Forestry & Recreation

Forestry & Recreation Committee December 6th, 2024 Meeting Room-3rd Floor Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:31 AM by James Gebauer. Members Present: Gary Beadles, Jim Gebauer, Rollie Thums, and Harvey “Bud” Suckow. Members Absent: Scott Mildbrand Other Attendees: Jim Metz, Lucas Williams, Alex Solawetz, Tanisha Macdonald, Timothy Allen- DNR, Spencer O’Brien-DNR, Ashley Strabel-DNR, and Brian Wilson-Star News. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the November 1 st meeting; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Thums moved to approve the agenda of fourteen (14) items; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Williams presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Suckow moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. DNR Wildlife: Spencer O’Brien is the new DNR wildlife biology for Taylor County. O’Brien provided the committee with an update on deer, bear, and grouse harvests over the last year . He also discussed the benefit of having more forest openings which would be substantial in maintaining wildlife habitats. Ashley Strable, who works in partnership with the DNR , also provided some insight on how these openings affect wildlife populations. An edge feathering technique was suggested as a transition between dense forest and the open fields. Edge feathering is a conservation technique that creates a gradual transition between two different habitats, such as a forest and a grassland, to provide wildlife with cover and food. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz provided the following update: • #709, Clifford, Lakeland Forestry. o 74-acre aspen sale on Fawn Ave. The sale is 40% complete . No cutting since the last meeting. Some wood remains and is being hauled out slowly. • #713, UWSP, Czarnezki Forest Products. o 150-acre sale on Camp 8 Rd. There has been no cutting activity. A small amount of wood remains there. Timber Sale Close Out #715: 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 #715; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Timber Sale Extension Request: Wilson Forestry LLC requested and extension on sale #698 . Beadles made a motion to approve a 15-month extension on sale #698 with the $50 renewal fee waived; seconded by Thums. Award Timber Sales: Williams presented the fall timber sale bids. Four out of the seven sales received qualifying bids with a total bid value of $208,643.50 on 361 acres. • Tract 5-24, Beetle Beater: No qualifying bids. • Tract 6-24, Bloodhound: There were four (4) qualifying bids. Wiitala -Vozka Logging had the highest bid of $45,645.00. • Tract 7-24, King Strobus: There were two (2) qualifying bids. Czarnezki Forest Products had the highest bid of $15,087.50. • Tract 8-24, South Trout: There were two (2) qualifying bids. Smola Enterprises had the highest bid of $105,720.00. • Tract 9-24, Countdown: No qualifying bids. • Tract 10-24, Trout Swamp Hardwood: No qualifying bids. • Tract 11-24, First Rodeo: There were four (4) qualifying bids. Twin Forest Products had the highest bid of $42,191.00. Motion made by Beadles to approve the highest bidder for tracts #6-24, #7-24, #8-24, and #11- 24; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. GPS for Forestry Department Vehicles: The committee and forestry department discussed their opinions on adding GPS to the department vehicles. No one was opposed to the idea, but some questions were posed. What will be the cost of installing the GPS? Who will be monitoring the GPS when the foresters are out in the field? Due to the lack of information no motion was made at this time, and the committee will review it at the next meeting. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following updates. • The Mink Creek Bridge was inspected by Pat Harder and was found to not be in suitable condition. He recommended that the groom er not use t he bridge until repairs are completed. Williams will apply for a replacement grant that is due on April 15, 2025. • Tyler Wolf, from the Goodrich Sawmill, donated white pine lumber for the students at Rib Lake School district to use for building wood duck houses that will be placed in the county forest. • The forestry department was given 2 0 timber mats from a federal grant. They are 12 feet long and are available for loggers. • Williams and Solawetz have been marking and cruising for spring timber sale bids. • The agitator at Miller Dam was installed last week to prevent ice on the dam gates. DNR County Forest Liaison Report : Allen reported that he has started a new timber sale on Cutoff Rd for the spring timber sales. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, January 3rd, 2025, at 9:30 AM in the County Board Room, third floor. Adjournment: With no further business, Suckow moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Thums. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:56 AM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee November 1st, 2024 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: None 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 October 4 th meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Gebauer moved to approve the agenda of twelve (12) 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 Gebauer. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Williams provided the following update: • #715; Mercury, Smola Enterprises. o 48-acre sale. All cutting and hauling is finished. Waiting for the last invoice payment and then the sale will be complete. • #713; UWSP, Czarnezki Forest Products. o 150-acres sale. The sale is 50% complete. This sale will be finished next summer. • #709, Clifford, Lakeland Forestry. o 74-acre aspen sale. The sale is 40% complete. The contractor has left the site but will return to work in a couple of weeks. Approve Timber Sales for Bids: Williams presented the fall timber sale bids. The packet included a prospectus, fall sale summary, sale location map, and individual timber sale maps with individual sale information sheets. Seven (7) sales were presented to the Committee for review with a total of 361 acres. • Tract 5-24, Beetle Beater: 23 acres with an estimated 795 tons of mixed hardwood pulp and 38 MBF of ash logs. Located on Beards Ln. Minimum bid value of $7,018.00. • Tract 6 -24, Bloodhound: 31 acres with an estimated 1150 tons of aspen, 460 tons of mixed red pine products, 210 tons of mixed hardwood pulp, and 35 tons of balsam. Located on North Loop. Minimum bid value of $19,889.00. • Tract 7-24, King Strobus: 38 acres with an estimated 725 tons of mixed hardwood pulp, 25 tons of basswood pulp, 75 tons of balsam fir pulp, 15 MBF of mixed hardwood logs, and 4 MBF of basswood logs. Located on Emil Dr. Minimum bid value of $10,400.00. • Tract 8-24, South Trout: 127 acres with an estimated 3480 tons of mixed hardwood pulp, 1845 tons of aspen pulp, 210 tons of basswood pulp, 15 tons of balsam fir pulp, 141 MBF of mixed hardwood logs, and 31 MBF of basswood logs. Located on Trout Ave. Minimum bid value of $72,218.00. • Tract 9-24, Countdown: 43 acres with an estimated 1700 tons of ash pulp, 190 tons of aspen pulp, 80 tons of balsam pulp, 95 tons of red pine mixed products, and 10 MBF of ash logs. Located on North Loop. Minimum bid value of $7,745.10. • Tract 10-24, Trout Swamp Hardwood: 60 acres with an estimated 2185 tons of ash pulp, 35 tons of balsam pulp, 30 tons of aspen pulp, and 27 MBF of ash logs. Located on Trout Ave. Minimum bid value of $13,280.00. • Tract 11 -24, First Rodeo: 39 acres of 860 tons of mixed hardwood pulp, 60 tons of basswood pulp, 15 tons of aspen pulp, 72 MBF of mixed hardwood logs, and 6 MBF of basswood logs. Located on Cutoff Rd. Minimum bid value of $22,373.50. Bids will be accepted until 3:00 PM on December 5th and opened immediately. Thums moved to approve the seven (7) timber sales for advertisement as presented; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Future Wildlife Project Discussion: Williams would like to grow the wildlife program overtime and felt it wanted to get input from the committee. Several • Improve County Forest Wildlife Openings. o Williams would like to establish more wildlife openings on the county forest since currently there are only 6. Williams spoke with the new wildlife biologist, Spencer O’Brien, about it & thought it was a good idea as well. DNR dozer training hours may be used to establish new openings. These are free to the county. In addition, grant opportunities such as the Wild Turkey Stamp will be pursued in the future to secure funding. In addition to establishing new openings, Williams envisions on ongoing maintenance program that includes annual mowing and periodic reseeding to clover and other mixes beneficial to wildlife. Spencer recommended edge feather the opening and planting shrubs and mast trees along the edges to further improve wildlife habitat. These areas could further serve as landings during future harvests. • Alder Shearing. o Williams would like to develop an annual alder shearing program aimed at improving woodcock and grouse habitat within the Porky East RGMA. The ideal alder habitat consists of several age classes in close proximity to one another in relatively small patches. The forestry department plans to shear 15 acres this winter and would like to continue this as an annual project going forward. After this winter, more insight will be gained into production and a better idea of reasonable annual acreage goals can be established. Financial and technical assistance may exist from the Ruffed Grouse Society, the American Bird Conservancy, the WI-DNR. Williams will further investigate. • Wood Duck Houses. o Williams would like to work with the local wood shop classes to have them construct wood duck houses for placement on the county forest. He plans to reach out to the shop teachers in the Medford, Rib Lake, and Gilman school districts to determine their interest in such a project. He will also pursue lumber donations from area sawmills. Williams plans to ask Taylor County Sportsman about their interest in helping with placement and maintenance of these houses going forward. • Improve the parking areas in Ruffed Grouse Management Areas (RGMA) o Currently, parking is limited at the RGMA and other areas of the forest for hunting access. Williams would like to have constructed several parking areas like the one present near the intersection of Camp 8 Road and Trout Avenue. This would allow more than one vehicle to park at a particular access point at a time and provide camping opportunities for hunters. Grant funding may be available. Williams plans to work on this as time allows. Mink Creek Snowmobile Bridge Replacement: Williams was approached by members of the Moon-Lite Sno-Kats in regard to the poor condition of the mink creek bridge which requires its replacement. The grant deadline for this project would be April 15 th of 2025. The first step is to have a certified bridge inspector conduct an inspection report. Pat Harder at the Highway Department is able to do this inspection and we will be coordinating getting this completed. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following updates. • Finished and submitted the reimbursement for the Camp 8 2021 ATV rehab project. Total is $27,902. • Roger finished the Big Rib River redeck. The project turned out nice. Reimbursement has been submitted for a total of $24,999. • Rock Thums graded the ATV tails and installed three (3) new culverts on the ATV trails as part of the ATV maintenance program. • The forestry department has been mowing the sides of the ATV/Snowmobile trails as part of the ATV/snowmobile maintenance programs. • Lucas Bacholl is working on the SFG 2023 grant that is brushing county forest roads from ice/snow damage from the previous winter. The project is going well and he should be completed next week • Started establishing timber sales for next spring. Trying to get ahead before the snow gets deep. • The Forestry Department has been offered free boulders from Jim Livingston; we just have to pay to have them hauled. These would be used to prevent ATV access to the Camp 8 dam which was noted in the recent inspection from DNR. Wisco Materials can haul the boulders for $140/hour. This will be billed to the ATV maintenance program. • The department has received a recycled dead -end sign and post from the Highway department for Emil Dr. This will be installed next week. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Allen reported that he has been working on wrapping up tract 9 and outlining where the spring timber sales will be. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, December 6th, 2024, 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 10:22 AM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee October 4th, 2024 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: None Other Attendees: Lucas Williams, Alex Solawetz, Tanisha Macdonald, and Brian Wilson -Star News. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the September 6 th meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Gebauer moved to approve the agenda of twelve (12) items; seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Williams presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Beadles moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz provided the following update: • #715; Mercury, Smola Enterprises. o 48-acre sale on Camp 8 Rd south of Camp 8 Dam. Cutting and skidding has been completed. The final payment and some minor dirt work at the job is required. The sale should be ready for closeout at the next meeting. • #713; UWSP, Czarnezki Forest Products. o 150-acres sale. Progress continues at this sale and is about 1/3 complete. • #709, Clifford, Lakeland Forestry. o 74-acre aspen sale. Progress continues at this sale and is about 1/3 complete. Present ATV Track Estimates: Williams informed the committee that when the Can -Am was purchased in 2023, there were not enough funds available to purchase tracks. There is money available in the budget this year. Williams received estimates from Werner’s Sales and Service and Lang Equipment LLC. • Williams was quoted $6,000 by Werner’s Sales and Services for a set of tracks. This is for a set of Can-Am tracks. • Lang Equipment LLC gave Williams a quote of $4,500 for a set of Camso tracks. Beadles made a motion to proceed with purchasing tracks from Lang Equipment LLC for $4,500, seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Discussion Regarding Volunteer Involvement on County Forest Lands: Mark Gelhaus contacted Williams about doing some volunteer work on the trails located by his property on Porky Drive. Gelhaus would like to remove downed trees from recent ice/snowstorms and mow some of the hunter walking trails. Gelhaus expressed concern with the lack of maintenance in recent years. Williams had a Volunteer Waiver and Release of Liability Form drafted by Corp. Counsel and presented it to the committee. Williams stated that he made clear to Gelhaus that these trails and the adjacent county property are public and any intimidation or harassment to people recreating in these areas will not be tolerated. Additionally, Williams informed Gelhaus that he would periodically inspect the quality and scope of the work. Mildbrand proposed having these trails signed as public hunting trails to avoid ownership confusion. Gebauer made a motion to allow voluntary work on these trails after a contract is signed, seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Sustainable Forestry Grant 2023 Discussion: In December 2023 Talyor County received $10,200 to remove downed trees from ice/snowstorms with the primary purpose of silviculture. A secondary objective was to increase public access and hunting opportunities. Williams would like to hire Lucas Bacholl to complete the brushing of the forest roads. He can complete the work sometime this fall. Thums made a motion to hire Bacholl, seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following updates. • Williams and Solawetz attended the WCFA that was hosted in Rhinelander last week. During their visit there was discussion about depressed markets, forest development trends, invasive species updates, and wildlife management. • The gravel that was stockpiled off the Camp 8 ATV trail has been spread by Williams and Solawetz. This is part of the Camp 8 ATV Trail Rehab – 2021 grant. This is the last part of this grant that is still outstanding. • Timber sale marking and cruising for the fall bid is close to being completed. • Scott Balciar finished annual trail mowing. He spent 98 hours mowing the county forest. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen was not present at the meeting. He tasked Williams with providing the following update: DNR has been working on finishing a hardwood job on Wilderness Avenue and an ash salvage off Loop Road. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, November 1st, 2024, 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 10:00 AM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee September 6th, 2024 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: None Other Attendees: Lucas Williams, Alex Solawetz, Tanisha Macdonald, Timothy Allen -DNR, and Brian Wilson-Star News. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the August 16 th meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Gebauer moved to approve the agenda of twelve (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 Suckow. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz provided the following update: • #715; Mercury, Smola Enterprises. o 48-acre sale on Camp 8 Rd south of Camp 8 Dam. Cutting and skidding has been completed. There is some wood left to haul before the sale is complete. There will need to be some road work done along Camp 8 prior to the job being closed out. • #710; Shay Hills, Smola Enterprises. o 60-acre sale. The cutting and skidding on summer ground was completed August 22nd. The remaining work will need to be completed in the winter. About 30-acres of cutting remain. • #712: Gapportunity, Czarnezki Forest Products. o 145-acre sale west of Emil Dr. The sale is nearly complete. About 18 acres of frozen ground remains. Adam plans to cut that this winter if conditions warrant. • #713; UWSP, Czarnezki Forest Products. o 150-acres sale. Work started August 26 th along Camp 8 Rd. There has been good progress and the sale has been going well. • #709, Clifford, Lakeland Forestry. o 74-acre aspen sale. Progress has been slow, but a few loads have been hauled since they began work August 22nd. So far, the job has been going well. 2023 Annual Accomplishment Report: Williams handed out the 2023 Annual Accomplishment Report. After reviewing the report, the committee did not have any questions or concerns. 2025 Annual Work Plan: Williams presented the proposed 2025 Annual Work Plan. Some notable changes from last year’s work plan were: • There was a small decrease (2.3%) in the Forestry Budget. This was mainly due to new employees and changes to benefits. • The timber harvest section was changed after Emerald Ash Borer was confirmed in Medford earlier this summer. In 2025, the forestry department will make every attempt possible to salvage ash prior to infestation. • Under the Wildlife Projects, Williams plans to use the County Conservation Aide to assist with grouse habitat management on the Porky East Ruffed Grouse Management Area. A goal of 15 acres of alder shearing has been established. • The county will continue to be diligent in controlling the limited invasives that exist on county forest, since not may currently exist on county forest. Beadles moved to approve the proposed 2025 annual work plan, seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Discuss and Approve UWSP Wildlife Habitat Demo Site Sign: Dr. Demchik, from the University of Stevens Point, contacted Williams about placing a wildlife demo sign at the timber sale location next spring. The university would place the sign, and a federal grant would pay for the sign. This timber sale was designed to improve habitat for neo-tropical birds. The sign would be placed by the first gate on Camp 8 Rd. Gebauer made a motion to approve the installation of this sign; seconded by Thums. Motion carried. *Gebauer left the meeting after this discussion. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following updates. • Big Rib River bridge replacement is almost completed. • Wisco Materials finished their gravel contract awarded in April. • The storm damage that was caused to the Pineline walking trail was cleaned up. Damaged trees were cut and cleared, along with any brush that was on the trail. The city would not take material over 8” at their brush disposal site. Williams will remove that from the trail with the 1-ton dump truck as time allows. • Scott Balciar has been mowing the hunter walking trails. He has the north half done and is waiting to hear back from the forest service on whether they want any mowing completed on their trails. If not, or he has hours remaining, he will continue to work his way south with the trail mowing. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen gave the update “The timber sales on North Loop and Emil Drive have been wrapped up”. Allen explained to the committee what type of work he does as a liaison to the Taylor County Forestry Department. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, October 4th, 2024, 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 10:18 AM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee August 16th, 2024 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: None Other Attendees: Jim Metz, Lucas Williams, Alex Solawetz, Tanisha Macdonald, and Brian Wilson-Star News. Approve Minutes: Suckow moved to approve the minutes of the July 12 th meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Thums moved to approve the agenda of thirteen (13) 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 update: • #709; Clifford, Lakeland Forestry. o 74-acre aspen sale on the north side of Fawn Ave. A forwarder has been moved on site and there are plans to begin cutting on 8/19/2024. • #710; Shay Hills, Smola Enterprises. o 60-acre sale. Cutting began August 7 th. The portions of this sale that allow for summer harvesting is nearly complete. The acreage remaining will require frozen ground conditions. • #712: Gapportunity, Czarnezki Forest Products. o 145-acre sale. Adam has recently moved back in to finish the remaining summer ground portions. He should finish cutting next. Approximately 15 acres of winter ground remain on this sale. • #715; Mercury, Smola Enterprises. o 48-acre sale. Cutting began July 22 nd. The sale will be complete next week. The skidding is a little behind due to all the rain lately. However, with drier conditions forecasted, it is anticipated that this sale will be wrapped up next week. • #718, Inittothinit, Smola Enterprises. o 41-acre sale. Cutting on the summer ground portions of this sale will begin this weekend. Ash Salvage Discussion: Due to Emerald Ash Borer being found in Taylor County the foresters are planning to pre -salvage as much as possible. Forestry intern, Rueth, has been inventorying lowland ash stands for future harvest potential. About 120 acres could be made available easily for the fall bid. However, there are concerns about the possibility that it will not sell due to poor markets or wet ground conditions. After discussion, it was decided that the forestry department must do its due diligence in attempting to utilize as much of this resource as possible before it succumbs to EAB. The forestry will proceed with its attempt to utilize as much as possible. However, if sales go no bid or are not being completed due to poor weather conditions, further evaluation of this strategy will occur at that time. Suckow moved to approve Williams use discretion for utilizing as much ash wood as possible, seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Camp 8 ATV Rehab Contractor Discussion: The county was awarded an ATV Rehab grant in October of 2023. The total awarded amount is $49,569.20. Of this $39,655.20 is through the DNR ATV program and $9,914.00 is through the Recreation Trail Program. The project consists of trailing crowning and ditching, two culvert installations, and graveling the reshaped trail. Williams was in contact with Rock and Corey Thums about completing the project. They are interested and have demonstrated from previous projects that they can perform this work well. However, upon reviewing the award letter, Williams read that “The sponsor must comply with all applicable local and state contract and bidding requirements.” Williams solicited legal counsel from Ruthann Koch and she recommended to err on the side of caution with this. State law requires that a county use the bidding process for public works projects that are anticipated to exceed $25,000.00. Suckow moved to approve that the county bid out Camp 8 ATV Rehab project, seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Pine Line Clean Up Discussion: During the July 12 th forestry meeting, discussion occurred regarding cleaning up storm damaged trees along the section of Pine Line between Allman Avenue and Center Avenue. This was in response to calls from trail users expressing concerns about the aesthetics of the slash and downed/damaged trees. After discussion, it was decided to let the brush break down over time. Since the last meeting, trail users have expressed concern about potential safety hazards due to leaning trees and broken tree limbs. Williams conducted a further assessment and estimated that there are 15 -20 potential hazard trees with 3 -4 being quite hazardous. Williams received a quote of $5,000 from Czarnezki Forest Products to remove all the storm damaged trees and haul the tops from the site. Williams was also in contact with Michael Lamberty regarding trail clean up. Lamberty said he would be willing to cut up the storm damaged trees to use as firewood free of charge. This would solve the safety concerns, but the tops would still be present thus reducing aesthetics. Discussion ensued about which option was preferred. Mildbrand questioned if Lamberty has insurance on the equipment he would be using which brings up more safety concerns. Beadles moved to approve Czarnezki clean up the pine line for $5,000, seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Proposed 2025 Forestry Budget: Williams presented and reviewed the proposed 2025 department budget. The total expense budget was reduced by 2.3%, with the changes mostly related to lower wages and a reduction in health insurance due to staff turnover. Other than that, most of the operating budget is similar to last year. Increases in budget are proposed for Miller Dam electricity (+$50), Camp 8 Dam Repair (+$500), Pirus Range (+$250), and Chequamegon Waters Dam Maintenance (+$250). Reductions occurred in Telephone ( -$300), Meal Allowance ( -$100), Occupation Safety ( -$200), ATV Outlay ( -$1000), Forestry Equipment Outlay ( -$500) to more accurately reflect anticipated expenses. Gebauer made a motion to approve the budget and send it to Finance and Personnel Committee for final approval; seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following updates. • Reimbursement for Camp 8 and Chelsea Dam replacement grants has been received. Camp 8 is $194,694.57 and Chelsea Dam grant is $175,574.06. • Becher-Hoppe Associates completed the Miller Dam field inspection. The engineer said that the dam looked to be in good shape and would hold up for about 50 years, give or take. There is chipping in the concrete that will need to be repaired some time in the future. • Jeff Peterson graded the north half of the forest roads last week. The south half will be completed next week when some of the active logging jobs wrap up. • Wisco Materials continued working on our gravel contract last week. All that is left to complete from this year’s gravel contract is eleven (11) loads of 2” at Zettler’s Ave. With drier weather forecasted, Williams is optimistic that this will be finished within the next few weeks. • Sebastian’s last day is next Friday. He is going to Fox Valley Tech for natural resources management. He has been a quick learner and has shown a strong work ethic. Sebastian would be interested in doing the internship again next year. The Golden Sands RC and D grant is good for a total of 1,500 hours. Thums suggested sending a letter of performance to Fox Valley Technical college about Sebastian’s commendable work that he completed with the Forestry Department. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen was unable to attend the meeting but emailed his report to Williams. Williams read “Completed setting up aspen regeneration harvest on North Loop. Held the annual TCF/DNR partnership meeting to go over work plans. Assessed multiple stands with suspected high levels of ash. Frame and mark timber sale at the end of Emil Drive.” Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, September 6th, 2024, at 9:30 AM in the County Board Room, third floor. Adjournment: With no further business, Thums moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:35 AM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee July 12th, 2024 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: None Other Attendees: Jim Metz, Lucas Williams, Timothy Allen -DNR, Tanisha Macdonald, and Saskatoon Damm-Star News. Approve Minutes: Gebauer moved to approve the minutes of the June 7 th meeting; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Gebauer moved to approve the agenda of twelve (12) items; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Williams presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Thums moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Williams provided the following update: • There has been no cutting activity due to wet weather conditions. With drier conditions likely the second half of the summer, Williams expressed optimism that harvesting should pick up. Williams stated that currently there are 14 timber sales under contract, with 11 of those having not been started, and 3 there are partially completed. • Sale extension contracts for #688, #695, and #696 have been received and signed by all parties. • Timber sale contracts from the Spring 2024 Bids have been received and signed by all parties. • With the confirmation of Emerald Ash Borer in Medford, Williams discussed that the department has continued to prioritize ash salvage. Beadles pitched the idea of making lowland ash sales available if in early to mid -fall conditions appear that like they are going to be conducive to winter logging. Discussion ensued about an additional bid opening if these conditions were to come to fruition. Williams stated that the forestry department would be able to make ash salvage sales available in a timely fashion but expressed concern that logging contractors would be able to move into them as quickly as we would like due to a backlog of winter work resulting from poor logging conditions for the last several years. Sebastian has been inventorying swamp hardwood stands and has been developing a ranking of which stands have the most value and potential for harvesting. Williams will gather input from local logging contractors about interest in swamp hardwood (black ash) salvage harvests and report back. Rib Lake Range Update: Williams provided the following update: • The forestry department will wait until next year to apply for the DNR shooting range grant. After discussion with Doug Polacek, it seemed best to wait and ensure that we get the project written up correctly rather than rush it through. • Williams plans to attend a Rib Lake Fish and Game and a Taylor County Sportsman meeting to present info about the range and what it the estimated costs of construction are. • Williams met with Brad Gumz at the range location. Gumz will provide an estimate of what he expects it to cost to conduct the dirt work. Miller Dam Inspection and Fence Repair: Archie Becher will be doing the Miller Dam Inspection next week. The fence post by the dam had been washed out for some years; Solawetz and Rueth have repaired the post and will fix the fence next Monday. Pine Line Washout and Storm Damage Report: Two culverts washed out on the Pine Line during recent storms. One was south of Whittlesey and the other was north of Center Ave. The one near Whittlesey was on the edge of the trail and has been fixed temporarily. It is expected to continue to be a problem if we have significant rainfall events. The washout north of Center Ave is significantly larger with a significant amount of the center of the trail washed it. It is a safety hazard and has been barricaded and flagged off. Two 42” concrete culverts that have separated resulting in the washout. Williams stated that one of the culvers appears plugged with gravel, which makes it more imperative to get it replaced. Ben Stanfley, the highway commission, estimated that it would cost $9,000 to replace it with 2 -42” HDPE culverts. An aluminized arch would be in the $11-12k range. There was also a significant number of downed trees, between 30 -40, in the section between Allman St and Center Ave. Williams, Solawetz, and maintenance worked to cut the trees and remove the debris from the trail. A nearby landowner called and was concerned about the aesthetic of all the downed trees along the trail and wanted to know what the forestry department was doing to get it cleaned up. Williams reached out to firewood permit holders to see if they would be interested in gathering any of the wood. One permit holder was interested in this offer and another individual stopped in the office to get a firewood permit specifically for the Pine Line. The same landowner was also concerned about the broken stumps from the downed trees. Ben Stanfley quoted Williams $1,800/day to chip the tops of the stumps. Additionally, there was a significant washout on Zuther Mill Grade, east of the intersection at Fawn Ave and Camp 8 that was repaired by Solawetz and Reuth with the county skid steer and dump truck. Williams has been in contact with Daniel Gellert from the Emergency Management Department. The Forestry Department is seeking reimbursement through the Wisconsin Disaster Fund. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following updates. • Reimbursement was received from the state for the purchase of the Vosters Property. The reimbursement amount was $123,030, the county’s share of the purchase was $133,684.88. A total amount of $256,714.88 was paid. • Williams sent out reimbursement for Camp 8 Dam and Chelsea Lake Dam repairs. o Chelsea Lake Dam total cost was $356,148.15. A reimbursement of $178,074.08 was requested. The county share is $178,074.07. o Camp 8 Dam total cost was $389,700.13. A reimbursement of $194,850.07 was requested. The county share is $194,850.06. • Brad Gumz installed the Trout Avenue culver on June 25. The project total came to $6,737.68, which was $323.17 under project estimate. The culvert placement turned out well. • The snowmobile maintenance ($104,640), the winter ATV ($34,950), the summer ATV ($1,68.70), and the ATV Troute ($1,658.70) grants were received. • The department has been working on cleaning out old records. There are minutes from 1944-present. The county’s record retention is three (3) years. Mildbrand asked Williams to reach out to the Taylor County Historical Society to see if they would like to keep any of the records before we got rid of them. • Williams and Solawetz sprayed the Pine Line Rail Trail with herbicide on Wednesday and Thursday. This had not been done last year due to time constraints and herbaceous growth in the center and along the edges of the trail was becoming quite significant. • The new pine plantations were surveyed for survival. Trout -Spruce is 44 acres in size and was planted in 2021. Field Pine was planted in 2022 and is 14 acres in size. Both plantations are fully stocked with around 650 trees per acre. The seedlings appear healthy with very few dead trees observed. Most of the competition present is herbaceous in nature and the seedlings are expected to pull through just fine. Williams spoke with Jeremiah Auer, the Griffith State Nursery manager, about the need for chemical release. Auer advised that when the competition vegetation is herbaceous chemical release is normally not necessary. It is more important when the competition is woody in nature. As of right now it appears that no chemical release is necessary but ongoing surveillance will occur. • 243 acres have been identified for the fall timber bids. Willliams, Solawetz, and Rueth have been working on backlog recon with 194 acres completed. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen provided the following update. Surveillance for wild parsnip occurred on the Pine Line Rail Trail. No parsnip was observed in the Taylor County portion of the trail. Sap from wild parsnips can cause blistering skin burns when exposed to UV rays. Allen has been working on the North Loop regeneration sale. Time standards were renewed on July 1st. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, August 9th, 2024, at 9:30 AM in the County Board Room, third floor. Adjournment: With no further business, Thums moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:35 AM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee June 7th, 2024 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: Lucas Williams, Alex Solawetz, Sabastian Rueth, Timothy Allen -DNR, Tanisha Macdonald, and Saskatoon Damm-Star News. Approve Minutes: Suckow moved to approve the minutes of the May 3 rd meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Gebauer moved to approve the agenda of sixteen (16) 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. Select a Vice Chairman for the Forestry Committee: A resolution was passed in the October County Board Meeting to appoint a Vice Chair for each committee. Beadles made a motion to appoint James Gebauer as the Vice Chair for the Forestry and Recreation Committee, seconded by Suckow. A roll call vote was cast, four (4) voting aye, the motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz provided the following update. There has been no cutting activity due to wet weather conditions. All the wood that was decked on job #712 has been hauled. Timber Sale Extension Requests: Williams provided the following. These extensions were requested due to wet weather and poor market conditions. • #688 - 1 year extension. • #695 - 1 year extension. • #696 - 1 year extension. Suckow moved to approve a one (1) year extension at sites #688, #695, and #696, with renewal fees to be waived, seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Approve Timber Sales Bids: Williams presented the spring timber sale bids. All four (4) sales received qualifying bids with a total bid value of $186,066.50 on 207 acres. • Tract #1-24, Mercury: There were five (5) qualifying bids. Smola Enterprises LLC had the highest bid of $33,625.00. • Tract #2-24, Hideway: There were four (4) qualifying bids. Smola Enterprises LLC had the highest bid of $50,184.00. • Tract #3 -24, Huntsman: There were seven (7) qualifying bids. Wiitala -Vozka Logging had the highest bid of $62,410.00. • Tract #4-24, Innittothinit: There were five (5) qualifying bids. Smola Enterprises LLC had the highest bid of $39,847.50. • Total bid value of $186,066.50, which is 93% over the advertised minimum sale value. Motion made by Gebauer to approve the highest bidder for tracts #1 -24, #2-24, #3-24, and #4- 24; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Rib Lake Range Update: Williams informed the committee that there will be a meeting with Jeff Nass on June 14 th to discuss construction of a new gun range near Rib Lake. Jeff Nass is a range consultant that assists with range development and planning for the costs of his expenses only. General range construction concepts as well as site specific recommendations will be discussed. Williams will report back at next meeting. County Conservation Aid Discussion: The county conservation grant provides financial assistance to development projects, habitat projects, stocking projects, maintenance projects, or miscellaneous projects. This program is administered as a reimbursement cost share program. This means the grant will cover up to 50% of the total project costs and the grantee must incur and pay for all the costs before submitting for reimbursement. Williams stated that he would like to use the aid for more wildlife projects and the upcoming Rib Lake Range. The committee requested an annual update on what projects the funds will be going towards. Discuss Minor Edits to 15-Year Plan: • On page 800-17, under Swamp Hardwoods, in the first paragraph Oneida County needs to be corrected to Taylor County. • Gypsy moth was formally changed to Spongy Moth in 2022. This was after the 15 -year plan was approved. However, when other edits are being corrected is an appropriate time to correct. The name Gypsy moth will be corrected to Spongy Moth on pages 4, 100-11, 600-7, and 800-17. • On page 600 -11, under Current Plant Invasives, the scientific name of common buckthorn is referred to as Frangula cathartica; that should be corrected to Rhamnus cathartica. Myron Brooks Plaque: The forestry department will be planting a tree and installing a plaque for Myron Brooks at Camp 8 in the fall. The plaque will be presented to the Brooks family at the next county board meeting on July 23rd. Review Proposals for Miller Dam Inspection: Williams presented quotes from five (5) certified dam inspectors. After comparing costs and timelines it was determined that Becher Hoppe is the best candidate. Gebauer made a motion to proceed with Becher Hoppe for the Miller Dam Inspection, seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following updates. • Sabastian Reuth was hired as a summer intern and started his work with the department on June 4th. • Bear Ave culvert was replaced on June 3 rd due to the culvert being dysfunctional and limiting downstream flow. A large head of water existed on the upstream side of the road and was flooding standing timber. The center portion of the culvert was completely crushed. Rock Thums completed the installation. • The Trout Ave culvert will be installed sometime after June 15. Brad Gumz will be conducting the install. The culvert will be delivered to the location on June 13. This has been approved by DNR waterway personnel. • Lucas Bucholl has been mowing the Pine Line and will be completed next week. • The department has started to cruise sites for the fall timber sales. Due to the detection of Emerald Ash Borer in Taylor County a high priority has been put on pre-salvaging ash. The department is conducting inventories for ash volumes in stands coming up on the harvest schedule and are prioritizing the ones with the highest ash percentage for establishment first. • 400 nine-inch rainbow trout were released into Camp 8 flowage. • Jeff Peterson recently graded the county forest roads and spread some gravel as well. He has also been actively trapping problem beavers. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen provided the following update. Current time standard accomplishment is at 103% out of 450 hours. Will continue to do small tasks until annual time standards are renewed. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, July 12th, 2024, at 9:30 AM in the County Board Room, third floor. Adjournment: With no further business, Gebauer moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:27 AM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee May 3rd, 2024 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: None. Other Attendees: Jim Metz, Lucas Williams, Alex Solawetz, Timothey Allen -DNR, Tanisha Macdonald, and Brian Wilson-Star News. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the April 19 th meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Beadles moved to approve the agenda of eleven (11) items; seconded by Suckow. 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 provided the following update. • #712, Emil Dr, Czarneski Forest Products • Wood has been decked and will be hauled out once road conditions have improved. No cutting has happened due to weather conditions. Mildbrand asked about what sales will need extensions. The following sale contracts will be expiring at the end of June: • #688, Czarneski Forest Products ▪ Has 6 acres remaining. This will be their second extension. • #696, Wilson Forest Products ▪ Approximately 30 acres remaining. This will be their second extension. • #698, Wilson Forest Products ▪ 48 acres has not been started. This will be their first extension. Approve the Timber Sales for Bid: 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. Four (4) sale were presented to the Committee for review with a total 207 acres. • Tract 1 -24, Mercury: 48 acres. Located on Camp 8 Rd/snowmobile trail. Minimum bid value of $19,571. • Tract 2-24, Hideway: 58 acres. Located on Bear Ave. Minimum bid value of $28,713. • Tract 3-24, Huntsman: 60 acres. Located on Fawn Ave/Snowmobile route. Minimum bid value of $25,028. • Tract 4 -24, Innittothinit: 41 acres. Located on Wilderness Ave. Minimum bid value of $22,947. Bids will be accepted until 3:00 PM on June 6th and then opened immediately. Beadles moved to approve the four timber sales for advertisement as presented; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Trout Ave Culvert Project: Williams presented the following information. The department will be installing a 38 ft. aluminized culvert on Trout Ave. Quotes were received from the Highway department & Brad Gumz. The culvert will be installed this summer with the project beginning around June 15 th. Thums moved to approve that Brad Gumz will be installing the culvert, seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Update on Chelsea Lake Contractor Payment: A letter was sent to Pember companies via corp. counsel. Pember was asked to compensate Ayres Associates for additional work during the Chelsea Lake Dam Project. Pember agreed to pay the $2,500 requested, with $5,000 being paid forward to Ayres Associates. Thums made a motion to accept the $2,500 from Pember and pay Ayres $5,000; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following updates. • Camp 8 fishing pier was installed Thursday, April 25th. • A new line of buoys was put in at Miller Dam. • Will be doing some spot graveling (3/8” blue granite) and beaver dam removal on the Pine Line once it dries out. • Have started to work on the locations of the fall timber bid sales. Williams and Solawetz will be marking and cruising as conditions and time allows. • Golden Sand RC & D is conducting interviews for an intern position that will report to the Taylor County Forestry Department. The position is 30 -40 hours per week and up to 500 hours per field season. Duties are to include collecting forest reconnaissance, TSI, invasive species management, deer enclosure maintenance, and data collection and entry. This position is funded by a United States Forest Service grant awarded to the Taylor County Forestry Department in 2023. The intern would be starting after the Memorial Day holiday. Mildbrand would like more information about the internship presented at the June meeting. • The previous Forestry Department Administrator was working with Derek Beckstrand (Rib Lake PD) on developing another shooting range on county forest. Williams asked the committee if they would like to pursue the idea, all were in favor of pursuing the project. If a location is decided upon for the new shooting range the county could apply for a DNR shooting range grant that would be due July 15 th. The committee would like more information presented at the June meeting. • Big Rib River Rehab – Taylor County received a motorized recreation grant to replace the structural decking and sacrificial wear on the snowmobile trail just west of River Road. Roger Bube is interested in doing the work and said he could do it for under $25,000 to keep it under the County bid threshold. • Emerald Ash Borer was confirmed in Taylor County. It was found in the city of Medford. The department will continue salvaging as much Ash as possible prior to infestation. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen provided the following update. Since the last meeting, the DNR has been updating the bidding maps for the upcoming sales in May/June. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, June 7th, 2024, at 9:30 AM in the County Board Room, third floor. Adjournment: With no further business, Thums moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:22 AM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee April 19th, 2024 County Board 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: None. Other Attendees: Lucas Williams, Alex Solawetz, Timothey Allen -DNR, Ruthann Koch (Corp. Counsel), and Tanisha Macdonald Recognitions: Mildbrand recognized Myron Brooks for his years of service on the county board and the forestry committee. Williams commended Solawetz and Macdonald for their hard work keeping the department functioning effectively during recent staff shortages. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the February 28 th meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda : Thums moved to approve the agenda of eleven (11) items; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Solawetz presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Gebauer moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Approve Gravel Bid: Solawetz presented 3 bids from gravel contractors to supply approximately 1,425 yards of gravel material for county forest roads. Forestry requested the committee approve the low bid from Wisco Materials for $22,931.85. Beadles made a motion to approve the low bid from Wisco Materials; seconded by Suckow. Motion carried. Approve Seedling Release Herbicide Application Bid: Solawetz put in a request for a quote from American Drone and the department is waiting on a response before proceeding. Forestry will also continue to assess the need for this application this year. No motion was made at this time. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen provided the following update. Timothy Allen and Johnathan Knusta have spent the last couple of weeks doing preparation on logging sites for the Spring Timber Sale Bids on behalf of the Taylor County Forestry Department due to short staffing within the department. Administrator Report: Williams presented the following updates. • Lucas Williams introduced himself as the new Forestry & Recreation Department Administrator. • The acquisition of the Voster property has been completed and closed out. The south side of the property will need to be surveyed by the County Surveyor. • Miller Dam will need an engineer inspection completed in 2024. • Trout Ave Culvert has significant corrosion and has water pooling around it. Williams and Solawetz will be getting quotes for its replacement. • The Camp 8 fishing pier will be installed before May 1st. • Timber Sales Update: Solawetz reported there has been no sale activity since the last meeting. Sale 712 on Emil Drive has wood decked on Emil Drive and Czarneski Forest Products plans to continue hauling again soon. The Forestry and Recreation Committee may go into closed session by taking a roll call vote pursuant to Section 19.85 (1)(g), Wisconsin State Statutes, conferring with legal counsel with respect to litigation that the county may become involved in. RE: Regarding a financial matter: Motion made by Thums; seconded by Gebauer to go into closed session at 9:37 a.m. A roll call vote was cast, five (5) 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: A motion was made by Gebauer; seconded by Mildbrand to go into open session at 10:06 a.m. It was moved by Thums to have Corporation Counsel write a letter to Pember Construction; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, May 3rd, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. 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 10:43 a.m. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee February 28th, 2024 County Board 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, Myron Brooks, and Rollie Thums. Members Absent: None. Other Attendees: Alex Solawetz, Jim Metz, Larry Brandl, Nicole Hager, Tracy Hartwig, Tanisha Macdonald, Harvey “Bud” Suckow, and Brian Wilson-Star News. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the February 2 nd meeting; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Gebauer moved to approve the agenda of 18 items; seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Solawetz presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Brooks moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz provided the following update. • #712, Emil Dr, Czarnezki Forest Products. ▪ Work continued as of last week while roads were open. Work will continue there as long as conditions are good. • #688, North Loop Aspen, Czarneski Forest Products. ▪ Wood has been hauled and contractors have been doing some dozer work to improve access. Six (6) acres of winter wood remains. Will need extension. • #714, Gapportunity, Czarnezki Forest Products. ▪ The contractor has been doing some dozer work to improve access. Solawetz was there last week to mark out skid trail and the contractor intended to clean up and level. Close Out Timber Sale #711 Smola Enterprises: Solawetz handed out the revenue report for this sale. The volume was underrun by 4.20% while the value was overrun by 1.816%. All contract items have been completed and final invoices have been paid. No pending items. Brooks moved to approve the close out of timber sale #711; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Close Out Timber Sale #708 Smola Enterprises: Solawetz handed out the revenue report for this sale. The volume was underrun by 8.60% while the value was underrun by 19.960%. All contract items have been completed and final invoices have been paid. No pending items. Brooks moved to approve the close out of timber sale #702; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Gravel Bid Advertisement: Solawetz handed out the 2024 Taylor County Forest Gravel Projects Summary. • Zettler’s Road – 1,200 ft ▪ Continue improving road surface from recent work on East Lemke Creek crossing east of the end of Trout Ave toward the northeast and Lincoln County. 165 yards of 2” crushed gravel. • Zuther Mill Grade – 1,200 ft ▪ Continuing improvement of logging road from new culvert south of the Zuther Mill Grade to the south including gravelling of the new culverts and turn around at the intersection at the southern end. These planned road improvements will open a large acreage to log truck access. 315 yards of 2” crushed gravel. • Brad’s Boulevard – North of County Rd D – 2,300 ft ▪ Continue surface improvements from where we left off last year to the north toward Price County Line. 345 yards 1.25” crushed gravel. • Trout Avenue Culvert – 100 ft ▪ A galvanized 36” culvert is outdated. Water is eroding road fill from beneath what is left of the pipe causing occasional sink holes and collapsed shoulders. The rough condition of the pipe has allowed beavers to completely clog the pipe. This material is to replace lost roadbed and finish the grade after a new culvert is installed. 15 yards 0.75” crushed gravel and 30 yards rip-rap rock culvert armor. • Camp 8 Road – 3,330 ft ▪ Continue improvement of road surface where we left off last year. Beginning north of Four Corners at the first green gate and extending north on Camp 8 road. 625 yards 0.75” crushed gravel. Thums moved to approve gravel bidding for all the sites except for Trout Avenue Culvert, seconded by Beadles. Herbicide Spraying Contract: Solawetz handed out the proposed application area maps. A site of 43 acres and another of 11 acres had pine seedlings planted in 2022 and 2023. The herbicide treatment will help control any weeds impeding the growth of pine seedlings. Gebauer made a motion to pursue quotes for a spraying contract, seconded by Brooks. Resolution to Reduce the Cap of the Land Acquisition Fund: Resolution was presented to reduce the current cap of $500,000 by $250,000, which would be moved to the General Fund account and would put the cap at $250,000 for the Land Acquisition Fund. Taylor County participates in the Knowles -Nelson Stewardship Land Acquisition Grant Program, which may provide funding up to 50% of a land’s appraised price. Thums made a motion to lower the cap on the Land Acquisition Fund from $500,000 to $250,000, seconded by Mildbrand. A roll call vote was cast for the Resolution to Reduce the Cap of the Land Acquisition Fund to go to the County Board. Three voting no, two voting yes – Mildbrand and Thums. Motion failed. Resolution to Define Forestry Department Revenues: The resolution states that it is common practice in all other Wisconsin counties, with timber products revenue, that those dollars which are currently recorded in the County’s General Fund and would be considered General Fund revenues. Timber products revenue will be applied to County operations under the direction of the Finance Committee as are all the other general fund revenues. The Forestry Department will receive a normal yearly operating budget that is a balanced budget, with equal revenues and expenses going forward and will also include specific carry-forward amounts for specific forestry projects. It is recommended that the Forestry Department revenue be treated and applied in a similar manner to any other General Fund revenue under the direction of the Finance Committee. Solawetz felt that a decision should not be made until a new Forest Administrator is hired. Thums made a motion to table this item until a new Forest Administrator is hired, seconded by Gebauer. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen was unable to attend the meeting but emailed his report to Solawetz. Solawetz read “Since the last committee meeting DNR has worked on timber sale closeout paperwork, and timber sale establishment. We finished cruising a hardwood thinning along Wilderness and started green -marking and cruising an aspen sale along Fawn.” Administrator Report: Solawetz presented the following update. • Village of Gilman reached out about joining our Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Program in order to be eligible for Stewardship funds. • Camp 8 Dam is full and spilling over its containment structure. The DNR plans to stock trout in Camp 8 flowage in April as they usually do. • Chelsea Lake is full and spilling over its containment structure. • Dam IOMPs (inspection, operation, and maintenance plans ) are being updated after the recent changes to the structures with new construction at Chelsea Lake Dam and Camp 8 Dam. • Dam Emergency Action Plans are in the process of being updated as required annually. Emergency contact information will be completed once a new administrator is hired. The Forestry and Recreation Committee may go into closed session by taking a roll call vote at pursuant to Section 19.85 (1)(c), Wisconsin State Statutes, for the purpose of discussing the Chelsea Dam Letter: Motion made by Thums, seconded by Gebauer to go into closed session at 10:41 a.m. A roll call vote was cast, five (5) 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 10:52 a.m. the Committee reconvened in open session. A motion was made by Gebauer to direct Corporation Counsel to write a letter to Ayers saying that the addition fee for $5,000 is unjustified, seconded by Beadles. The Forestry and Recreation Committee will go into closed session pursuant to Wisconsin State Statutes, Section 19.85 (1)(c), to interview Forestry and Recreation Administrator Applicants: A motion was made by Gebauer, seconded by Thums to go into closed session at 10:54 a.m. Mildbrand called for a five (5) minute recess before starting the interviews in closed session. The recess began at 10:55 a.m. A roll call vote was cast, five (5) 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 12:38 p.m. the Committee reconvened in open session. A motion was made by Thums to proceed with references on candidate identified in closed session, seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, April 5th, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. 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 12:43 p.m. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald FORESTRY & RECREATION COMMITTEE Friday February 2, 2024 County Board Room Call Meeting to Order: Scott Mildbrand called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. Members Present: Scott Mildbrand, Jim Gebauer, Myron Brooks, Gary Beadles Members Absent: Rollie Thums Other Attendees: Jim Metz, Harvey “Bud” Suckow, Ni cole Hager, Rachel Ogle, Alex Solawetz, Larry Brandl, Timothy Allen, Brian Wilson – Star News Approve the Agenda: A motion was made by Brooks, seconded by Gebauer, to approve the agenda with 13 items. A unanimous vote was cast, the motion carried. Approve the minutes of January 12, 2024, Forest & Recreation Committee meeting: A motion was made by Brooks, seconded by Gebauer, to approve the minutes of the January 12, 2024, Forest & Recreation Committee meeting. A unanimous vote was cast, the motion carried. Approve bills: Alex Solawetz passed out a list of the invoices. Supervisor Mildbrand asked how snowmobile trails and the weather causing them to not be opened affects revenue. Solawetz explained he would need to look into it, but it was discussed in other counties as well. Supervisor Gebauer asked about the bill item WCFA Spring Meeting Lodging. Solawetz explained this was for the Wisconsin County Forest Association conference he plans to attend on February 14 and 15. Solawetz also gave a brief description of what goes on at the conference. A motion was made by Gebauer, seconded by Brooks, to approve the bills for the Forest & Recreation Department. A unanimous vote was cast, the motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz commented that due to the weather and ground conditions it has been difficult for loggers to work with unpredictable weather. • Sale 695, being cut by Wilson Forestry, has had no further activity. There are 30 acres left. • Sale 712, cut by Czarneski Forest Products, is moving forward. Some winter ground is inaccessible and will have to be attempted next winter. • Sale 688, also Czarnezki Forest Products, is substantially complete, about 6 acres remain. Forestry and Czarneski mutually agree to stop work due to poor conditions and potential for damage. Solawetz shared a question from Czarneski about what the County would like to do about the remaining timber on this sale as the contract is due to expire June 2024. Solawetz asked what is the Committee’s position on preferring contract extension vs closing the sale contract without penalty? The Committee indicated they would prefer to extend the contract without penalty due to abnormal winter conditions this year. The Committee asked the item to be added to the future agenda. No close outs due to minor billing delays but will have some for the next meeting. Update Forestry and Recreation Administrator Position Description: The committee reviewed two suggested versions of the required education, training, and experience for the Forestry & Recreation Administrator. A motion was made by Gebauer, seconded by Beadles to have the required education, training and experience read: Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry from an SAF accredited university or College of Forestry. A unanimous vote was cast, the motion carried. Closed Session: A motion was made by Brooks, seconded by Gebauer, to convene in closed session at 10:03 a.m. pursuant to Section 19.85 (1), Wisconsin State Statutes, to consider Assistant Forest Administrator wages. A roll call vote was cast, five [5] voting aye, the motion carried. Open Session: A motion was made by Gebauer, seconded by Brooks, to reconvene in Open Session at 10:06 a.m. A unanimous vote was cast, the motion carried. Motion made by Brooks, seconded by Beadles to increase the wage of Alex Solawetz by $5.00 per hour for all hours worked from January 15, 2024, through one pay period after the new Forest & Recreation Administrator is hired. A unanimous vote was cast, the motion carried. Carbon Credits Resolution: There was a question raised about the resolution brought forth by this committee to the full county board January 16 th, 2024. Mildbrand met with Corporation Counsel to discuss the raised issue. Mildbrand said, at this meeting we have two options, we can do nothing, and the matter proceeds as directed at the next county board meeting or someone on this committee who voted against recommending the carbon credit program proposal can change their vote and the vote would be relayed to the full county board. No motion was made, and no further action was taken. Letter to Pember Companies : Alex Solawetz received guidance from Corporation Counsel on how to proceed with contacting Pember Companies due to questions over who was responsible for a recent bill. The Committee decided this will be added to the next meeting as a closed session agenda item. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen from the Wisconsin DNR provided an update. DNR has been working to complete marking of timber for Spring timber sale bidding. Also performed stand -in inspections on these sales to estimate timber volumes for Spring bidding. They have also been evaluating post -harvest regeneration conditions across stands recently harvested. Administrator Report: Solawetz reported the Forestry Department is excited to move forward with the hiring process to fill the vacant administrator position. Forestry will receive approximately $8,000 in grant reimbursement through the Disaster and Damage Aid Grant. Solawetz thanked Timothy Allen and Jonathan Knusta at the DNR for their hard work in the County Forest. Mildbrand added that the committee has not been following the virtual meeting requirements described by the county. In the future, a virtual meeting will not automatically be scheduled, it will only be scheduled if a committee member requests. Mildbrand made a request to move the next meeting to February 28, 2024. Adjournment: A motion was made by Brooks, seconded by Beadles, to adjourn the meeting at 10:26 a.m. A unanimous vote was cast, the motion carried. Secretary: Rachel Ogle/Nicole Hager Forestry & Recreation Committee January 12th, 2024 County Board 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, Myron Brooks, and Rollie Thums. Members Absent: None. Other Attendees: Jake Walcisak, Alex Solawetz, Jim Metz, Larry Brandl, Nicole Hager, Tanisha Macdonald, Timothy Allen -DNR County Forest Liaison, Bud Suckow, Mike Bub, and Brian Wilson-Star News. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the January 12 th meeting; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Gebauer moved to approve the agenda of 15 items; seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Walcisak presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Gebauer moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz provided the following update. • #688, North Loop Aspen, Czarnezki Forest Products. ▪ This sale was completed substantially in the summer and the contractor hopes to get into the remaining area and finish up this winter. • #695, Funky Chevrons, Wilson Forestry. ▪ There has been no cutting since mid-December and the contractor does not plan to return this winter. The remaining decked wood will be hauled this week. There are approximately 30 acres of the 116 -acre sale left to cut. Extension expiration is June 30th, 2024. • #708, North Pole, Smola Enterprises. ▪ Final hauling and clean up was completed November 30th, 2023. • #711, Oak Awareness, Smola Enterprises. ▪ This is a 6 -acre sale. The final hauling and cleanup were completed December 5 th, 2023. Originally planned for closeout, but the final billing is not complete. • #712, Gapportunity, Czarnezki Forest Products. ▪ This sale was awarded in the Fall of 2023. Cutting began the week of January 8th, 2024. Crew is making good progress on this 146-acre sale. Close Out Timber Sale #700 Central Wisconsin Lumber: Walcisak handed out the revenue report for this sale. The volume was overrun by 22.5% while the value was overrun by 17%. All contract items have been completed and final invoices have been paid. No pending items. Gebauer moved to approve the close out of timber sale #700; seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Close Out Timber Sale #702 Central Wisconsin Lumber: Walcisak handed out the revenue report for this sale. The volume was overrun by 8.7% while the value was underrun by 16.5%. All contract items have been completed and final invoices have been paid. No pending items. Thums moved to approve the close out of timber sale #702; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Close Out Timber Sale #703 Gumz Logging: Walcisak handed out the revenue report for this sale. The volume was overrun by 15.3% while the value was overrun by 12%. All contract items have been completed and final invoices have been paid. No pending items. Brooks moved to approve the close out of timber sale #703; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Request to Fill Forest Administrator Vacancy: Gebauer moved to approve the request to fill the position but wait two (2) months for further review; seconded by Thums. Alex Solawetz will assume the role of temporary Forest Administrator. A person of the public expressed concern that if the committee choose not to fill the position that the recreational part of the department will be neglected or all together dismissed. Beadles also felt that if the position was to not be filled, there would be less supervision in the forests to manage timber cutting and hauling. Gebauer and Thums rescinded their previous motions. Gebauer then moved to approve the request to fill the position with interviews starting in late February; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Update Forest Administrator Position Description: Walcisak and Hager (HR Director) handed out a copy of the tracked changes and final copy of the updated position description. Thums made a motion to postpone the update of forest administrator position description until the February 2nd meeting for further review; seconded by Gebauer. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen provided the following update. Much of his work over the past month has been spent on timber sale establishment. Mildbrand asked Timothy if the DNR could work harder to fill the vacancy needs. Walcisak and Allen described time standards and how that wouldn’t work. The DNR can act as “boots on the ground” to assist with the vacancy but will not be acting in an administrative way. Update Taylor County Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan 2024 -2028: Walcisak handed out the resolution and plan for the committee to review. Thums made a motion to approve the Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan 2024-2028, seconded by Gebauer. Administrator Report: Walcisak presented the following update. • Camp 8 Dam: Shoreline vegetation management has been completed. The dock has been delivered. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, February 2nd, 2024, 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 10:35 AM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald