No applications received Register of Deeds Update-- A written report for August was provided; Ms. Thompson reviewed revenues and activity from recorded documents, transfers, Laredo, Tapestry and Vital Records Land Records and County Surveyor Department Report – Land Records— Mr. DeVries gave a written update on department activity and stated the need for a third Land Records employee. Surveyor—A written surveyor report was provided. Forestry – County Forestry Report— Mr. Peterson reported that 17 sales were active in August There is approximately $4.5M in sold-uncut timber on file at the time of the report. DNR Report—Mr. Fischer reported on August DNR activity, which focused on timber sale preparation and timber breaks for prescribed burns in 2027. Annual partnership meeting with SC Forestry on September 14th. Drought conditions have increased fire risk; Mr. Fischer emphasized the importance of obtaining burn permits and checking fire restrictions before burning. USFS Report—Mr. LaSalle gave a USFS report on timber sale activity in the Great Divide District, an Aspen-Fir regeneration project in the Medford District, and two recent human-caused fires. Page 4 of 16 Recreational Trails Report—Mr. Davison reported on addition funding received for maintenance on the new routes on LCO; of 47 miles, only 17 miles are funded. The Alliance would like to see more uniform ATV/UTV routes in the county Ordinance. Zoning/Conservation Department – Mr. Kozlowski reviewed a written Conservation report and reported that there will be a full-day LWFRC fall tour on September 16. Mr. Doss from USDA APHIS presented the annual Wildlife Damage documents to the committee for discussion and action. Motion to approve the 2027 Budget/Financial Plan as presented by: Mr. Neumann Second by: Mr. Longtine Motion carried without negative vote. Motion to set the deadline for 2026 claims as December 20, 2026 by: Mr. Neumann Second by: Mr. Savitski Motion carried without negative vote. Motion to set the crop price for corn at $3.92/BU and soybeans at $10.96/BU by: Mr. Longtine Second by: Mr. Savitski Motion carried without negative vote. Motion to approve the 2027 Deer Donation Program Agreement by: Mr. Neumann Second by: Mr. Savitski Motion carried without negative vote. Board Appointed Committee Updates – None Correspondence, Reports from Conferences and Meetings – None Future Agenda Items – GIS Land Records re: changes to acreages Adjournment – 9:03 am Next Meeting: October 7, 2026 Time: 8:30am Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk Page 5 of 16 The August financial report will be submitted at the November meeting, as there are still two recording days remaining in the month. Recording is slighted higher from last month but still lower than July. Last month, I mentioned the potential for additional revenue from Laredo and Tapestry to be reflected in this report. Both sources showed only slight increases. Laredo increased by $2.50, bringing the total to $4,879.90. Tapestry increased by $6.80, with a new total of $2,002.26. Currently, transfer fees total $83,161.20. For comparison, September of last year was at $77,706.60. We recorded a large sale this month, a timber and land management company, Meteor Timber LLC, sold 65 parcels for just over four million dollars, resulting in a transfer fee of $12,425.40. I was unable to attend the WRDA Spring Conference in June or the upcoming Fall Conference in October due to my deputy being new to the position. I am hopeful that I will be able to attend next year in 2027. - Rachel Thompson, Register of Deeds — Submitted September 28, 2026 10610 Main St., Ste 19 | Hayward, WI 54843 715-634-4867 | Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8AM - 4PM | rod@sawyercounty.gov ROD Monthly Report – OCT 2026 Page 6 of 16 County Surveyor’s Report 10/7/26 Last month we performed maintenance on various PLSS corners in the Towns of Winter, Meadowbrook, Draper and Weirgor. PLSS corners which were paved over in the Town of Meadowbrook and in Highway 70 in Draper have been re-monumented. Our total station instrument was sent in for routine calibration and software updates. It is back in service and working well. I reviewed 13 Certified Survey Maps in September. Respectfully Submitted, Chris Gregory Sawyer County Surveyor Sawyer County Surveyor’s Department 10610 Main Street, Suite 54 Hayward, Wisconsin 54843-0248 Telephone 715-634-3564 Fax 715-634-3546 https://sawyercountygov.org/ Page 7 of 16 Sawyer County Forestry Report September 2026 Active Timber Sales Sixteen sales listed as active in the month of September Sale Date # of Sales Acres Bid Value Received Est. Remaining 11/1/22 0 0 $0 $0 $0 5/10/23 0 0 $0 $0 $0 11/3/23 2 220 $137,634.55 $37,500.00 $100,134.55 5/7/24 1 106 $73,385.00 $11,307.75 $64,077.25 10/29/24 3 223 $139,921.05 $28,792.29 $111,128.76 5/7/25 4 308 $365,168.60 $134,401.48 $230,767.12 11/13/25 6 546 $257,953.70 $76,743.67 $181,210.03 5/5/26 0 0 $0 $0 $0 Totals 17 1403 $976,062.90 $288,745.19 $687,317.71 Inactive Sales Sale Date # of Sales Acres Bid Value Received Est. Remaining 11/1/22 3 357 $118,307.25 $31,927.84 $86,379.41 5/10/23 1 136 $99,177.50 $51,000.00 $48,177.50 11/3/23 7 694 $205,115.20 $0 $205,115.20 5/7/24 4 403 $270,540.00 $203,414.46 $102,228.61* 10/29/24 10 809 $561,830.20 $208,506.33 $353,323.87 5/7/25 15 1141 $1,030,431.70 $205,264.63 $825,167.07 11/13/25 12 1266 $854,842.43 $146,238.64 $708,603.79 5/5/26 21 1620 $1,351,689.90 $27,982.61 $1,323,707.29 Totals 73 6426 $4,494,934.18 $874,334.51 $3,652,702.74 * Sales having overruns ** Sales having underruns Four sales closed out in September Timber Sale Value (sold contracts-uncut) on file = $4,340,020.45 Page 8 of 16 Timber Revenue September YTD Timber Sales $179,646.20 $1,812,908.27 Christmas Trees/Boughs $0 $0 Performance Bonds Cashed $0 $0 Other Revenue Camping/Firewood/Access $110 $301 Park Reservations $0 $750 Budget Gross Timber Sale Revenue $ 1,812,908.27 $2,000,000 10% Payment to Towns $ 181,290.83 Net Timber Sale Revenue $ 1,631,617.44 Performance Bonds Drawn $ 0 Total Other Revenue $ 1,051.00 Timber Sale Revenue Billed Out $ 425,546.67 Timber Sale Volumes Harvested Pulpwood Volume (cords) Month YTD Aspen 2,480.46 20,729.24 Mixed Hardwood 1,958.92 13,217.77 Basswood 210.27 2,074.39 Red Oak 11.90 1,928.06 Red Pine 1,456.91 5,094.94 White Pine 0 271.06 White Spruce 0 112.38 Black Spruce 0 0 Tamarack 0 0 Black Ash 0 0 Balsam Fir 0 9.64 Total Cords 6,118.46 43,437.48 Sawlog Volume (MBF) Month YTD Mixed Hardwood 195.70 395.47 Basswood 76.84 195.40 Red Oak 49.91 325.87 Hard Maple 18.23 63.57 Total MBF 340.68 980.31 Page 9 of 16 Timber Sale Inspections # month YTD 56 328 Comments: Goal for timber sale inspections is one inspection per week while sale is actively being harvested, or wood is being hauled. Tract Establishment # sales month/ YTD acres month/YTD Goal 3/27 203/2208 3500 Comments: Reviewing tracts and preparing fall timber sale bid prospectus. Bid packets will be going out 10/7 with a bid opening scheduled for 10:00 am on 10/27 in the large conference room at the new forestry office. Recon Acres Updated September YTD Annual Goal 892 8887 6,000 acres Comments: Recon is the assessment of geographic, structure and compositional attributes of forest stands. Field information is stored in the Wisconsin Forest Inventory & Reporting System (WisFIRS). Basic resource information is collected, stored, and updated systematically and continuously. Database is used to analyze existing resources, evaluate management alternatives, and assist in the development and implementation of management plans. Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) Hours September FY27 Contract 27 140.5 Current Contract: FY27: Approximately 535 hours of timber sale establishment/admin. $42,955.30 Comments: Under the federal Good Neighbor Authority, the USDA Forest Service is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with states to perform forest management activities on national forest lands. WDNR has entered a GNA agreement with the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (CNNF). WDNR is authorized to contract with counties to assist with forest management activities on national forest lands. The focus of the GNA program is to assist in the implementation of the CNNF Forest Plan, which will provide: • Forest products to the local economy • Collaboration between federal, state and county forest managers • Improved health and resiliency of forestlands and watersheds within Wisconsin Page 10 of 16 Oak Wilt: Continued monitoring for new infestations and of previous infestation sites. No new sites identified this season. Mountain Bike Trails: Nothing new to report. Birkie Trail: Nothing new to report. ATV/UTV/Snowmobile Trails: Off Road Vehicle Council Meeting held 8/26/26, received tentative approval on following grants: Trail 40 FR 162 West rehab cost increase amendment of $21,985. Total grant amount is now $49,675. Tuscobia Rehab Chafer Rd. to Hwy C $60,150 New ATV miles 6.6 miles from Hwy B to casino $6,600 increase for summer maintenance. Parks: Hatchery Park: Nothing new to report. Nelson Lake Park: Nothing new to report. Carbon Credit Project: Nothing new to report. Page 11 of 16 Sawyer County Land, Water & Forest Resources Committee Meeting DNR Forestry Report for October 2026 In September DNR activity on the Sawyer County Forest was focused on timber sale establishment as well as fire break construction and site prep. We’ve been working on wrapping up sales ahead of the fall bid opening and we have completed roughly 30% of our 100-acre site preparation target for the year. On September 14th we had our annual Partnership Meeting with Sawyer County Forestry staff to discuss the previous year’s accomplishments, future projects, and ongoing trends. Sawyer County is currently in extreme drought so please check the daily burn restrictions and ensure you have an annual permit before doing any burning. Report Submitted by Craig Morris, DNR Forester, on September 28 2026 Page 12 of 16 Zoning & Conservation Department Update September 2026 –October 2026 Prepared by Jay Kozlowski, Zoning & Conservation Administrator -Conservation Staff held their Fall Tour September 16th. LWRFC members got to see the following: Gregory Cattle Waterer –Looked at a cattle watering ramp that was designed to allow grazing cattle access to drinking water from a manmade farm pond without degrading the pond. Sweeney Shoreline Protection/Restoration – A severely eroded shoreline that has been stabilized and restored. Pasanen Farms – Pasanen Farms have worked with the Land and Water Conservation Department since the departments inception on various projects. We looked at the construction of their new Waste Storage Facility and toured their new milking facility and freestall barn. R&P’s Non-Metallic Mine – We looked at side by side comparison of an active mine site and a reclaimed mine site. Upper Brunet Dam – We will look at the recently reconstructed dam that creates Lake Loretta and aquatic invasive species work being done. Fishtrap Dam – We looked at the current dam and why it is to be replaced with a new structure in 2027. Other staff projects as they relate to the LWRMP: Goal 2: “Protect, enhance, and restore natural shoreline structure and function” Objective 1: “Educate shoreline property owners on the benefits of natural shorelines” Objective 2: Install shoreline restoration/protection projects Objective 3: Protect existing shoreline ecosystems and habitat • Submitted Healthy Lakes Grant application. 3 properties signed up (2 on the Chip Flow & 1 on Lost Land Lake). Multiple practices are proposed including native plantings, a rain garden, water infiltrations and a water diversion. • Windfall Boat Landing replacement project Goal 3: “Control and monitor invasive species” Objective 1: “Survey, monitor, and map invasive species” • Cutting and digging out Purple Loosestrife along HWY B Page 13 of 16 Goal 5: Protect land and water resources through land use/comprehensive planning and enforcement of zoning regulations Objective 1: Establish county wide land use planning standards • Site Visits • Grading and Alteration Permit Reviews • NR135 Partial Pit Reclamation Inspection and NR 135 office work • Survey training and NW area district meeting Goal 6: Promote Ecological Health and Restoration Objective 4: Annual Native Plant Sale • Working with a local nursery to put together a native plant sale next spring in conjunction with the tree and shrub sale • -Poster and Speaking Contest packets were sent out to the schools. This year’s theme is “From Source to Sea. Every Drop has a Journey”. This year we are partnering with SCOPE and one lucky student will win a boat that was donated by a community member Page 14 of 16 RESOLUTION 2026- ___________ REMOVING CERTAIN COUNTY RESTRICTIONS ON TOWN OF BASS LAKE PROPERTIES WHEREAS, Sawyer County, as recorded in Document Number 144006, volume 243, page 319 on May 18, 1973, approved the sale of County lots in the Northwoods Beach Subdivision to the Town of Bass Lake for the purposes of a Sanitary System, and WHEREAS, the future sale of said lots by the Town of Bass Lake were restricted by the following language – “This land deeded subject to use by Town of Bass Lake and not to be resold except to Sanitary Districts”, and WHEREAS, the restricted properties included are: ABENDPOST BEACH -BLOCK 14-LOTS 3-11, 16-17, 37-40 ABENDPOST BEACH- BLOCK 24-LOTS 4-9, 12-1, 16-17, 28-30 ABENDPOST BEACH-BLOCK 25-LOTS 1-3, 4-10, 14-17, 31-33, 34-38, 39-41 ABENDPOST BEACH 1ST ADDITION - BLOCK 2-LOTS 6-18, 23-24, 28, 34-35, 37 ABENDPOST BEACH 2ND ADDITION -BLOCK 15-LOTS 5-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-20, 21, 22-36 WHEREAS, the assembly of eligible voters of the Town of Bass Lake, at its April 21, 2026 meeting, voted to authorize the Town of Bass Lake to exercise the right to dispose of lots within the Northwoods Beach area, and WHEREAS, the Town of Bass Lake requests to have removed the restrictions of sale of the Northwoods Beach Subdivision lots only to a Sanitary District, and NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors agrees to remove the restriction to the sale of the aforementioned properties solely Sanitary Districts. Information contained in this Resolution was recommended for adoption by the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors at its meeting on October 15, 2026, by the Sawyer County Land, Water & Forest Resources Committee on October 7, 2026. Land, Water & Forest Resources Committee _____________________________ _____________________________ Steve Kariainen, Chair Marshal Savitski, Member _____________________________ _____________________________ Randy Neumann, Vice-Chair Steve Longtine, Member __________________________ _____________________________ Kay Wilson, Member Allison Jonjak ________________________________________________________________________ Page 15 of 16 This Resolution is hereby adopted by the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors this 15th day of October, 2026 _______________________________ _______________________________ Ron Kinsley Liz Klein Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Chair Sawyer County Clerk Page 16 of 16