Forestry & Recreation

Forestry & Recreation Committee December 5th, 2025 Meeting Room-3rd Floor Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:31 AM by Scott Mildbrand. Members Present: Scott Mildbrand, Gary Beadles, Jim Gebauer, and Harvey “Bud” Suckow. Members Absent: Rollie Thums Other Attendees: Jim Metz, Lucas Williams , Alex Solawetz, Tanisha Macdonald , and Brian Wilson-Star News. Approve Minutes : Gebauer moved to approve the minutes of the November 6th meeting; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Gebauer moved to approve the agenda of 13 items; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Williams presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Beadles moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz presented the following update: • Sale #695; Wilson Forestry – Cutting, hauling, and road repairs have all been completed. Waiting on final payment. • Sale #709; Lakeland Forestry – Cutting is nearly complete. • Sale # 721; Smola Enterprises – Timber sale initiated last month; equipment was temporarily removed due to wet conditions, but with colder weather improving site access, a skidder has now been moved back onsite to resume operations. Timber Sale Closeout - #716, #717, and #726: Solawetz presented the following sales for closeout. • Sale #716; Smola Enterprises – 58 acres. Woods road was graded along with the horse trails. Ice Age Trails were cleared of debris. The county will hold a portion of the bond to apply gravel to Bear Ave in the spring. • #717; Wiitla-Vozka – 60 acres. Sale was cut well, and woods road work was completed with no outstanding items. • #726; Czarnezki Forest Products – 93 acres. Worked on several ski trails. No outstanding items. Gebauer moved to approve the closeout of sales #716, #717, and #726, seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Contract Extension on Sale #707: The sale, originally sold in 2022 under a three -year contract with Wilson Forestry, covers 53 acres and requires frozen ground conditions for operations. Williams noted that Wilson had four backlog sales but has recently completed two and finished the road work on a third, which he intends to cut this winter. He recommended extending this sale for the remainder of this winter and the next (approximately 18 months). Beadles made a motion to approve a two -year extension with no stumpage increase and to waive the $50 renewal fee, which was seconded by Suckow. Williams also observed that there had only been one bid on this sale. Approve Fall Timber Sale Contracts: Williams presented the fall timber sale bids. One bid was received by the December 4 deadline, and three additional bids were submitted late on December 5. Early that morning, a contractor called to explain that he had made an honest mistake in submitting the bids late. Prior to the meeting, Williams consulted with the committee chair and corporation counsel, who advised that accepting the late bids would be permissible. A motion was made by Suckow, seconded by Beadles, to accept the -time bid on Tract 6 -25 submitted by Central Wisconsin Lumber, Inc. Discussion then followed regarding the bids received for Tracts 7 -25 and 8 -25. Based on corporation counsel’s guidance, accepting the late bids was deemed acceptable. Gebauer made a motion to accept the late bids, provided they met the minimum bid requirements, seconded by Suckow. Motion carried unanimously. The total bid value was $128,966.40 across 234 acres, with one sale remaining unsold. • Tract 5-25; Fern Gulch – No bids received; will be re-advertised in the spring sale. • Tract 6-25; North Trout – Central Wisconsin Lumber, I nc. submitted the high bid of $64,991.40. • Tract 7-25; Porky East – Smola Enterprises submitted the only bid, at $42,385.00. • Tract 8-25; Campus Woods – Smola Enterprises submitted the only bid, at $21,590.00 Camp 8 ATV Rehabilitation – Contract Extension with Randy Thums Trucking and Excavation LLC: The Camp 8 ATV trail project has two portions. The north portion required a stormwater runoff permit due to more than an acre of land disturbance, which delayed the project through no fault of the contractor. The south portion has already been completed. Williams noted that the contract with Randy Thums, held with the county, is set to expire on December 15. He also reported that the grant for the project, administered by the state, has been extended by the DNR until June 30, 2027. Gebauer made a motion to approve the extension, originally granted for one year, now extended to January 1, 2027; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Update Resolution Authorizing Taylor County Forestry and Recreation Department to Apply for Outdoor Recreation Aides: The updated resolution eliminates the need for County Board approval and keeps authorization at the committee level. This change is intended to allow the county to apply for grants that require a county resolution without bringing each individual project to the full board. All such grants will continue to be reviewed by the committee. Suckow made a motion to approve the resolution update for Outdoor Recreation Aids; seconded by Beadles. A roll call vote was taken, with all four (4) members voting yes. Motion carried. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following updates: • Gravel was placed over the culvert that will serve as access to the Yanko Road timber sale. Approximately one foot of cover was added, which should provide adequate protection during future harvest operations. The highway department hauled and supplied the gravel, and Solawetz spread it using the forestry department’s skid steer. • New snowmobile maps were printed for the 2025–2028 seasons. Local snowmobile clubs worked to solicit bids from area businesses to purchase map ads. A total of 5,000 maps were ordered, and Quick Print in Medford handled the printing. • The SWAT Snowmobile Club hired Randy Thums to install a culvert on the southeast side of the snowmobile trail where it connects to Highway 102. Williams secured a permit from the DOT and will notify them upon completion of the project. • Williams informed the committee that he has accepted another position, making this his final forestry committee meeting, with his last workday on December 12, 2025. He expressed appreciation for his time here and noted that he enjoyed working with everyone. Following his departure, Alex Solawetz will assume the role of temporary Forestry Administrator. DNR County Forest Liaison Report : Timothy Allen reported that he has completed timber marking in Compartment 108 (Bear Block sale), which is expected to cover approximately 115 acres. Work has now begun on reconnaissance and establishment activities in Compartment 103. Allen will also be meeting with the Forestry Department to review short -term goals while the Administrator position remains vacant. The Forestry & Recreation Committee will go into closed session pursuant to Wisconsin State Statutes, Section 19.85 (1)(c), to interview Forestry and Recreation Administrator Applicants: Motion made by Suckow, seconded by Beadles to go into closed session at 10:00 a.m. A roll call vote was cast, four (4) voting yes. Motion carried. The meeting will reconvene in Open Session pursuant to Section 19.83, Wisconsin State Statutes, to address actions from Closed Session: At 11:48 a.m. the Committee reconvened in open session. A motion was made by Suckow to proceed with applicant references; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, January 9th, 2025, at 9:30 A.M. in the third floor Meeting Room. Adjournment: With no further business, Suckow moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 11:50 AM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee November 6th, 2025 Meeting Room-3rd Floor Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:32 AM by Jim Gebauer. Members Present: Scott Mildbrand, Gary Beadles, Jim Gebauer, Harvey “Bud” Suckow, and Rollie Thums. Members Absent: N/A Other Attendees: Lucas Williams, Alex Solawetz, Tanisha Macdonald, and Brian Wilson -Star News. Approve Minutes: Suckow moved to approve the minutes of the September 5 th meeting; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Suckow moved to approve the agenda of 13 items; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Scott Mildbrand arrived at the meeting at 9:34 AM. Approve Bills: Williams presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Gebauer moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Suckow. Thums abstained. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz presented the following update: • Sale #695; Wilson Forestry – Cutting and hauling is completed. Road repairs will need to be completed before the sale can be closed. • Sale #709; Lakeland Forestry – Cutting is nearly complete. The 15 -acre eastern patch remains. • Sale #716 with Smola Enterprises has been completed in terms of cutting and hauling, though Bear Avenue is still not fully restored to pre -sale condition. Williams spoke with Jason Smola and agreed to return the letter of credit, provided that Jason submits a bond check to cover the estimated cost of gravel that may be required. After spring grading, the actual need for gravel will be assessed, and the bond funds will either be applied if necessary or returned if not. • Sale #717; Wiitala & Vozka Logging – Cutting is complete and but hauling remains. Everything turned out well. • Sale #718; Smola Enterprises – All cutting and skidding has been completed. • Sale #721; Smola Enterprises – 127-acre sale. Going to start cutting today. • Sale #726; Czarnezki Forest Products – All wood has been hauled. Waiting on final payment. Timber Sale Closeout #718: Finished September 3 rd. All contract items have been completed, and the final invoices have been paid. No pending items. Gebauer moved to approve the close out of timber sale #718; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Timber Sale Closeout #720: Completed at the end of July with no items pending. Sale had an overrun of 16%. Thums moved to approve the close out of timber sale #720; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Fall Timber Sales for Bidding: Williams presented the fall timber sales. The packet included a prospectus, fall sale summary, sale location map, and individual timber sale maps with individual sale information sheets. Four (4) sales were presented to the Committee for review with a total of 307 acres. • Tract 5-25: 35-acre sale located near Cutoff Rd. Minimum bid value of $9,597.00. • Tract 6-25: 80-acre sale located along Trout Ave. Minimum bid value of $45,269.00. • Tract 7-25: 117-acre sale located near Camp 8 Rd. Minimum bid value of $42,385.00. • Tract 8-25: 37-acre sale located in the Campus Woods, City of Medford. Minimum bid value of $21,590.00. Rib Lake Range Update: The shooting range development grant was not approved this year; however, Taylor County ranked next within this year’s applicant pool. To determine next steps, Williams consulted with Sarah Brenner from the DNR. Brenner advised that stronger metrics of community support—such as a petition or a public meeting —would improve the likelihood of success in future applications. In response, the department will begin organizing a petition to gather signatures. The committee agreed that Williams should reapply for grant funding next year rather than closing the project and will work with Taylor County Sportsman’s Club and other partners to build support and secure signatures. Sustainable Forestry Grant (SFG) 2025 – Award and Next Steps: The department has been awarded $31,500 through the Sustainable Forestry Grant to improve the road into the recently acquired Voster’s property. About one mile of road work is needed to facilitate timber harvesting, and the grant funding must be utilized before its expiration on December 31, 2027. The first priority will be to establish a direct timber sale to clear the road corridor, which Czarnezki Forest Products has agreed to complete while working on a sale in the adjacent area. In addition, the forestry department will prepare a bid proposal for the road construction itself to ensure the improvements are carried out efficiently. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following updates: • The Camp 8 ATV trail rehabilitation project consists of two parts. The southern section has been completed, while progress on the northern section has been delayed due to the need for a stormwater runoff permit, which has now been secured. This delay has impacted the construction schedule, and contractor Randy Thums is seeking a one -year extension. His contract was originally set to expire on December 1, 2025, and the grant was scheduled for completion by June 30, 2026. However, Williams has already received an extension from the DNR for the grant until June 30, 2027, and Randy will likely require a contract extension as well to account for the permitting delay. Williams will speak with Randy and report back at the next meeting. • The Wild Turkey Stamp Opening Project is progressing well, with four openings successfully established in the past couple of months. The total target acreage is eight acres over a two-year period, meaning half of the goal has already been achieved. These openings are scheduled to be seeded with clover next year, and lime will be applied if funding remains available. To increase efficiency and reduce costs, Williams has been utilizing a variety of contractors when they are working in the area. • Building upon the work started last year, the department is again using the CCA grant to carry out alder shearing. This winter, approximately 15 acres of alder are scheduled to be sheared. Department wages and equipment will serve as the matching contribution for the grant. • Macdonald has been reviewing old forestry and recreation records stored in the vault to clear space for new documents. Records that remain relevant will be retained, while those that meet retention-schedule guidelines will be disposed of accordingly. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen said that he’s been marking timber along Bear Ave for the spring timber sales. His technician Jonathan Knusta sent in a report on the work he’s been doing in the count forest: “Working on timber sale establishment on Bear Ave. Met with County Forest staff and DNR forest hydrologist to assess several sites on the County Forest for water quality BMP improvements; two stream crossings, a couple culvert replacements, and road improvements. Installed water bars and smoothed out a few sections of skid trails that washed out on the Tom Tussle sale. Created two wildlife openings east of Trout Ave that combined equal about an acre in size. Working with County Forest staff to get the openings established. Opened an overgrown road in C118. The goal of this project was to connect the overgrown wood road with existing roads for better management and recreation access. Portions of this road were wet and will likely need a touch up in the future when it’s drier.” Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, December 5th, 2025, at 9:30 A.M. in the third floor Meeting Room. Adjournment: With no further business, Suckow moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Thums. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:23 AM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee September 5th, 2025 Meeting Room-3rd Floor Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:30 AM by Scott Mildbrand. Members Present: Scott Mildbrand, Gary Beadles, Jim Gebauer, Harvey “Bud” Suckow, and Rollie Thums. Members Absent: N/A Other Attendees: Jim Metz, Lucas Williams, Alex Solawetz, Tanisha Macdonald, Nicole Hager - HR, Tracy Hartwig-Finance, and Mandee Ellis-Star News. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the August 1 st meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda : Gebauer moved to approve the agenda of 13 items; seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Williams presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Suckow moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz presented the following update: • Sale #695; Wilson Forestry – This sale is partially complete. Cutting resumed this week. About 50 acres remain. • Sale #709; Lakeland Forestry – This is a 74 -acre sale. Crew began working again August 25. It is about 1/3 complete. • Sale #716; Smola Enterprises – This is a 58-acre sale. Work began this week. • Sale #718; Smola Enterprises – This is a 71-acre sale. Work started on August 9th and was completed September 3rd. Wood is decked on Wilderness Ave. • Sale #726; Czarnezki Forest Products – This is a 78-acre sale and is almost complete with 15 acres remaining. Forestry Department Budget: Williams presented the 2026 forestry budget. There were minimal changes to the proposed 2026 budget with the operations budget at a 0% increase. However, several line items were adjusted to reflect actual anticipated expenses including: • Camp 8 Dam - $250 reduction • Conference/meetings expense - $200 reduction • Occupational safety - $100 reduction • Pirus Range Outlay - $50 increase • Vehicle Insurance - $400 increase Thums made a motion to approve the proposed 2026 forestry budget: seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. 2026 Annual Work Plan: Williams presented the proposed 2026 Annual Work Plan. Some notable changes from last year’s work plan are: • The 2026 Forest Certification audit review was included under County Forest Certification. • The Timber Harvest section was changed since Emerald Ash Borer was confirmed in 2024. The forestry department is prioritizing salvaging as much as possible. • An update was added to the County Forest Road section regarding the 10 -year maintenance schedule implemented in 2018. The focus is on increased prioritization and evaluation of future funding needs, along with enhanced transparency and greater committee involvement in determining how funds are allocated. • The Wildlife section now includes a discussion on the Forestry Department’s plans to prioritize alder management and expand wildlife openings, supported by funding from the Wild Turkey Stamp grant. • The Rib Lake Shooting Range has been added to the Recreation Areas section. Development of the range is contingent upon securing adequate funding. Suckow moved to approve the proposed 2026 annual work plan, seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. SRS Title Funds – Westboro Fire Department: The Westboro fire department has requested funding for 1,000-gallon freight chassis. There is $19,750.76 left in the SRS account. Williams has also been in contact with Rib Lake Fire Department to upgrade their fire and rescue UTV. Beadles moved to approve that the funds be split evenly between Westboro and Rib Lake Fire Departments. $9,875.38 would go to each department. Motion was seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Forest Certification Audit Results: Taylor County successfully passed both the annual FSC/SFI County Forest audit and the DNR certification audit conducted in early August. The FSC/SFI audit, which also included Langlade, Lincoln, and Clark counties, concluded with full conformance—no observations, corrective actions, or opportunities for improvement were identified. As several counties are audited annually, Taylor County is not expected to undergo another FSC/SFI audit for approximately 5 to 7 years. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following update: • Williams was notified that there is 76.88 acres of land for sale within the county forest blocking zone. 32-acres of the property are ready for timber harvest. The asking price is $215,000. Suckow suggested that Williams investigate the feasibility of purchasing this land and present that information at the next committee meeting. • Scott Broman from the Rib Lake Ski Club spoke with Williams about getting 3 culverts replaced on some trails located in Rib Lake. The committee agreed that it would be in good standing to assist the Ski Club with replacing these culverts due to the trails being used frequently by the public for recreational purposes. Williams will ensure that the culvert replacements are carried out as discussed. • Williams received a public complaint about the Pine Line Trail. During seasonal mowing too much milkweed is being removed which is affecting the monarchs and bees. Milkweed is the sole food for monarch caterpillars and monarch eggs are laid on the underside of milkweed leaves from mid-May to late August. As a solution the committee suggested a trial run of only mowing once for next year around July. • At their last meeting on August 20, 2025, the ORV Council approved the Mink Creek snowmobile project for funding in the amount of $88,500. The funding will be split evenly between snowmobile and winter ATV allocations. Williams will begin work on permitting and related preparations to move the project forward • Lucas Bacholl completed the roadside mowing and Scott Balciar is currently working on mowing the hunter walking trails. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: The DNR partnership meeting occurred on August 27 th. A total of 785 hours were completed last year for the county -time standards. This year’s county time standards will remain the same at 785 hours. Timothy Allen has been working on a sale along Bear Ave. Next Committee Meeting : The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Thursday, October 2nd, 2025, at 9:30 A.M. in the third floor Meeting Room. Adjournment: With no further business, Suckow moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:41 AM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee August 1st, 2025 Meeting Room-3rd Floor Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:31 AM by Jim Gebauer. Members Present: Gary Beadles, Jim Gebauer, and Rollie Thums. Members Absent: Scott Mildbrand and Harvey “Bud” Suckow Other Attendees: Jim Metz, Lucas Williams, Tanisha Macdonald, Nicole Hager -HR, and Brian Wilson-Star News. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the July 11 th meeting; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Approve Agenda : Beadles moved to approve the agenda of 12 items; seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Williams presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Thums moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Williams presented the following update: • Sale #720; Czarnezki Forest Products – 38-acre sale. Cutting is complete and all wood has been hauled off site. Waiting on final payment. • Sale #722; Twin Forest Products – 39-acre sale. About 20 acres are left, which will be cut in the winter due to soil conditions. • Sale #726: Czarnezki Forest Products – 93-acre sale. This is a summer job, and 20 acres have been cut. Discuss and Approve Application for Sustainable Forestry Grant – Roadwork Project: The purpose of the grant is to improve road infrastructure for timber harvesting. This would be used to improve the road to access the Voster’s property. The conditions of the road are not currently up to standard for log trucks. Williams received an estimate from a local contractor on what it would cost to upgrade the roads into a condition where they are useable. Work would include excavating and dozing and is estimated to cost around $30,000. Additionally, 4 culverts will be needed. Fill will be borrowed from stretches of upland roadside as needed to raise low, wet portions. These improvements would facilitate access for future timber harvesting and forest management. Thums made a motion to approve applying for the Sustainable Forestry Grant; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Request for Powerline Impact Fee funding – Rib Lake Shooting Range: Powerline impact fee requests have typically been initiated by local stakeholders rather than county departments. According to the county clerk, while departments are permitted to submit these requests, it is generally preferred that outside partners do so. This approach is believed to increase the likelihood of securing funds and promotes greater transparency. In line with this, Williams reached out to Mike Riggle of the Taylor County Spor tsmen Club, who agreed to present the proposal to the County Board. Williams will assist Mike in preparing the application ahead of the September 1st deadline. No action is required at this time. Turkey Stamp Grant – Contractor Hiring Authorization : The Taylor County Forestry Department was awarded $15,700 for wildlife openings. The amount will be split in half to use for the next two years. Williams would like to hire Rock Thums to do the work. Rock has a specific attachment for his excavator called a fang rake which can cut brush without removing the topsoil. Beadles made a motion to approve Rock Thums to do excavation work in the new established wildlife openings; seconded by Gebauer. Thums abstained. Motion carried. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following update: • Williams and Solawetz have been preparing things for the certification audit on August 6th. Things have been looking good so the audit should go smoothly. • Camp 8 and Chelsea Dam were mowed. Miller Dam will be mowed after the certification audit is completed. • The 10-year road work plan does not have a county board resolution but was added to the annual budget as a carryover account. The funds come from the timber sale account. The purpose of this work plan was to improve all the main roads in the Taylor County Forest. All of the main roads have been improved so the account will be used on a need by basis, such as road washouts, culvert replacement, etc. The department will re - evaluate the plan in 2028 when the timeframe for the work plan ends. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen was absent from the meeting. He is back from his fire assignment in California. Jonathan and Tim have been working on recon updates in the county forest. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, September 5th, 2025, at 9:30 A.M. in the third floor Meeting Room. Adjournment: With no further business, Beadles moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Thums. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:19 AM Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee July 11th, 2025 Meeting Room-3rd Floor Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 8:58 AM by Scott Mildbrand. Members Present: Scott Mildbrand, Gary Beadles, Jim Gebauer, Harvey “Bud” Suckow, and Rollie Thums. Members Absent: N/A Other Attendees: Jim Metz, Lucas Williams, Alex Solawetz, Tanisha Macdonald, Nicole Hager - HR, and Mandee Ellis-Star News. Approve Minutes: Gebauer moved to approve the minutes of the June 6 th meeting; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Approve Agenda : Thums moved to approve the agenda of 16 items; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Williams presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Gebauer moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz presented the following update: • Sale #720; Czarneski Forest Products – 38-acre sale. Sale is nearly complete, less than ten acres left. Cutting slowed down due to wet weather but has started up again this week. • Sale #722; Twin Forest Products – 39-acre sale. Half of the job is complete. Equipment was taken off site due to weather conditions. There is no active cutting. Closeout Timber Sale #698: 130-acre sale cut by Wilson Forestry Products. All contract items have been completed, and the final invoices have been paid. No pending items. Thums moved to approve the close out of timber sale #698: seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Approve Applying for Recreational Shooting Grant: Williams presented information for a new shooting range in Rib Lake. The design would be similar to the Pirus Shooting Range. Williams has talked with local sportsmen clubs for additional funding. Taylor County Sportsmen has offered a donation of $40,000, Rib Lake Fish & Game has offered $10,000, and Westboro Fish & Wildlife has offered $2,000-$2,500. The cost estimate of the range is $256,332.80 with the county required to cover 25% of the total cost. Gebauer made a motion to pursue applying for the recreational shooting grant under the condition that if the department is not awarded the grant, then the project will not proceed; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Certification Audit Lunch Arrangements: The Taylor County Forest certification audit will be held in August. It is customary that lunch be provided. Williams would like to order pizzas from Man Made LLC in Rib Lake. He also plans to buy chips, fruit, and drinks. Thums made a motion to approve $250 for lunch arrangements during the county forest certification audit; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Camp 8 2023 Rehab – Permit/Cost Increase: In 2025, a contract for trail development was awarded to Randy Thums. Because more than one acre of land is being cleared and the trail bed is transitioning from a pervious to an impervious surface, a stormwater runoff permit is required. This permit entails wetland delineation and engineering services, which will result in a budget overage of $5,178.00. The Wisconsin DNR approved this increase in funding. Williams obtained a quote of $11,630 from Becher and Hoppe to perform the necessary engineering work, but it was suggested that Williams first investigate whether Land Conservation and the Highway Department have the capacity to complete the required permit tasks before proceeding with outside hiring. Suckow made a motion to explore those internal options before considering other providers. The motion was seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Campus Woods Bidding Discussion: Williams presented three options for pursuing a timber sale in the campus woods. The first option was to include the sale in the 2025 fall timber sale bids; the second option was to offer the project through a bid -by-invitation process; and the third option involved selecting a contractor directly without a bidding process. Each approach was reviewed, and the group discussed the pros and cons of each. Including the sale in the regular fall bids was seen as the most transparent and competitive option. After discussion, Suckow made a motion to approve adding the campus woods sale to the 2025 fall timber sale bids. The motion was seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Secure Rural Schools (SRS) – Approve Jump River Equipment Purchase: Jump River Fire Department has requested assistance from the SRS program to cover $12,367 in equipment cost. This would be for 1 VHF mobile radio, 10 Motorola pagers, and 7 Motorola portable radios. Gebauer moved to approve the purchase of new equipment at the cost of $12,367; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Invasive Species Fair Booth: The Forestry Department and Land Conservation Department will be hosting an invasive species booth at the Taylor County Fair on July 24th through July 27th. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following update: • Solawetz recently sprayed the Pine Line. • Williams and Solawetz attended an audit prep meeting on July 10th. • The Taylor County Highway Department graveled one mile of Fawn Ave. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen has been in California on a fire assignment and Jonathan Knusta was recently assigned to Idaho for standby. County hours have been completed. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, August 1st, 2025, at 9:30 A.M. in the third floor Meeting Room. Adjournment: With no further business, Thums moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 9: 58 AM Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee June 6th, 2025 Meeting Room-3rd Floor Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:31 AM by Scott Mildbrand. Members Present: Scott Mildbrand, Gary Beadles, Jim Gebauer, and Harvey “Bud” Suckow. Members Absent: Rollie Thums Other Attendees: Jim Metz, Lucas Williams, Alex Solawetz, Tanisha Macdonald, and Mandee Ellis-Star News. Approve Minutes: Gebauer moved to approve the minutes of the May 2 nd meeting; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Suckow moved to approve the agenda of 17 items; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Williams presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Suckow moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz presented the following update: • Sale #720; Czarneski Forest Products – 38-acre sale. Half of the job is complete, and they have started hauling wood. • Sale #722; Twin Forest Products – 49-acre sale. They just started work a few weeks ago. Timber Sale Closeout Sale #710 and Sale #712: All contract items have been completed, and the final invoices have been paid. No pending items. Gebauer moved to approve the close out of timber sale #710 and sale #712: seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Timber Sale #695, Tract 2 -21, Contract Extension: This is a 70 -acre sale with 30 acres remaining to be cut. Beadles made a motion to approve a one-year extension with no stumpage increase and waive the $50 renewal fee: seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Approve Black River Snowmobile Bridge Contract: Five bids were submitted before the May 2nd, 2025, meeting. At the last meeting, it was decided that the two highest bids that were over the awarded grant amount would not receive any further consideration. One bid was significantly lower than the others. Williams spoke with the bidder and they did not realize that a 45’ approach was also included in the project. Therefore, that bid was considered incomplete and will not receive further consideration. The next lowest bidder was Custom Manufacturing Inc. Williams reference checked, and others were happy with their bridges. They constructed many bridges for municipalities across the state. Williams made a recommendation to go with Custom Manufacturing Inc., as they were the lowest responsible bidder. Suckow made a motion to approve the Black River Snowmobile Bridge Contract with Custom Manufacturing Inc; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Spring Timber Sale Contracts: Williams present the spring timber sale bids. Four out of the seven sales received qualifying bids with a total bid value of $195,711.25 on 406 acres. • Tract 1-25, Bear Aspen: There was one (1) qualifying bid. Wiitala -Vozka Logging had a bid of $56,167.50. • Tract 2 -25, Oak Island: There was one (1) qualifying bid. Smola Brothers had a bid of $15,798.00. • Tract 3-25, Lime: There were four (4) qualifying bids. Czarnezki Forest Products LLC had the highest bid of $57,354.00. • Tract 4-25, Tom Tussle: There were three (3) qualifying bids. Czarnezki Forest Products LLC had the highest bid of $66,391.75. • Tract 5-24, Bettle Beater: No bids received. • Tract 9-24, Countdown: No bids received. • Tract 10-24, Trout Swamp Hardwood: No bids received. Motion made by Beadle to approve the highest bidder for tracts #1 -25, #2-25, #3-25, and #4 - 25; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Consideration of Hiring a Contractor for ATV Trail Maintenance: Williams would like to hire Rock Thums to do some ATV trail maintenance in the Camp 8 ATV trail system near Wilderness Road. Work will include reshaping and widening the trail and draining water holes. Camp 8 Fish Stocking: Williams and the Taylor County Sportsman club discussed stocking panfish into Camp 8 Flowage to expediate the fisheries recovery after the drawdown associated with the dam replacement. Heins Fish Farm was recommended by Taylor County Sportsman, and they will be able to supply the fish in the fall with plans to stock 500 bluegill and 500 black crappies. Resolution to Approve the Applying for the ATV/RTP Grant to Develop a New ATV Trail from Wilderness to Loop Rd: Williams proposed applying for the grant at the February 7, 2025, meeting. The committee has already approved proceeding with the grant, but a resolution is a requirement of the grant. A roll call vote was cast for the Resolution to Approve the Applying for the ATV/RTP Grant to Develop a New ATV Trail from Wilderness to Loop Rd. Mildbrand, Beadles, Gebauer, Suckow voting yes. The resolution will be presented at the next County Board meeting. Motion carried. Resolution Authorizing a Timber Sale/Ash Salvage in the Campus Woods: Approximately 36 acres of forest exists in the Taylor County owned property off Donald Street. Emerald Ash Borer is present at moderate levels and according to DNR Forest Health Specialist, Alex Hornung, 100% mortality is expected. Currently, all black ash trees appear dead, with bark still tight, indicating mortality within 1-2 years. In the southwest corner of the property, 9 acres of 45-year- old aspen exist. A very dense understory of buckthorn as well, which is limiting the ability of native plants and forest regeneration to become established. It is expected that the aspen will decline overtime and without regeneration it will ultimately succeed to buckthorn. Additionally, the lack of any recent management has resulted in many defective and hazardous trees other than ash throughout the hardwood portions of the property. Williams presented three (3) options to the committee members. Option 1: Do nothing and remove the ash as needed for hazard tree management once they die. Option 2: Conduct ash salvage only. Option 3: Ash salvage, selection harvesting (light thinning focused on the removal of high risk and extremely low vigor trees), and an aspen regeneration coppice in the southwest 9 acres. Suckow made a motion to proceed with option 3: ash salvage, selection harvesting, and aspen coppice; seconded by Beadles. A roll call vote was cast for the Resolution Authorizing a Timber Sale/Ash Salvage in the Campus Woods to go to the County Board. Mildbrand, Beadles, Gebauer, Suckow voting yes. Motion carried. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following update: • The department has plans to start work on Emil Dr and Fawn Ave to replace culverts on these roads. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen emailed a report to Williams. Completed the marking on Fern Gulch for fall timber sale. There are about 20 hours left for county time standards. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, July 11th, 2025, at 9:30 AM in the County Meeting Room, third floor. Adjournment: With no further business, Gebauer moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:03 AM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee May 2nd, 2025 Meeting Room-3rd Floor Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:30 AM by Scott Mildbrand. Members Present: Scott Mildbrand, Gary Beadles, Jim Gebauer, Rollie Thums, and Harvey “Bud” Suckow. Members Absent: N/A Other Attendees: Jim Metz, Lucas Williams, Tanisha Macdonald, Timothy Allen-DNR, and Brian Wilson-Star News. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the April 4 th meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Gebauer moved to approve the agenda of 14 items; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Williams presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Beadles moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Williams stated that there has been no logging activity since the last meeting. Timber Sale Closeout Sale #688, Tract 2 -20: All contract items have been completed, and the final invoices have been paid. No pending items. Thums moved to approve the close out of timber sale #688: seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Timber Sale #696, Tract 3 -21, Contract Extension: This sale was sold in 2021 and was signed as a 3-year contract with Wilson Forestry. There was an extension granted in June 2024 for one year, this will be the second one -year extension. The access road to the sale was excessively crowned, making it hazardous for trucking. By the time Jim was in a position to address the issue, the ground had already frozen, preventing any dirt work. He plans to make improvements to the road this summer, with the goal of cutting the sale next winter. Beadles made a motion to approve the extension with no stumpage increase and waive the $50 renewal fee: seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Approve Black River Snowmobile Bridge Bid: Williams presented the five bids that were received yesterday. The department has been awarded a $144,000 grant for the replacement of the Black River Bridge Bid. Williams would like to do some reference checking and design review before proceeding with a contractor. Suckow made a motion to table the approval of the Black River Snowmobile Bridge bid until the next meeting: seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Approve Camp 8 ATV Rehabilitation Bid: Williams presented the four bids that were received yesterday. A total of $49,569.20 was awarded to the department in grant funding. $39,655.20 is RTP and $9,914 is ATV funding. Gebauer made a motion to approve the lowest bidder, Randy Thums Trucking and Excavating; seconded by Beadles. Thums abstained. Motion carried. Approve Spring Timber Sales for Bidding: Williams presented the spring timber sales for bid. He handed out a prospectus, spring sale summary, sale location map, individual timber sale maps and individual sale information sheets. Seven sales were presented to the committee for review with a total of 406 acres. • Tract 1-25: 57 acres. Located on Bear Ave. Minimum bid value is $30,290. • Tract 2-25: 33 acres. Located on Wilderness Ave. Minimum bid value is $11,614.50. • Tract 3-25: 97 acres. Located on Emil Dr. Minimum bid value is $36,292. • Tract 4-25: 93 acres. Located on County Rd D. Minimum bid value is $42,355. • Tract 5-24: 23 acres. Located on Beards Ln. Minimum bid value is $3,728.50. • Tract 9-24: 43 acres. Located on North Loop. Minimum bid value is $4,566. • Tract 10-24: 60 acres. Located on Trout Ave. Minimum bid value is $9,155. Bids will be accepted until 3:00 PM on June 5 th and then opened immediately. Gebauer moved to approve the seven timber sales for advertising as presented: seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following updates: • ATV trails will be opening next Friday, May 9 th. This was delayed a week due to soft grounds from heavy rainfall. • Jeff Peterson will be working on grading county forest roads. • There are remaining funds for snowmobile trail maintenance. Williams plans to use them to replace culverts along the trails, with the Taylor Highway Department handling the installation. • A culvert on Zuther Mill Grade was washed out this spring, making the road impassable. This is the third time in three years. The Highway Department will be upsizing the culvert in hopes that it will fix the problem. • The department has been awarded $15,683.32 from the Wild Turkey Stamp grant. This will be used for improving forest openings; work will begin this summer. • There have been several instances of gate vandalism and road rutting damage. Williams is coordinating with DNR warden Kurt Haas to monitor the situation and work toward a resolution • Solawetz surveyed the Campus Woods to assess the amount of ash and determine the feasibility of a timber sale. He found that approximately 30% of the stocking consists of ash, with a substantial amount of sawtimber present. Emerald Ash Borer is currently affecting the stand, and it is expected that the vast majority of the ash will be dead within 3–5 years. Williams plans to further evaluate the potential for a salvage operation this winter. He will attend the Buildings and Grounds Committee meeting to present alternatives and recommendations. Additionally, this ash salvage operation will be added to the Forestry Committee meeting next month • Golden Sands intern, Sebastian Rueth, will be assisting the department over the summer again starting on May 27th. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Allen reported that he hasn’t worked on the county forest as much this last month due to spring fire season starting. He worked on finishing up the spring timber sales. There are about 50-60 hours left for county time standards before June. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, June 6th, 2025, at 9:30 AM in the County Meeting Room, third floor. Adjournment: With no further business, Gebauer moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Thums. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:22 AM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee April 4th, 2025 Meeting Room-3rd Floor Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:30 AM by Scott Mildbrand. Members Present: Scott Mildbrand, Gary Beadles, Jim Gebauer, Rollie Thums, and Harvey “Bud” Suckow. Members Absent: N/A Other Attendees: Jim Metz, Lucas Williams, Alex Solawetz, Tanisha Macdonald, Timothy Allen - DNR, and Brian Wilson-Star News. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the February 7 th meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Gebauer moved to approve the agenda of 12 items; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Williams presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Thums moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz provided the following updates. • #688, North Loop Aspen, Czarnezki o Complete and will be ready to close out next week. Smola ended up finishing the cutting on this sale. • #698, Ashmagheddon, Wilson Forestry Product o Cutting is complete. About 2 loads of wood decked at Camp 8 and Trout. • #710, Shay Hills, Smola Enterprises o Complete. Will be ready for closeout next week. • #712, Gapportunity, Czarnezki Forest Products o Completed in February. Closeout after billing is complete. • #713, UWSP, Czarnezki Forest Products o Czarnezki worked to complete the aspen coppice on this sale while the ground was still frozen. Request to Place Selfie Signs on County Forest Property: Kelly Patrick with Rib Lake Community Development made a request to place selfie signs along Camp 8, Wood Lake, and along the Ice Age Trail. The purpose of these signs is to boost community engagement within the Rib Lake Area. This will hopefully increase tourism and benefit local businesses. People will take selfies at the stations, post the selfies on social media, and then will be entered for a chance to win a free cabin stay in the Rib Lake area. The more pictures you post, the more entries you will receive. The Rib Lake Community Development Foundation will cover the costs and maintenance of the signs. Thums made a motion to allow the installation of three selfie signs at Camp 8, Wood Lake, and along the Ice Age Trail: seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Discuss Assigned Fund Balances: Taylor County’s auditor recommended that the Forestry Department review their assigned fund balances and consider moving some of those funds into unassigned fund balances. Beadles stated, “The money is assigned to these accounts for a reason and that it should be left the way it is” with Gebauer adding on, “The money will be needed later on down the road”. The committee agrees that the accounts should stay as they are to avoid any issues acquiring money for projects in the future. Department Carryover Accounts: Williams presented the carryover account balances. Williams explained what each account covers throughout the department. The carryover amounts will remain the same. The County Dam Maintenance carryover account could be reduced or cutoff once the account holds an appropriate amount to cover necessary costs. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following updates: • Wrapping up spring timber sales. Sales will be presented at the next meeting. • Camp 8 ATV rehab out on bid. Results will be present at the next meeting. • Received reimbursement for the CCA alder shearing that was completed in the winter which was $2,615.36. • Applied for the Turkey Stamp Grant for creating wildlife openings. • The 11 duck houses, that the students at Rib Lake High School made, were put out. Wood for the houses was donated by Tyler Wolf. • Received another nine duck houses from the Taylor County Sportsman’s Club. • Snowmobile trails were open February 12th - February 23rd. • Applied for snowmobile maintenance, winter ATV maintenance, Trout maintenance, and ATV grants. • Applied for a bridge replacement grant for Mink Creek. • Bids were sent out for the replacement of Kunne Bridge. Results will be presented at the next meeting. • Williams wrote a letter of support for the Black River Rider Horse Riders Club to improve their trail system; the grant was received. • The county will be having a surveillance audit on August 6th, 2025. They will visit 5 timber sales, and two non-timber sale stops. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Allen reported that he had a pre -certification audit meeting with Williams and Solawetz in preparation for the County Forest Audit on August 6 th, 2025. Wrapped up work on a hardwood sale and is working on another along Emil Dr. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, May 2nd, 2025, at 9:30 AM in the County Board Room, third floor. Adjournment: With no further business, Thums moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:38 AM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee February 7th, 2025 Meeting Room-3rd Floor Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:30 AM by Scott Mildbrand. Members Present: Scott Mildbrand, Gary Beadles, Jim Gebauer, Rollie Thums, and Harvey “Bud” Suckow. Members Absent: N/A Other Attendees: Jim Metz, Lucas Williams, Alex Solawetz, Timothy Allen -DNR, and Brian Wilson-Star News. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the January 3 rd meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda : Thums moved to approve the agenda of twelve (12) items; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Williams presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Gebauer moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz provided the following updates. • #688, North Loop Aspen, Czarnezki Forest Products. o Cutting completed by Smola Enterprises last week. Wood is decked on Loop Rd and will be hauled by Czarnezki. • #698, Ashmagheddon, Wilson Forestry Products. o Nearing completion. On extension. Hard ground conditions. Less than 25 acres of the 130 acres sale remains to be cut. • #710, Shay Hills, Smola Enterprises. o Sale was partially cut last summer. The crew has finished the wetter swamp hardwood and tamarack areas which were nicely frozen. The sale is complete. Hauling only. • #712, Gapportunity, Czarnezki Forest Products. o Plans to move in next week. Discuss Collaboration with the Highway Department on 2025 Gravel Projects: Williams presented a map with proposed 2025 county forest road gravel projects. A cost comparison sheet that had 2024 gravel bid results and the estimates from highway for 2025. Discussion ensued about the pros and cons of the Taylor County Highway Department completing the contract vs. bidding to a contractor. Pros include potential cost saving, keeping the work with the county, and quality control. Main con is lack of work for area contractors. However, the forestry department would still employ private contractors for other work such as ATV trails, etc. Motion made by Gebauer to hire the Taylor County Highway Department for gravel; seconded by Beadles. Thums abstained. Motion carried. Evaluate and consider approval for applying for the 2025 -26 Wild Turkey Stamp Grant: Williams would like to apply for a Wild Turkey Stamp grant that increases the number and quality of the forest openings present on Taylor County Forest. Williams passed out a map of existing and proposed wildlife openings. The purpose of the Wild Turkey Stamp Fund is to maximize benefits for wild turkeys, turkey management, and turkey hunters across the state. WTSF’s are available in three categories: habitat, education and outreach, research and monitoring. Projects must occur within one of the Wildlife Habitat Priorities of Grassland, Oak Forest, Young Forest, or Barrens on properties where hunting is permitted. The Taylor County Sportsman’s graciously agreed to contribute $5,000 to the project. The estimated project cost is $33,824 with Taylor County match for labor and equipment. The committee would like to complete some work even if the grant is not awarded to the forestry department. Thums moved to approve the application for the 2025 -26 Wild Turkey Stamp Grant: seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Consider approval for applying for new ATV trail construction from Wilderness Road to Loop Road: Williams presented the committee with a map for the proposed project. Trail improvements will be beneficial to ATV use, snowmobile, and timber harvests. The ATV grant is due April 15th, and the estimated cost of the project is $25,000. The grant pays 100% of eligible trail development expenses. A WDNR wetland fill permit improved. A wetland fill permit will be paid by the requested grant. It is also possible the department could use snowmobile maintenance to fund some of the project. Thums moved to approve that Williams apply for the ATV trail construction grant for the trail indicated on the map handout; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following updates. • The work for the CCA alder shearing grant has been done. Approximately 15 acres were sheared in 4 patches within the Porky East RGMA. Williams is working on submission for reimbursement. Williams would like to continue this project in subsequent years. • WCFA license plate now a license plate available. They are $25 and the revenue will promote and educate on sustainable forest management in Wisconsin. They can be purchased through Wisconsin DOT. • Sebastian Reuth, the intern from last year is planning to return for this summer. He should be starting in May when school is complete for the year. • Pine Line opened to snowmobiles at 8:00 AM today. Price county has also opened all their trails. The hope is to open north of County Rd M next week if the forecasted snow occurs. • Forestry regeneration monitoring (FRM) report results were provided to Williams. FRM reports sampled stands regenerated well with low browse levels present. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Allen reported that the DNR has been working on timber sale establishment, mostly on Emil Dr. Assisted with log scaling on Shay Hills sale as well. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, March 7th, 2025, at 9:30 AM in the County Board Room, third floor. Adjournment: With no further business, Thums moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:09 AM. Secretary: Alex Solawetz Forestry & Recreation Committee January 3rd, 2025 Meeting Room-3rd Floor Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:30 AM by Scott Mildbrand. Members Present: Scott Mildbrand, Gary Beadles, Jim Gebauer, Rollie Thums, and Harvey “Bud” Suckow. Members Absent: N/A Other Attendees: Lucas Williams, Alex Solawetz, Tanisha Macdonald, and Brian Wilson -Star News. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the December 6 th meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda : Gebauer moved to approve the agenda of ten (10) items; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Williams presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Gebauer moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Voster’s Property Road Discussion: While beginning work on the timber sale at the recently purchased Voster’s property, DNR discovered several BMP issues with the current road infrastructure. The main road accessing the eastern part of the property transects several wetlands. Due to repetitive use, these areas are quite degraded. To meet certification requirements, these roads will need to be improved or abandoned. Williams proposed applying for a sustainable forestry grant to help cover the costs. The committee would like an estimate of what the cost of improvement will be. GPS for Forestry Department Vehicles: GPS monitoring will be managed by the Human Resources Director. The cost for GPS in both Forestry department trucks will be $40 a month for a total of $480 a year. The expense will be added to the travel expense budget. Gebauer made a motion to approve the installation of GPS tracking in the two (2) forestry vehicles; seconded by Thums. Motion carried Administrator Report: Williams presented the following updates. • Wood duck houses were picked up from the Rib Lake School district. The students completed eleven (11) houses with the wood that was donated to the school by Tyler Wolf from the Goodrich bolt mill. The shop teacher from the district stated that the students enjoyed working on this project and would like to do it again. • The Big Rib Bridge Redecking was reimbursed for a total of $24,999. • Camp ATV Trail Rehab 2021 was a reimbursement of $27,907.71. • Sustainable Forestry Grant for 2023 was completed and sent in for reimbursement. Total grant amount is $10,200. • Williams and Solawetz mowed the remote embankments on Chequamegon Waters. They cleared using brush saws rather than mobilizing equipment to save time and money. • Williams and Solawetz have continued to set up spring timber sales since the weather has been decent. Solawetz provided a quick update on timber sale #698, Wilson Forestry. Wilson brought in logging equipment yesterday and plans to start cutting next week. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Allen was unable to attend the meeting but emailed Wiliams his update. Williams read “We scouted a couple of hardwood stands and have mostly been working on marking the hardwood stand on Emil across Gapportunity.” Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, February 7th, 2025, at 9:30 AM in the County Board Room, third floor. Adjournment: With no further business, Thums moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:09 AM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald