Land, Water & Forest Resources Committee — Minutes

Minutes of the August 12 , 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 Pat Zimmer Marshal Savitski Greg Peterson Brian Lehner Steve Longtine Chris Gregory Rachel Fischer Allison Jonjak- Excused Rachel Thompson Rhandi Ehn Call to Order – Chair Kariainen called the meeting to order at 8:31 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: July 8, 2026 Motion to approve made by: Mr. Neumann Second by: Mr. Savitski Motion carried without negative vote. Events— No applications received Register of Deeds Update-- A written report for July was provided; transfer fees have increased significantly; Tapestry use and revenue has increased. Preliminary 2027 Budget request— No major changes Land Records and County Surveyor Department Report – Land Records—A written RPL report was provided. Kimberly Peterson took a different job, Chase Propson has been hired to replace Tristan Wirkus. The positions require a year or more to become fully trained; the department is asking to maintain three employees to meet the workload. Surveyor—A written surveyor report was provided. Preliminary 2027 Budget request—Land Records revenues from grants were discussed; expenses consist of salaries, software, office equipment and training. Surveyor has a CIP request for a $35,000 GPS receiver. Forestry – County Forestry Report— Mr. Peterson reported that 13 sales were active in July. There is approximately $4.75M in sold-uncut timber on file at the time of the report. Preliminary 2027 Budget request— Forestry expenses are primarily salaries, tree marking, and fuel which are not increasing by much. ATV/UTV grant projects are budget neutral. CIP requests include replanting red pine at $500/acre: the process involves removing overstory canopies which will generate $6,000/acre and is part of a natural rotation cycle of forest management. A second request is $9,000 for Hatchery Park maintenance. DNR Report—Mr. Zimmer reported on July DNR activity, which focused on timber sale preparation. Hot, dry weather has increased fire danger concerns and the public should follow permit requirements and check for restrictions before burning. USFS Report—No report Recreational Trails Report—Mr. Davison reported that trails are dry and dusty. Several projects are stalled awaiting contractors. Trail ridership is up 50-75% this year. Zoning/Conservation Department – Mr. Kozlowski reported that staff has been busy with pit inspections and planning a LWFRC fall tour on September 16th. Reporting format has been updated to reflect Land & Water Resource Management Plan goals and accomplishments. Resolution # 2026____Healthy Lakes and Rivers Program was approved on a motion by: Mr. Neumann Second by: Mr. Longtine Motion carried with 5 in favor, 0 abstaining, and 0 opposed. Preliminary 2027 Budget request— Conservation budget has CIP requests for dam inspections and repairs including Fishtrap, Tiger Cat, Brunet, Billy Boy and Birch Lake dams. Bill Boy Dam requires a $35,000 500 year flood event model analysis; Birch Lake Dam is 50% shared with Washburn County and needs repairs. Zoning budget reflects an increase for training, publications and postage costs. Treasurer’s Report— Mr. Lehner submitted a request for committee approval to accept bids lower than appraised value on tax deeded parcel ID 1098457-010-2-41-08-15-401-000-000010#; since then, an accepted offer of $565,000 was received for the property so the request has been withdrawn. Board Appointed Committee Updates – Ms. Wilson reported that the Callahan/Mud Lake District held their second meeting and is planning a joint meeting with DNR, the county, and the Town of Round Lake to discuss a dam hazard analysis. Mr. Savitski invited the members to a City Rotary meeting with Bill Johnson to discuss the Biofuel Plant project; the meeting is September 2 at 12:00pm at The Social. Correspondence, Reports from Conferences and Meetings – None Future Agenda Items – None Adjournment – 9:14 am Next Meeting: September 9, 2026 Time: 8:30am Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk