Forestry & Recreation

Forestry & Recreation Committee December 8, 2023 County Board Room-3rd Floor Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 1:00 PM by Scott Mildbrand. Members Present: Scott Mildb rand, Gary Beadles, Jim Gebauer, Myron B rooks, and Rollie Thums. Members Absent: None. Other Attendees: Jake Walcisak, Alex Solawetz, Larry Brandl, Nicole Hager, Tanisha Macdonald, Timothy Allen-DNR County Forest Liaison, Bud Suckow, and Brian Wilson-Star News. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approv e the minutes of the November 3 rd meeting; seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Thums moved to approv e the agenda of 14 items; se conded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Walcisak presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Milbrand info rmed the Committee he would be voting no on the approval of the bills . Mildbrand stated he thinks the County spends too muc h money on new equipmen t, specifically the Forestry Department. Mildbrand’s objection was limited to the p urchase of a new ATV by the Forestry Department, which was budgeted for and previously approved. The Forestry Department ’s current ATV was passed down to the Buildings/Grounds/P arks Department as the ATV they were using was handed down from Forestry in the mid 1990 ’s. Brooks moved approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; seconded by Beadles. Three voting yes, Mildbrand voting no , Thums abstained due to his relative being one of the payees on the monthly bills. Motion carried. Chelsea Lake Dam Crop Damage Invoice: Thums moved to approve compensation of $581.46 for crop loss on Mayer Farms property, not including the fee of $125 for crop loss assessment ; seconded by Gebauer . Discuss ion ensued about Mayer Fa rms hiring Dan Hoffman’s appraisal services. Mild brand felt that si nce Taylor County did not have a consultant to do a land assessment on the crop loss ; Mr. Hoffmans services s hould be compensated. Without M r. Hoffmans appraisal Taylor County would not have be en able to determine the correct calculations of crop loss/acre. Thums and Gebauer rescinded their pre vious motions. Thums then moved to approve the compensation of $581.46 t o Mayer Fa rms and $62.50 to Dan Hoffman appraisal services; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz provided the following update. • #688, North Loop Aspen, Czarnezki Forest Products. ▪ This is a 35 -acre aspen, red maple, and black ash sale. The contractor harvested 21 acres earlier this summer. They moved in a dozer recently and began freezing down roads . They expect to move in shortly afte r the new year. • #695, Funky Chevrons, Wilson Forestry. ▪ Harvesting began Monday October 2 nd. Progress has been slow at times due to soft ground conditions on access roads and main skid trails. This sale is 116 acres and has approximately 35-40 acres remaining. • #708, North Pole, Smola Enterprises. ▪ Harvesting began on Monday October 9th. Skidding was comple ted on November 29th and only final hauling and payment remains. This was a 53 - acre sale. • #711, Oak Awareness, Smola Enterprises. ▪ Harvesting o f this 6 -acer sale began on November 29 th. Harvesting and skidding we re compl eted on December 1 st and only final ha uling an d payment remains. Close Out Timber Sale # 681 Czarnezki Products: Walcisak handed out the revenue report for this sale. The volume was underr un by 18% while the value was underru n by 13%. All contra ct items have be en complete d and final in voices have be en paid. No pending items. Gebauer moved to approve the close out of timber sale #681; seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Close Out Timber Sale # 705 Smola Enterprises: Walcisak handed o ut the revenue report for this sale. The volume was overrun by 14% while the value was overrun by 13%. All contract items have been completed and final in voices have been paid. No pending items. Thums moved to approve the close out of timber sale #705; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Timber Sale Bids : Walcisak presented the fall tim ber sale bids. Al l three (3) sales received qualifying bids with a total bid value of $234,969.50. • Tract #5-23, Gapportunity: There were four (4) qualifying bids. Czarnezki Forest Products had the highest bid of $93,499.00. • Tract #6-23, UWSP: There were four (4) qualifying bids. Czarne zki Forest Products had the highest bid of $93,662.00. • Tract #7-23, Spirits Falls: Th ere were four (4) qualifying bids. Cz arnezki Forest Products had the highest bid of $47,808.50. • Total bid value of $234,969.50, which is 62.6% over the advertised minimum sale value. Motion made by Brooks to approve the highest bidder for tracts #5 -23, #6 -23, a nd #7-23; seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Improved Forest Management Carbon Credit Project Development: Walcisak provided an update for the Committee and highlighted the information provided ove r the last year. Discussion of pros and cons ensued between the Committee, Walcisak, Finance Director Larry Brandl and Bud Suckow. Thums moved to not recommend Taylor County’s participation in a Forest Carbon project at this time; seconded by Gebau er. Three voting yes, Brooks and Beadles voting no. Motion carried. DNR Cou nty Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen provided the follow ing update . The past month the DNR have been working on timber sale establishment in Compartment 107 , Stand 5. In the coming month they will finish that and start work on Compartment 115, Stand 15. County time standards are approximately 55% complete for the fiscal year so they are in a good position to fulfil their commitment. Remote Work R equest: On N ovember 22nd Walcisak s ubmitted a n online request form to Human Resources Director Nicole Hager to work remote ly 1-4 days per week. On November 30th IT Director Melissa Linda and Hager distributed a draft policy for department heads wishing to work remotely. Walcisak presented information which detailed the Count y’s current remote work policy, how he can meet all eligibility requirements of this policy, how it would benefit the County, and how his past 10 plus years of work p erformance/efficiency prove he is a good candidate for remote work. Additionally, Walcisak has shown the ability t o be responsive and available remotely even when he is off work using PTO. This position supervises only one employee but also utilizes the shared Administrative Support position with Zoning to complete the department ’s work plan and provide office coverage. Office needs for this position vary depending on the time of year and project type. During the winter and spring Walcisak is typically in the office 4-5 days per week with very limited field work. During the summer and fall Walcisak is in the office 1-3 days per week with an increased amount of fieldwork. Walcisak said his request for remote work is to be used consistent with the demands of this position as they change throughout the year and never to exceed 4 days per week. Walcisak stated, “I am asking that my employer provide an approval consistent with the policies which are in place. Reiterating the policy which states, Taylor County strives to be flexible in their approach to work styles and location and offers employees the ability to perform certain job duties away from the regular workplace.” Thums moved to deny Walcisak’s request for remote work ; seconded by Gebauer. Three voting yes, Brooks and Beadles voting no. Motion carried. Administrator Report: Walcisak Provided the following updates. • Camp 8 Dam: Dock is nearly complete and will be delivered within a week or two. Repairs have been made to the boat landing and turn around area. The water level is being held approximately 2-3 feet below the drop inle t to all for sho reline vegetation management of willow and cattails. This will occur when the ground is sufficiently frozen. • Chelsea Lake Dam: As of last week , the water level was 1 to 1.5 inc hes below the dr op inlet crest. • On November 8th the Rib Lake Town board passed a resolution to support the purchase of the Voster ’s property . The Know les-Nelson grant application which Walcisak submitted for the Voster’s land purchase has been approve d and ranked by the DNR. IT is now schedules to go before the State – Legislature Joint Finance Committee in early January for final review/approval. • Golden Sands Resource Conservation and Development Council is currently pursuing a candidate to fill an LTE position which will provide 500 hours of work annually to the Taylor County Forestry Department in 202 4, 2025 and 2026 . This individual is funded through a United States Forest Service grant awarded to Walcisak in 2023. The individual is an employee of Golden Sands and will conduct contract labor in the County Forest. This position is funded 100% through the grant and in-kind labor match. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday, January 5th, 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 2:01 PM. Secretary: Tanisha Macdonald Forestry & Recreation Committee November 3rd, 2023 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 Mildb rand, Gary Beadles, Jim Gebauer, Myron B rooks, and Rollie Thums. Members Absent: None. Other Attendees: Jake Walcisak , Alex Solawetz, Jim Metz, Larry Brandl, Justin Meyer -County Land Surveyor, Timothy Allen-DNR County Forest Liaison, and Brian Wilson-Star News. Approve Minutes: Gebauer moved to approve the minutes of the October 6th, 2023, meeting; Seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Thums moved to approve the agenda of 11 items; Seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Walcisak presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Brooks moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; Seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) Data Funding Request: County Land Surveyor Justin Meyer and Walcisak presented the pro ject and funding request. The C ommittee discussed the merits of more accurate technology and use cas es the County and its residents could u tilize. Gebauer moved to fund $9,000 from the County Forestry reserve account for the LiDAR project; Seconded by Thums. 4 aye, 1 no (Mildbrand). Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz provided the following update. • #681, Big K West, Czarnezki Forest Products. ▪ All cutting and skidding is complete. Roads have remained in good shape through recent rains. Final hauling remains. • #703, Trembling Trout, Gumz Logging. ▪ All cutting and skidding is complete. Dozer work and road cleanup remain along with final hauling. • #695, Funky Chevrons, Wilson Forestry. ▪ Sale area is about 1/3 complete. Recent rains and wet conditions have been slowing progress. • #708, North Pole, Smola Enterprises. ▪ This sale started on October 9th. The contractor is about 25% complete. Close Out Timber Sale #706 Smola Enterprises : Walcisak handed out the re venue report for this sale. The volume overran by 12% while the value overran by 53%. T his was due to logs cutting out better than antici pated. All wood had been haul ed and the final invoice has been paid. Close out roadwork was conducted by the contract or and County. N o items pending. Brooks mov ed to approve the close out of timber sale #706; Seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. Approve Timber Sale for Bid: Walcisak presented the fall timber sales for bid. He handed out a prospectus, fall sale summary, sale location map, individual timber sale maps and individual sale information sheets. Three sales were pres ented to the Committee for review , for a total of 368 acres containing 5,005 cords of pulp and bolts as well as 396,000 board feet of logs. • Tract 5-23, Gapportunity: 146 acres of northern hardwood, swamp hardwood, aspen, red maple and tamarack. Located on Emil Drive. Minimum bid value of $54,939.00. • Tract 6 -23, UWSP : T his timber sale was establishe d in cooperation with UWSP professor M ike Demchik and over 20 of his students. 145 acres of northern hardwood, oak, swamp hardwood and aspen. Located on Camp 8 R oad. Minimum bid value of $55,479.00. • Tract 7-23, Spirit Falls: 77 acres of northern hardwood, swamp hardwood, aspen and red maple. 74 acres of this sale are resold from a previously defaulted contract, (tract 6-18 Northwest Hardwoods). Minimum bid value of $34,090.00. Bids will be accepted until Thursday December 7th at 3:00 pm and opened immediately. Beadles moved to approve the three timber sales for adver tisement as presented; Seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen provided the following update. The majority of his and DNR Forestry Technician Jonathan Knusta’ s work over the past month has been spent on timber sale establishment . Allen and Knusta will continue to work on the timber sale establishment of the Gapporunity and UWSP County timber sales which will be advertised this month. Administrator Report: Walcisak Provided the Following Updates. • Recent priorities have been timber sale a dministration, timber sale establishment, dam reconstruction, road/gravel contracts. This aligns with our annual work plan and forest management plan priorities. Trail mowing, wildlife projects and recreation projects have not been accomplished in acco rdance with our plans. Staff time limitations. • Camp 8 Dam Update: The water level reached the drop inlet on October 9 th. Shoreline and boat landing work had not yet bee n completed and the lake was lowered approximately 4 feet until this work is done. • All contracted gravel and road project s have been completed for t he season. This includes improvements to Brad’s Blvd, Camp 8 ATV Trails and the Zuther Mill Grade. Walcisak will continue to work on road and trail maintenance as weather allows. • Corp Counsel is working with Mayer Farms Inc. to resolve crop damage payment for use of their field during construction of the Chelsea Lake Dam. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday December 8th, 2023 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 11:04 am. Secretary: Jake Walcisak Forestry & Recreation Committee October 6th, 2023 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 Mildb rand, Gary Beadles, Jim Gebauer, Myron B rooks, and Rollie Thums. Members Absent: None. Other Attendees: Jake Walcisak , Alex Solawetz, Jim Metz, Larry Brandl, Timothy A llen-DNR County Forest Liaison, and Brian Wilson-Star News. Approve Minutes: Gebauer moved to approve t he minutes of the September 1st, 2023, meeting; Seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. Approve A genda: Thums moved to approve the agenda of 12 items; Seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Walcisak presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Brooks moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; Seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Solawetz provided the following update. • #681, Big K West, Czarnezki Forest Products. ▪ All cutting and skidding is complete. Roads have remained in good shape through recent rains. Final hauling remains. • #703, Trembling Trout, Gumz Logging. ▪ All cutting and skidding is complete. Dozer work and road cleanup remain along with final hauling. • #695, Funky Chevrons, Wilson Forestry. ▪ Pre-sale meeting was held Monday October 2nd. Harvesting began later that day. • #708, North Pole, Smola Enterprises. ▪ Contractor asked to start this sale. Alex and Timothy did a walk through yesterday to assess the current conditions. Walcisak and Solawetz will conduct a pre-sale meeting with the contractor on Monday October 9th. • Fall timber sales will be presented to the Forestry Committee in November. ▪ Three sales for 379 acres. o One re-sale of 80 acres. Default by NWH. ▪ 2023 sale establishment of 492 new acres and 80 re-sale acres. Chelsea Lake Dam – Ayres Contract Amendment R equest: Walcisak presented a wr itten contract amendment request submitted by Ayres Associates. This request was due to Pember Companies contract non-compliance and failure to repeatedly not meet contract specifications. This necessitated Ayres to cond uct several more sit e vis its than was accounted for in their contract with Taylor County for the administration of this project. The increase in cost was in no way caused by A yres Associates. Ayre’s diligence in this matter resulted in successful contract completion by Pember Companies. Ayres has requested an additional $5,000.00 for the services they provided above and beyon d their contract with Taylor County. The Committee generally felt Ayres d eserved to be paid for the necessary extra work they conducted but that Pember Companies should be the liability party rather than the County. Gebauer moved for Walcisak to consult with corp counsel to possibly withhold $5,000.00 from Pember Companies final payment to pay Ayres their amendment request; Seconded by Thums. Motion carried. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen provided the following update. The majority of his and DNR Forestry Technician Jonathan Knusta’ s work over the past month has been spent on timber sale establishment . Allen and Knusta will continue to w ork on the timber sale establishment of the Gapporunity and UWSP County timber sales which will be advertised next for sale next month. Administrator Report: Walcisak Provided the Following Updates. • Recent priorities have been timber sale a dministration, timber sale establishment, dam reconstruction, road/gravel contracts. This aligns with our annual work plan and forest management plan priorities. Trail mowing, wildlife projects and recreation projects have not been accomplis hed in acco rdance with our pl ans. Staff time limitations. • Camp 8 Dam Update: Final walk through with engineer and contractor on September 13th. Substantial completion was met prior to the September 15 th contract deadline. Today two of the final items will be completed. Install dam warning sign and staff gauge. Silt fence will be removed when turf is sufficiently established. The water elevation is approximately 7’ low currently. Walcisak is working with the Taylor County Sportsmen club on the funding and purchase of a new dock. Also, Walcisak is in the process of making improvements to the boat landing at Camp 8 Campground. Rib Lake Fish and Game club would like to work with the County on installing about 4 fish cribs this winter. • Chelsea Lake Dam Update: Final walk through with engineer and contractor on September 13th. Substantial completion was met prior to the September 15th contract deadline. Silt fence will be removed when turf is suf ficiently established. Walcisak will work with County Land Surveyor to re -establish one disturbed benchmark. The current water level is approximately 7” below normal pool. The land transfer and easement with Mayer Farms Inc has been completed and recorded with the Register of Deeds. • Walcisak was given the State Forest Productivity Award for an unprecedented 6th year in a row. Walcisak and staff have won this award each year since he has taken over the Taylor County Forestry Department. • Walcisak was invited by DNR to be an instructor yeste rday at a grant writing workshop in Wausau. Over 80 people atten ded both in person and online. County, City and Village staff from all over Wisconsin were represented. • The land appraisal for the Voster’s property has been completed. Walcisak was able to work through our realtor and the landowners to reduce the purchase price by $11,600. The appraisal cost $3,000 and is a requirement of the Knowles -Nelson Stewardship grant application. Additionally, t he grant has been submitted to the DNR for review. The Forestry Committee may go into Clos ed Session by taking a roll ca ll vote pursuant to Section 19.85(1)(e), Wisconsin State Statutes, for deliberating, negotiating, or conducting other specified pub lic business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session . RE: The C limate Trust proposal for the Taylor C ounty Forest enrollment into a forest carbon project. Walcisak provided the C ommittee a proposal from The Climate Trust at the end of their September meeting for review with action occurring at this meeting. The Committee discussed the merits of stayi ng in open session. W alcisak informed the Committee that they did not need to go into closed session. This agenda item was posted in this way so that they may go into closed session if they want ed to do so. The Comm ittee chose to stay in open session for the discussion of this agenda item. The Committee discussed the large revenue potential of this project, ($6 million) while also providing some concerns such as the 40- year contract period with the American Carbon Registry and apprehension about the perception for the American Carbon Regis try to cha nge the rul es during the contract period. Walcisak provided ad ditional supporting information for enrollment in the p roject as well as an explanation that the County would be locking into a specific protocol a t the time of enrollment, and this could not change with the Am erican Carbon Registry during our 40-year contract. To- date, nearly 1 million acres of the W isconsin County Fore sts 2.4 million acres statewide are enrolled in this p rogram, comprised of nine counties. This means that nine county boards, nine corporation counsels, DNR Forestry Division and DNR legal counsel have already reviewed and approved of this pro gram. The Forestry Committee felt it necessary to educate the full county board and pass this d ecision onto them without making a formal recommendation at th e committee level. Mildbrand moved for Walcisak to present info rmation about the potential for Taylor County to enroll in to a forest carbon project on the American Car bon Registry with project development by The C limate Trust. Voting on the proposal by The Climate Trust would happen later when the full County B oard is brought up to speed on forest carbon project information; Seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday November 3rd, 2023 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 11:09 am. Secretary: Jake Walcisak Forestry & Recreation Committee September 1st, 2023 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. Members Absent: Rollie Thums – excused. Other Attendees: Jake Walcisak , Jim Metz, Larry Brandl, Timothy A llen-DNR County Forest Liaison, Bud Suckow, and Brian Wilson-Star News. Approve Minutes: Brooks moved to approve the minutes of the August 7th, 2023, meeting; Seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Gebauer moved to approve the agenda of 12 items; Seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Walcisak presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Brooks moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; Seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Walcisak provided the following update. • #681, Big K West, Czarnezki Forest Products. ▪ High quality work continues. Roads are in grea t shape. Harvesting is about three weeks from completion. • #703, Trembling Trout, Gumz Logging. ▪ Job continues to go very well. Snowmobile trail will need dozer work prior to sale close-out. Harvesting is planned for completion in late September. • #705, Technician Tirade, Smola Enterprises. ▪ All cutting and skidding is complete. Approximately 100 cords of wood are on the landing to haul. Remaining items include: culvert repair/replacement, bucking high stumps, town road shoulder cleanup. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen provided the following update. The majority of his and DNR Forestry Technician Jonathan Knusta’ s work over the past month has been spent on timber sale establishment . Allen and Knusta both have upcoming annual training a nd will continue to work on the timber sale establishment of the Gapporunity and UWSP County timber sales. Update County Code Chapter 2.08(2) Forestry and Recreatio n Committee : On June 22 nd, 2023, HR Director Nico le Hager re quested that each department head lo ok at their portion of County Code Chapter 2 for potential updates. On Friday August 7th, Walcisak presented updates which bring this chapter into compliance with existing State Statute and departmental practices. No authorities w ere c reated or changed as compared to the current versi on. The Committee discussed these items and directed Walcisak to make specific changes and bring it back to them for review at today ’s meeting. Walcisak presented the reque sted updates as directed by the Committee. Brooks moved to approve the updates to Chapter 2.08(2) Forestry and Recreation Committee as presented and s end onto the C ounty Board; Seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. 2022 Annual Ac complishment Report: Walcisak distributed the report via email prior to the meeting. Walcisak presented the report and discussed it with the Committee. 2022 was a record high year for Forestry revenue which is generated from the sale of tim ber, firewood permits, bough permits, and equipment use on grant funded projects. Total department revenue in 2022 was $771,037. Seven new timber sales were sold for a total of 469 acres. There were 16 timber sales with activity and 11 timb er sales completed in 2022. Twenty-three grants were active in 2022 with a value of $708,759. Seven grants were closed out in 2022 with a value of $263,695. A record high severance payment to towns was made in 2022 with $68,556.93 to Rib Lake and $4,350.30 to Westboro. State statute dictates that 10% of all timber revenue must be paid to the towns with C ounty Forest property. Additionally, a record high was set in 2022 for the amount provided to the General Fund at $479,096. In 2022 the Forestry Department return ed 72% of generated revenue to local units of government (Taylor County, Rib Lake, W estboro) for $552,003. Gebauer moved to a pprove the 2022 Annual Accomplishme nt Report as presented; Seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. 2024 Annual Work Plan: Walcisak distributed the 2024 annual work plan to the Committee via hard copy mail prior to the meeting. Walcisak reviewed the work plan with the Committee and answered several questions. Brooks moved to approve the 2024 Annual Work Plan as presented and send onto the County Board; Seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. A resolution was signed by all Committee members present. Chelsea Lake Dam and Camp 8 Dam Upd ates: Walcisak provided the follow ing information. Chelsea Lake Dam is scheduled for completion the week of September 4th. The coffer dams and pumps were removed on August 9 th. The water level is currently 9 inches b elow the full pool. Chelsea Lake is re -watering as mother nature allows. County Board Supervisor Bud Suckow was present and asked several questions regarding grants, field restoration and water levels. Camp 8 Da m dewatering began on J uly 20 th with a draw down of no more than 6 ” per day. Groundbreaking occurred on Thursday August 1 7th. Substantial c ompletion was achieved on Thursday August 31st. The pumps were removed that day and Camp 8 Dam is also re-watering as mother nature allows. Final landscaping , seeding, mulching, etc. will be completed the week of September 11th. Administrator Report: Walcisak Provided the Following Updates. • Awarded Sustainable Forestry Grant for logging road storm damage clean up $6,500. • Awarded $266,668 in ATV and Snowmobile trail grants at the DNR Fundings meetings held on August 30th and 31st in Weston, WI. ▪ In 2023, Walcisak has applied for and recei ved 15 state or federal grants for a total of $787,274. This is a single year all-time high. In addition, $13,972 in grants are pending approval. • Completed onsite visit of pote ntial rifle range on the County Forest with Range Consultant Jeff Nass. He supports the location and has provided recommendations for development. • Voster’s land appraisal has been completed. Waiting on the report. • WCFA Board of Directors meeting on Tuesd ay September 26 th at 10:00 am in Hayward at the Flat Creek Lodge. • Ribbon cutting of the newly developed IAT segment which includes a portion of the County Forest on Sunday October 1st. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday October 6th, 2023 at 9:30 AM in the County Board Room, third floor. Adjournment: With no further business, Brooks moved to adjourn the meeting; Seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:45 am. Secretary: Jake Walcisak Forestry & Recreation Committee August 7th, 2023 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, Rollie Thums, Jim Gebauer, Myron Brooks. Members Absent: N/A Other Attendees: Jake Walcisak , Alex Solawetz , Jim Metz, Larry Brandl, Timothy A llen-DNR County Forest Liaison, Bud Suckow, Shawn McSherry, and Brian Wilson-Star News. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve t he minutes of the July 7 th, 2023, meeting; Seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Gebauer moved to approve the agenda of 12 items; Seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. The Climate Trust – Forest Carbon Project Development: Jeremy Koslowski from The Climate Trust addressed the Committee with a presentation which included company history, company strategic plan, carbon cre dit background, steps of a n Improved Fore st Management (IFM) carbon development project, estimated costs /revenues, and project mo nitoring. The Cl imate Trust is a non profit which was developed in 1997 and holds strong to conservation and stewardship of natural resources . Th ey are guided by a strategic plan w hich prioritizes their partner with likeminded landowners and the selling of carbon credits to likeminded buyers. The Climate Trust Strate gic P lan 20 22-2027 wi ll be distri buted to C ommittee members as a PDF document via em ail. “The C limate Trust e nsures carbon offsets that are delivered and retired meet rigorous, third -party standards to provide t angible benefits for communities and the environment.” Forest Carbon is another forest pro duct such as logs, pul p, firewood, and b oughs. The free market has determined this product to have significant value. Only sustainably managed forests are el igible t o enroll and s ell carbon credits. Forest landowners must show proof of a state approved forest management plan. W hich T aylor C ounty does possess. The other eligibility requirement is the landowner can not harvest more timber th an they grow. T his is often a definition for sustainable forest management. The Taylor County Forest was created in 1935 and has shown evidence of sustainable forest management since its inception. Carbon cre dits developed from IFM projects are marketed on the Ame rican Carbon Registr y (ACR). The ACR requires a 40-year commitment from landowners when marketing and selling carbon credits. Under the current pro posal, Taylor County would be eligible to enroll a ll productive forest land within the Taylor County Forest (14,813 acres) into this project. All entities marketing carbon credits on the ACR must submit approximately 15% of all credits issue d to a shared insurance pool. This insurance poo l co vers p articipating lan downers who experience unavoidable carbon removals such as natural disasters. Net revenue for Taylor County is estimated at $6 million. Credit issuance and payments to the County span a period of year one to year 20. The distribution of funds is heavily weighted to the first four years, with Taylor County receiving $3 to $4 million during that short period. The landowner is required to monitor the project area and re -inventory the forest once every five years. Duri ng the fir st 20 y ears this is the respo nsibility of The C limate Trust under their current proposal. During the second 20 years the landowner must either conduct inventories o n their own or contract with a company capable of doing the inventor ies. The Climate Trus t recommends escrowing approximately $200,000 to pay for the required monitoring between year 2 1 and 4 0. The expected duration of project establishment and issuance/sale of c arbon credits is 18-24 months. The Committee asked Koslowski several questions and discussed each thoroughly. The Climate Trust will be providing a confidential propo sal to Walcisak for review. The Forestry Committee will consider this proposal at a future meeting. Approve Bills: Walcisak presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Brooks moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; Seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Update County Code Chapter 2.08(2) Forestry and Recreatio n Committee : On June 22 nd, 2023, HR Director Nico le Hager re quested that each department head look at their portion of County Code Ch apter 2 for potential upda tes. Walcisak present ed updates which bring this chapter into compliance with existing State Statute and departmental pr actices. No authorities were c reated or changed as compared to the current versi on. Mildbrand opposed several of these proposed changes. His c oncern in some of these instances was granting the Wisconsin DNR more authority. Walcisak assured Mildbrand these proposed changes in no way expand the scope of DNR authority over the Forestry program and will simply bring us into compliance with State Statute. Most notably, Wisconsin §28.11 Administration of County Forests. The Committee further discussed these items and directed Walcisak to make specific changes and bring it back to the Committee for another review at the next meeting. Timber Sales Update: Walcisak provided the following update. • #681, Big K West, Czarnezki Forest Products . This s ale was approximately 50% complete September 2022. On July 25th, 2023, Czarnezki moved from County Forest sale #688, with harvesting commencing immediately. Czarnezki plans to stay on this job until completion. Excellent woodmanship and high-quality work. • #688, North Loop Aspen, Czarnezki Forest Products. Czarnezki completed all summer ground harvest areas. Approximately 60% of this sale is complete with 14 of 35 acres remaining. They will return to complete the remainder of this sale when the ground is frozen. • #703, Trembling Trout, Gumz Logging. Dry conditions have allowed harvest operations even though this was sold as a winter job. This sale is approximately 70% complete. High-quality work and a conscientious contractor. • #705, Technician Tirade, Smol a Enterprises. The contractor star ted t his job on J uly 10th, 2023 . The harvest area is approximately 50% complete. Several contract non- compliance issues have developed. Walcisak is actively working with the contractor to gain compliance in these areas. • #706, DaVinci, Smola Enterprises. This job is complete. Final hauling and road work have been completed. Future close-out pending final invoice and payment. Chelsea Lake Dam and Camp 8 Dam Upd ates: Walcisak provided the follow ing information. Chelsea Lake Dam is very near completion. Sub standard imp orted embankment fill has slowed progress recently and caused a de lay of about 2 w eeks. New fill has been located w hich meets the construction specifications. It is estimated that construction will be completed either the last week of August of the first week of September . Chelsea Lake shoreline resident and C ounty Board Supervisor, Bud Suckow, attended the meeting and had several questions regarding the water levels. Camp 8 Da m dewatering began on J uly 20 th with a draw down of no more than 6 ” per day. Equipment will be mobilized to the site the week of August 14 th and e arthwork will begin immediately. This project must be substantially complete no later th an September 15th per our contract with Minger Construction . Thums invited Walcisak to attend the upcoming Rib Lake Fish and Game Club meetin g on S eptember 7 th at 7 :00 pm to discuss the club financially supporting fishing pier and fish habitat projects at Camp 8 Flowage. Proposed 2024 Department Budget: Walcisak presented a proposed department budget with operations increasing only $450.00 or 0.49% from 2023. Several changes were made to re flect historic trends and averages. The most notable budget reduc tions were to Dam Repair/Maintenance (-$1,500.00), and Equipment Usage Revenue (-$2,000.00) as compared to 2023. The most no table budget increases were to ATV Outlay and Vehicle Outlay a t $1,000.00 each as well as Paint /Forestry Supplies and Forestry Equip ment Outlay at $500.00 each as compared to 2023. The following amendments were made: decrease Social Security and Retirement line items of the C ounty Forest Administrator to reflect actual expenses, decrease all wage and benefits items for Assistant Forest Administrator to reflect actual expenses, decrease Secure Rural Schools Title III revenue from $10,0 00 to $5,000 as intended. Thums moved to approve t he proposed 202 4 Forestry Departmen t budget as amended ; Seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen provided the following update. The majority of his and DNR Forestry Technician Jonathan Knusta’ s work over the past month has been spent on timber sale establishment. DNR will continue to work on timber sale establishment and assist with sale administration as requested. Administrator Report: Walcisak Provided the Following Updates. • Walcisak introduced newly hire d County F orest As sistant Administrator Alex Solawetz. His first day was Friday A ugust 4th. Alex provided the Committee with his education , experience, and background. • Seasonal mowing of the Pine Line Trail shoulders has been completed. • A DNR Timber Sale audit occurs once every five yea rs. This was conducted on July 25 th and we passed with commendations. • Walcisak has spent a significant amount of time recently on managing the workload of 2+ staff, dam replacement projects, filling staff vacancy, and training new staff. This work is well above and beyond the typical requirements of the Departmen t’s annual work plan. Task prioritization and project completion has been challenging. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday September 1st, 2023 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 11:03 am. Secretary: Jake Walcisak Forestry & Recreation Committee July 7th, 2023 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, Rollie Thums, Jim Gebauer, Myron Brooks. Members Absent: N/A Other Attendees: Jake Walcisak, Jordan Lutz, Jim Metz, Ruthann Koch-County Corp Counsel, Brian Wi lson-Star News, Jeff S cheirer-DNR Fisheries Biologist, Ad am Schneider – Ayres Associates, Bruce Ommen – Ayres Associates, Keith Langenhahn Wisconsin Counties Association - Zoom. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the June 2nd and June 19 th, 2023, meetings; Seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Mildbrand requested to strike item 14 and address it at a later date. Thums moved to approve the agenda of 14 items, striking item 14; Seconded by Brooks. Moti on carried. Approve Bills: Walcisak presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Brooks moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; Seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Ayres A ssociates Inc : Ayres Presiden t Bruce Ommen and engineer Adam Schneider were in person to pr esent a check for $ 30,000 to the Forestry and Rec reation Committee for the settlement of a Municipal Dam Grant application omission dating back to 2020. The Committee and Walcisak were very appreciat ive for the ir appearance in person an d for the high-quality work provided by Ayres outside of this matter. C orp Counsel Koch pr esented Jim Metz with a settlement agreement release for his signature. Formalizing the finality of this matter between Ayres Associates Inc. and Taylor County. Metz signed the agreement promptly. Timber Sales Update: Lutz provided the following update. • #688, North Loop Aspen, Czarnezki Forest Products. Pre-sale meeting was held Thursday July 6th with work starting immediately. • #703, Trembling T rout, Gumz Logging. P rogress is consistent and they are doing a quality job. The ground is staying firm with no concerns at this time. • #705, Technician Tirade, Smola Enterprises. Pre-sale meeting scheduled for Monday July 10th. • #706, DaVinci, Smola Enterprises. Felling by th e hot saw has been completed. Only harvesting, skidding and trucking remain. They will bring a dozer onsite to clean up roads and main skid tr ails. Large lo g overrun. There have been n on-compliance issues with residual damage to saplings and overstory trees. This matter has been improving. Request to F ill Assistant Administrator Vacancy: Walcisak h anded out the position description and job posting. The position was posted on June 14 th and is open until July 17 th. Interviews are anticipated in the week of July 24th with an ideal start in the week of August 14th. Walcisak read the following, “Jordan has provided Taylor County nearly 6 years of service with unmatched accomplishments in the forest industry. His great depth of knowledge and unrivaled productivity have made him effectively irreplaceable. Jordan is, without a doubt, one of the top field foresters in the state of Wisconsin. Over the last 5 years Taylor County has benefited from Jordan’s silvicultural knowledge, outstanding work ethic, reliability, and the pride he takes in his work. While I am certainly s ad to see Jordan go, I am extremely happy to watch him take this next step of his career in forestry. Simply saying thank you doesn’t seem like enough.” Thums question ed the need to re place the po sition. Noting that last yea r ther e was talk of reducing the department by one position and they could now make the cut due to attrition. Walcisak provided excerpts of supportive information he had offered to County Board members last September and October. He also responded by saying last fall the full county board vot ed on the issue of cutting the Forestry Department down to one position and it only received three votes. Walcisak believes he has illustrated the need for two positions within this department and has received the support of the full county board to maintain this staffing level. County Forest Programs are governed by Wisconsin §28.11 . The primary objective of the County Fo rest Law is to provide for the optimum production of forest products. This requires 1.35 full-time equivalents ( FTE) to conduct all necessary forestry related work. The remaining 0.65 FTE is dedicated to wildlife man agement, recreation, and watershed protection. This is defined in the TCF 15 -year Management Plan and Annual W ork Plans. Both documents are reviewed and approved by the full County Board. Brooks moved to a pprove filling the Forestry Assistant Administrator position as presented ; Seconded by Beadles. Thums requested a roll call vote. Mildbrand, Gebauer, Brooks and Beadles voting yes. Thums voting no. Motion carried. Camp 8 Flowage Draw down for Replacement – Fisheries and Recreation: Walcisak provided an up date for the dam project. Dewatering will begin Thursday July 20 th. The draw down will take approximately 25 days while only removing 6 inches of water per day to better allow fish to move upstream . DNR Fisheries Biologist Jeff Scheirer provided a summary of the F all 2022 electroshocking survey and a nswered questions regarding the effects of the draw down to the fish community and fish habitat. Scheirer is not expecting significant fish mortality due to the draw down. Scheirer supports/recommends a fishing p ier, fish cribs within casting distance of the pier and tree drops along the steep eastern shore. These features would increase the rate of catch for anglers and i mprove the quality and q uantity of fish habitat within the flow age. The Forestry Department has secu red quo tes for a fishing pier within the range of $13,000 to $22,500. The preferred design is a floa ting 30’-40’ boardwalk with a “T” end section w hich has two benches and rail ing. The Rib Lake Fish and Game Club and the Taylor County Sportsmen’s Club ha ve both showed interest in providing funding to this project. While the Forest ry Committee does not have a budget to purchase this pier, they are supportive of providing long- term maintenance if local fund raising can cover the initial cost. Sustainable Forestry Grant Applicat ion – Logging Road Storm Damage Cleanup: Walcisak handed out a project map and grant application for Committee review and discussion. The December 2022 ice, snow, and windstorm caused significant damage to Taylor County Forest ’s logging road system of over 12 5 miles. This grant application is for the c leanup of the most important and well used 54 miles of logging roads. Project total $1 4,000. Grant request $10,150.00. Thums moved to a pprove the Sustainable Forestry Grant Applic ation as presented; Seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Resolution Authorizing the P urchase of Land for Entry into the Taylor County Forest: Walcisak pres ented a resolution formalizing the Committee’s motion from June 2 nd, 2023, to purchase 119.8 acres from Vosters et al for $263,560.00 plus associated costs such as appr aisal, realtor and closing fees, contingent upon re ceiving Knowles Nelson Steward ship funding for 50% of the p urchase and associated costs plus simple majority approval by the County Board. Gebauer moved to approve the resolution as presented; Seconded by Brooks. Roll call vote cast. Mildbrand, Gebauer, Brooks and Beadles voting yes. Thums voting no. Motion carried. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Walcisak provided the following update. The bulk of DNR’s work over the past month has been spent on timber sale establishment . They’ve also spent a small amount of time on sale administration and a few hour s in meetings to discuss the upcoming Asst. Admin. vacancy and how DNR can best as sist in moving f orward. DNR will continue to work on timber sale establishment and assist with sale administration as requested. Administrator Report: Walcisak provided an update on several items: • Chelsea Lake Dam project started on We d June 28 th. Equipment and materials were mobilized to the site starting Wed June 21st. Construction completion is expected in mid- August. • Dewatering is expected to start at Camp 8 Dam on July 20 th and take approximately 25 days. Substantial completion of the dam replaceme nt mus t be accom plished by September 15th. • Walcisak met with the Rib Lake Fish and Game Club and RLPD again on June 16th to look at two potential sites. Site #1 was preferred by the group. Walcisak will meet with range consultant Jeff Nass on August 18 th. Rib Lake Fish and Game and RLPD have been invited. • Walcisak has signed an NDA with The Climate Trust to continue discussions regarding a future carbon offset project on the Taylor County Forest. The Climate Trust would like to address the Committee at our August meeting to provide information. • The shared Administrative Assistant position between Zoning and Forestry will be vacant soon as the individual has accepted a position with another County office. This position has traditionally contributed between 1.5 and 8 hour s of work per week to the Forestry Department, depending on the individual’s skillset and availabil ity. The Forestry Committee would like to see the Forestry Department and Forestry Committee i nvolved in discussions regarding proposed chan ges to this posit ion and the posting/hiring/interview/selection process. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Monday August 7th, 2023 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 10:54 am. Secretary: Jake Walcisak Forestry & Recreation Committee June 19th, 2023 County Board Room-3rd Floor Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 3:31 PM by Scott Mildbrand. Members Present: Scott Mildbrand, Gary Beadles, Rollie Thums, Jim Gebauer, Myron Brooks. Members Absent: N/A Other Attendees: Jake Walcisak , Jordan Lutz, Brian Wi lson-Star News, Larry Brandl -County Finance Director, Steve Mayer, and Rod Mayer (via zoom)-Spokesman for Mayer Farms Inc. Approve A genda: Thums moved to approve the agenda of 4 items; Seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Chelsea Lake Dam (land transfer and easement) – Requested by Mayer Farms Inc: Walcisak handed out three maps illustrating the requests. The following are the requests ma de by Rod Mayer for Mayer Farms Inc. in exchange for the ability of Pember Companies to be able to utilize the crest of field, within easement 2, for dam replacement and construction. 1. Mayer Farm, Inc. (MFI) to deed the land under the present and proposed new Dam, plus a buffer of 10'. Approximately 0.1 to 0.125 acres. This transfer is to ensure that MFI does not own any land under the Dam, groin, deck and/or toe. Therefore, removing MFI of any perceived liability. Crop damage from access through the crest of the field would result in reimbursement to MFI estimated to be approximately $300-$400 total. Recording and survey fees for the land transfer to be paid by Taylor County. 2. MFI to r eceive an easement across the cr est of Chelsea Lake Dam for motorized use of vehicles up to 10,000 lbs. Motorized use of any kind will be prohibited from March 1st to May 1st. This easement is intended to remain with the land regardless of future ownership. Mildbrand called for a motion to re-consider these requests. Motion made by Thums to approve the requests as p resented; land transfer of approximately 1/8 acre from MFI to Taylor County with the approved Corp Counsel language which protects the County from any future precedent of a landowner giving land to the County. Taylor County to pay costs of surveying and recording new parcel. Also, to approve the easement to MFI to utilize the crest of the dam. A roll call vote was taken. All five (5) members voting in favor of the motion. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday July 7th, 2023, 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 3:58 pm. Secretary: Jordan Lutz and Jake Walcisak Forestry & Recreation Committee June 2nd, 2023 County Board Room-3rd Floor Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:32 AM by Scott Mildbrand. Members Present: Scott Mildbrand, Gary Beadles, Rollie Thums, Jim Gebauer, Myron Brooks. Members Absent: N/A Other Attendees: Jake Walcisak, Jim Metz, Ruthann Koch-County Corp Counsel, Brian Wilson- Star News, Emma Hans en-DNR Wildlife Biolog ist. Timothy Allen -DNR County Fo rest Liaison , Larry Brandl-County Finance Director. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve t he minutes of the May 5 th, 2023, meeting; Seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve A genda: Brooks moved to approve the agenda of 18 items; Seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Walcisak presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Gebauer provided information pertaining to culvert pricing and future purchasing of culverts through the Highway Department. Gebauer moved to a pprove the bills spreadsheet as presented; Seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Chelsea Lake Dam (land transfer and easement) – Requested by Mayer Farms Inc: Walcisak handed out a written request from Mayer Farms Inc and two maps illustrating the requests. The following are the requests made by Rod Mayer for Mayer Farms Inc. 3. “it is the strong preference of Mayer Farm, Inc. (MFI) to deed the land under the present and proposed new Dam, plus a buffer of approximately 10'.” Approximately 0.1 to 0.12 acres. “The goal of this transfer is to ensure that MFI does not own any land under the Dam, groin, deck and/or toe.” 4. “it is our preference to swap this land for the area North of the Dam, again, outside the area consisting of the Dam deck, groin and toe, from a line North of the Dam (as sketched) to our Southern to our East/West property line. ” Approximately 2 acres of upland and Chelsea Lake shoreline. 5. Receive an easement across the crest of Chelsea Lake Dam for motorized use of vehicles up to 10,000 lbs. 6. “it is our goal to have this land swap AND the easement from Taylor County over the Dam be accomplished prior to the start of Dam construction.” The construction schedule from Pember Companies has indicated a start date of approx. July 5th. Discussion occurred between the Committee, Rod Mayer, Walci sak and Cor p Counsel Ruthann Koch. Corp Counsel provide d the following Wisconsin Administrative Code for Committee review. NR 335.03(20) “Owner" means any municipality or lake district which holds the permit or approval under chapter 31, Stats., to a dam and fee title ownership or permanent leg al access for the purposes of operation and maintenance to the specific piece of land on which a dam is physically located . Taylor Count y is the owner of the Chelsea Lake Dam and holds the dam permit. Wisconsin State Statute and Administrative Code does no t require a dam owner to also own the land benea th the dam. These are separate ownerships in Wisconsin. However, statute and code does require the dam owner to have the legal right for access, maintenance, and reconstruction of the dam. This has been accom plished through the deed recorded easement between Mayer Farms Inc. and Taylor County, document #364648, October 25th, 2017. Specifically, “It is intended by these parties that these easements include the right of Grantee to use the portion of the Chelsea Lake Dam located on Grantor’s land, and to maintain, repair, and re-construct such area, and any immediately adjoining areas alongside the dam, to the extent determined by Grantee to be necessary in connection with Grantees use and maintenance of the dam.” Mildbrand suggested the Committee handle each of these items separately. Mildbrand called for a motion to transfer approximately 2 acres of County owned land, north of the dam, to Mayer Farms Inc. No motion was made. Mildbrand called for a motion to grant a motorized easement across the crest of C helsea Lake Dam to Mayer Farms I nc. No motion was m ade. Mildbrand called for a motion for the County to acquire the approximate 0.1 – 0.12 acres of Mayer Farms Inc. land beneath the dam. No motion was made. Discussion occurred between Walcisak , Corp Counsel Ruthann Koch and the Committee to clarify the Committee’s position by taking action to affirm their position on these issues. Motion by Thums to deny Mayer Farms Inc.’s request for the County to transfer approximately 2 acres of County owned land, north of the dam, to Mayer Farms Inc ; seconded by Gebauer. All (5) voting yes. Motion carried. Motion by Gebauer to deny Mayer Farms Inc. request for an easement ac ross the crest of Chelsea Lake Dam for vehicles up to 10,000 lbs ; seconded by Mildbrand. Roll call vot e cast. Three (3) voting yes, Mildbrand, Gebauer, and Thums. Two (2) voting no, Brooks and Beadles. Motion by Brooks to entertain a cquiring approximately 0.1 – 0.12 acres of Mayer Farm Inc. land beneath the Taylor County owned dam with the stipulation that Corp Counsel provides verbiage which protects the County from the pre cedent of a landowner being able to give the County land which th e County doesn’t want or need; seconded by Gebauer. Roll call vot e cast. All (5) voting yes . Corp Coun sel will produce deed language as requested by the Committee and provide Mayer Farms Inc. with this language for their review. Taylor County will survey the parcel with Taylor County staff at the time agreeable terms of land transfer are met. Wildlife of Taylor County - Emma Hansen, Wisc onsin DNR Wil dlife Biologist: Hansen presented a PowerPoint hi ghlighting common game animals found in Tayl or County. She covered population dynamics, monitoring, health and harvest data for White-tailed Deer, Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turk ey, Otter, and Black B ear. This included discussions on Winter Severity index for deer, gamebird brood surveys, carnivore tracking, Snapshot Wisconsi n and Operation Deer Watch. The Committee engaged with Hansen on several questions. Timber Sales Update: • Walcisak provided a report from Lutz. On Tuesday May 30th Lutz had a pre-sale meeting with Smola Enterprises for tim ber sale #706. Harvest operations began the same day. This is the fir st County sale harveste d by Smola Ente rprises. They have a large mixed hardwood pulp contract which is not typical for this industry currently. • Overall, pulp markets are limited in both volume and price. • 2022 tree planting survival check for the Porky/Trout site. Good survival of 84% at 750 trees per acre. The site will be checked again in approximately 2 years. Timber Sale Extension Requests: 2. #688, North Loop Aspen, Czarnezki Forest Products. 1-year extension request. This is the first request from this contractor on sale #688. This would put the contract expiration date at 4 years old. This sale requires frozen ground and there has been limited frozen ground conditions the last two winters. Also, pulp markets are limited. A motion was made by Thums to approve the timber sale extension request for sale #688; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. 3. #695, Funky Chevrons, Wilson Forestry. 1-year extension request. This is the first request from this contractor on sale #695. This would put the contract expiration date at 3 years old. Limited pulpwood markets. A motion was made by Gebauer to approve the timber sale extension request for sale #695; seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. Approve Timber Sale Bids: Walcisak presented the spring timber sale bids. All four (4) sales received qualifying bids with a total bid value of $171,202.95 on 193 acres. • Tract #1-23, North Pole : The re wer e six (6) qualif ying bids. Smola Enter prises (Jason Smola) had the highest bid of $63,778.75. • Tract # 2-23, Clifford: There were seven (7) qualifying bids. Lakeland Forestry (Brandon Crank) had the highest bid of $56,247.00. • Tract #3-23, Shay Hills: There was one (1) qualifying bid. Smola Enterprises (Jason Smola) had the highest bid of $48,645.60. • Tract #4-23, Oak Awareness: There was one (1) qualifying bid . Smola Enterprises (Jason Smola) had the highest bid of $2,531.60. • Total bid value of $171,202.95, which is 71% over the adverti sed min imum sale value with a sold value of $887/acre. Motion made by Brooks to approve the highest bidder for tracts #1-23, #2-23, #3-23 and #4-23; seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Administrator Report: Walcisak provided an update on several items: • Conducted brushing and road repairs on all 18 miles of gas-tax County Forest Roads, 3 miles of major (non-gas tax) logging roads, and 15 miles of ATV trails on the County Forest. More brushing and road repairs are needed on non-gas tax roads. • ATV trails opened county-wide on Friday May 12th. • Improvements have been completed to the Chelsea Lake Dam access road. ▪ Removed 36 yards of top dirt from the original road surface. Reshaped roadbed. Removed 8 loads of brush and trees with a one-ton dump truck. Applied 15 yards of 3” crushed rock and 120 yards of 1.25” crushed gravel. Non-reimbursable expenses equal $1,738. A gate will be installed near the town road in the future. • Work is expected to start on Chelsea Lake Dam and Camp 8 Dam immediately after July 4th. • Lutz and Walcisak attended a Water Quality-Best Management Practices training in Merrill on May 18th. • Walcisak met with the Rib Lake Fish and Game Club, Rib Lake Police Department and Rollie Thums on May 19th to consider a location for a potential shooting range on the County Forest. Meeting again on June 16th to discuss further. • Pine Line grading was completed on May 26th. • Walcisak has recently met with two carbon developers. US Ventures and The Climate Trust. Both are interested in developing a carbon project with Taylor County. • The first annual road grading of all County Forest roads has been completed by Jeff Peterson at the County Highway Department. • The gravel project on Camp 8 road was completed on May 31st. 800 cubic yards of ¾” gravel. This was a one-day project by Randy Thums and covered approximately 1 mile. • WCFA Board of Directors and Legislative/Certification committee meetings will be held Tuesday June 20th in Mauston. Brooks and Walcisak will attend. • WCFA Summer Tour June 21st and 22nd in Juneau County (Mauston) and Vernon County (Viroqua). Walcisak and Lutz will attend. • Mildbrand informed the Committee that the Taylor County Sportsmen Club has committed to funding a fishing pier at the Camp 8 Flowage and potential funding for a shooting range on the County Forest. DNR County Forest Liaison Re port: Timothy Allen gave an update on County For est time standard hours as well as current workload . Current projects include forest reconnaissance, timber sale establishment and timber s tand improvements. The end of the state fiscal year for County Forest time standards is June 17th. Only 8-10 hours remain this year. The Forestry Committee may go into Closed Session by taking a roll call vote pursu ant to Section 19.85(1)(e), Wisconsin State Statutes, for deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public f unds, or conducting other specified pub lic business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a cl osed session. RE: Vosters et al Land Acquisition. Motion by Gebauer, seconded by Brooks, to go into closed session at 11:17 AM. A roll call vote cast; Beadles, Brooks, Mildbrand, and Gebauer voting yes. Thums voting no. Motion carried. The meeting will reconvene in Open Session pursuant to Section 19.83, Wisconsin St ate Statutes, to take any necessary action on the matter discussed in Closed Session . At 11:45 AM the Committee reconvened in open session. A motion was made by Gebauer to purchase 119.8 acres of the Vosters et al property for $263,560 with the contingencies of full county board approval (simple majority) and successful award of Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Funding for up to 50% of the apprais ed land value and miscellaneous acquisition costs. Seconded by Brooks. Beadles, Brooks, Mildbrand, and Gebauer voting yes. Thums voting no. Motion carried. The Forestry Committee may go into Closed Se ssion by taking a roll call vo te pursuant to Wis. Stat. s. 19.85(1 )(e) for the purpose of deliberating or negotiating public business related to an informal settlement offer, for which a closed session is required to preserve the County’s negotiating strategy. Motion by Thums, seconded by Gebauer, to go into closed session at 11:46 AM. A roll call vote cast: all (5) voting yes, motion carried. The meeting will reconvene in Open Session pursuant to Section 19.83, Wisconsin St ate Statutes, to take any necessary action on the matter disc ussed in Closed Session. At 11:58 AM the Committee reconvened in open session. A motion was made by Thums to accept Ayres Associates Inc.’s current offer to settle the Camp 8 Dam and Chelsea Lake Dam grant application matter from 2020; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Corp Counsel will assist with this process. The Forestry Committee may go into Closed Session by taking a roll call vote pursuant to Wis. Stat. s. 19.85(1)(e) for the purpose of deliberating or negotiating public business related to deed restrictions and access easements on private land that impact County land, for which a closed session is required to preserve the County’s competitive and bargaining strategies. Motion by Thums, seconded by Brooks, to go into closed session at 1 2:00 PM. A roll call vote cast: all (5) voting yes, motion carried. The meeting wil l reconvene in Open Session pursuant to Section 19.83, Wisconsin St ate Statutes, to take any necessary action on the matter discussed in Closed Session . At 12:24 PM the Committee reconvened in open session. A motion was made by Thums for Walcisak and Corp Counsel to continue pursuing the protection of the County’s and public’s rights of access on the Belter deed; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday July 7th, 2023 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 12:25 pm. Secretary: Jake Walcisak Forestry & Recreation Committee May 5th, 2023 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, Rollie Thums, Jim Gebauer, Myron Brooks. Members Absent: N/A Other A ttendees: Jake Walcisak, Jordan Lutz , Jim Metz, Brian Wi lson-Star News, Timothy Allen-DNR, Paul Lukewich. Joined via zoom: Joe Paul. Approve Minutes: Gebauer moved to approve the minutes of the April 14th, 2023 , meeting; Seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Brooks moved to approve the agenda of 12 items, striking item 5 as Emma Hansen was unable to attend, moving item 11 (Administrator Report), and item 12 (DNR County Forest Liaison Report) above the closed session; Seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Walcisak presented the monthly bill sp readsheet. Some disc ussion occurred pertaining to purchasing new truck tires for the 2023 F -250. Brooks moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; Seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Lutz gave updates o n timber sales. There ar e no active sal es, weight restrictions were lifted May 1 st. Lutz also gave an update on the UWSP student collaboration project. A field marking day was conducted on Saturday Apr il 29 th, with 21 students and 10 resource professionals attending. The students were split into small groups and switched group leaders throughout the day. Approximately 74 of the 148 acres of marking was completed. Approved Timber Sales for Bid: Lutz presented four timber sales for the spring 2023 offering: • Tract#1-23, 53 acres, minimum bid of $35,953.50 • Tract#2-23, 74 acres, minimum bid $31,395 • Tract#3-23, 60 acres, minimum bid $29,985 • Tract#4-23, 6 acres, minimum bid $2,531.60 With combined minimum bid value of $99,845.60, on four sales, totaling 193 acres. A motion was made by Thums to approve the timber sales, as presented, for advertisement; seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. Reconsider Gravel Project Award: Walcisak received notice from Haas Inc that the gravel contract they were awarded was bid in tons, not cubic yards. Therefore, making their bid much cheaper compared to the other bidders. The County bid advertisement specified cubic yards. The Haas Inc. bid sheet did not contain reference to tons as the volume mea sure. Walcisak handed out an updated bid results spreadsheet with the Haas Inc. bid converted to cubic yards. The Haas Inc. bid increased from $29,595.20 to $44,392.80. Walcisak gave a recommendation to terminate the contract with Haas Inc and award the project to the second lowest bidder, Randy Thums Trucking. A motion was made by Brooks to terminate the gravel contract award with Haas Inc. and award Randy Thums Trucking the bid of $ 37,827.50; seconded by Gebauer. A roll call vote was cast per request of Thums. Members in favor: Mildbrand, Brooks, Gebauer; Abstain: Thums; Opposed: Beadles. Motion carried. Administrator Report: Walcisak and Lutz provided an update on several items: • Lutz presented on the completion of the reforestation project for the “Field Pine” site. Superior Forestry handplanted 10,500 red pine seedlings on 11 acr es in two hours for an expense of $1,100.00. • Walcisak gave an update on the Pine Line Commission meeting, I ce Age Trail Alliance mobile skills event, and the recent County Deer Advisory Council meeting. DNR County Forest Liaison Re port: Timothy Allen gave an update on County For est time standard hours as well as current workload. The Fo restry & Recreation Committee will go into closed session pursuant to Section 19.85(1)(e), Wisconsin State Statutes, for delib erating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified public business, whenever competitive or bargai ning reasons require a clos ed session. RE: Vosters et al Land Acquisition. Thums informed the committee that he would not be voting to support a land acquisi tion by the County. A motion was made by Brooks to move into closed session. Walcisak suggested that he present the project to the committee in open session and go into closed session only when land valuation and purchase prici ng was to be discussed. Brooks r escinded his motion. Walcisak presented details o n the Vosters pr operty such as location, current MFL enrollment, timber quality, access, taxes, and acreage. Closed Session: Motion by Brooks, seconded by Gebauer, to go into closed session at 10:18 AM. A roll call vote was requested by Thu ms. Beadles, Brooks, Mildbrand, and Gebauer voting yes. Thums voting no. Motion carried. Open Session: At 11:18 AM the Committee reconvened in open session. A motion was made by Mildbrand to authorize Walcisak to negotiate the best price, for Taylor County and its residents, to purchase up to 160 acres of the Vosters property. Seconded by Br ooks. A roll call vo te was requested by T hums. Beadles, Brooks, Mildbrand, and Gebauer voting yes . Thums voting no . Motion carried. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday June 2nd 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 11:23 am. Secretary: Jake Walcisak and Jordan Lutz Forestry & Recreation Committee April 14th, 2023 County Board Room-3rd Floor Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:31 A.M. by Scott Mildbrand. Members Present: Scott Mildbrand, Gary Beadles, Rollie Thums, Jim Gebauer, Myron Brooks. Members Absent: N/A Other Attendees: Jake Walcisak, Jordan Lutz, Jim Me tz, Larry Brandl, Brian Wilson -Star News, Lynn Rosemeyer, Mike Bub, Timothy Allen -DNR, Dan Judnic, Bill Vach, William Clough, and Daren Debban. Joined via zoom: Peter J, Jeff Heine, and Adam Keeling Approve Minutes: Gebauer moved to approve the minutes of the March 3rd, 2023, meeting; Seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Thums moved to approve the agenda of 11 ite ms; Secon ded by Brooks. Motion carried. Closed Session: The Forestry Committee may go into Closed Session by taking a roll call vote at approximately 9:35 a.m. pursuant to Sections 19.85(1)(f), considering financial, medical, social, or personal histories or disciplinary data of specific persons, pr eliminary consideration of specific personnel problems or the investigation of charges against specific persons except where par.(b) applies which, if discussed in public, would be likely to have a substantial adverse effect upon the reputation of any pers on referred to in such histories or data, or involved in such problems or inve stigations. Expenses submitted for Wisconsin County Forests Association meeting - Rothschild March 22 and March 23, 2023: Motion by T hums, seconded by Gebauer, to go into closed session at 9:37 a.m. A roll call vote cast, five (5) voting aye, the motion carried. Walcisak made a request that due to this closed session’s statutory exemption protecting his rights, this item be held in o pen sessi on. Discussion regarding Walcisak’s re quest occurred between Mike Bub, who was in the audience, and the Forestry Com mittee. Mildbrand chose to enter closed session, but assured Walcisak he could present whatever information he would like once the committee reconvened in open session. Mildbrand asked everyone except coun ty board members and Andria Farrand to leave the me eting room during the closed session. Walcisak and Nicole Hager were asked back into closed session at approximately 10:05 AM. The committee reconvened in open session at 10:25 AM. A motion was made by Brooks to follow guidance discussed in closed session ; seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Brian Wilson asked for the motion which was made in closed session. Mildbrand denied Wilson’s request, referencing guidance from Taylor County Corp Counsel Koch. 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: Lutz gave updates on timber sales. There are cur rently no active sales. Road restrictions were put on March 13th. One contract or has expressed interest in summer logging so far. Lutz also gave an update on the timber sale project collaboration with UWSP. Timber Sale Close Out -#675 – Pending Final Haul ing and Payment: Total sale revenue was $41,889.77, which came to a 9% volume underrun and a 1% value underrun. There is one outstanding invoice and about one load of pulp remaining to be hauled. A motion was made by Thums to close out the sale pending fin al hauling and payment; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Award Gravel Bid: Walcisak presented three gravel bids: • Haas Inc. $29,595.20 • Randy Thums Trucking $37,827.50 • Wisco Materials $44,975.00 A motion was made by Thums to award the lowest bid in the amount of $29,595.20 to Haas Inc.; seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Administrator Report: Walcisak provided an update on several items: • Storm damage applications to the DNR Snowmobile and ORV Councils for $81,620 were successfully awarded for Snowmobile and ATV trails. • Budget Review Committee reviewed the Forestry budget on April 3rd. Walcisak handed out the same packet presented to the Budget Review committee. Additional topics being further pursued as additional revenue are, carbon offset projects and maple syrup tapping. No action taken, just gathering information. • Reimbursement was received for the Miller Dam sluice gate project for $57,369. • Walcisak assisted with an SRS Title III application for the Jump River Fire Dept for a UTV trailer purchase. • Walcisak participated in Government days at MASH on March 7th. • Pre-construction meetings for both Camp 8 and Chelsea Dam were held on March 8th. •The new 2023 F-250 was delivered on April 4th. Truck was originally ordered October 4th, 2022. The 2017 Ford F-150 was sold to Buildings, Grounds, and Parks Dept. for $15,000. • County Deer Advisory Council (CDAC) meeting will be held Monday May 1st at 7 pm at the MASH library. • Tree seedling order is scheduled for pick up on May 1st in Hayward. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen gave an update on County Forest time standard hours as well as current workload. Current time st andards indicate approximately 100 hours remaining. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday May 5th at 9:30 AM in the County Board Room, third floor. Adjournment: With no further business, Gebauer move d to adjourn the meeting; Seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:59 am. Secretary: Jake Walcisak and Jordan Lutz Forestry & Recreation Committee March 3rd, 2023 County Board Room-3rd Floor Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:31 A.M. by Myron Brooks. Members Present: Gary Beadles, Rollie Thums, Jim Gebauer, Myron Brooks. Members Absent: Scott Mildbrand-excused. Other Attendees: Jake Walcisak, Jordan Lutz, Jim Metz, Larry Brandl, Brian Wilson Star News, Timothy Allen DNR. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the February 3rd, 2023, meeting; Seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Gebauer moved to approve the agenda of 11 items; Seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Walcisak presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Beadles moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; Seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Lutz gave updates o n timber sales. There is only one (1) active timber sale. • #675 Steve Dassow o Pre-hauled approx. 1.5 l oads t o E mil D rive. All ot her decked wood has been hauled. Contractor was able to load burned forwarder on a low bo y. The low boy was driven all the way into timber sale. Sustainable Forestry Grant Application: Walcisak presented an application for the Sustainable Forestry Grant which is administered by th e Wisconsin DNR . The application is for damage sustained from the winter storm event o n December 13 th, 2022. Heavy snowfall in combination with freezing rain ca used severe tree damag e, both s eedlings and saplings, across the coun ty forest. The workload is for approximately 40 miles of non -gas tax logging roads clean-up for $12,000. The work will be completed by both contractors and county staff/equipment. Walcisak also stated that this work will need to occur whether the grant application is successful or not. The Sustainable Forestry Grant is funded with Wisconsin GPR allocated to the DNR segregated account. Motion mad e by Thums to approve the Sustainable Forestry Grant ap plication as presented, seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Lake States Bat Habitat Conservation P lan Enrollment (LSBHCP): Walcisak presented the LSBHCP. The LSBHCP (summarized) pertains to the following items: 1. Three bat species (northern long-eared, tri-colored, and little brown) are covered within the LSBHC P. The northern long eared is currently a federally listed spec ies, while the other two are anticipated to be listed in the near future. a. These bats exist within T aylor County. However, there are no known hibernacula or maternity roost trees on the Taylor County Forest. 2. All landowners must comply with the Endangered S pecies A ct of 1 973. Any taking of endangered species or their habitat is punishable by law. 3. Enrollment in the LSBHCP provides the landowner with an incidental take permit providing the landowner is adhering to mandatory conservation actions within the plan. 4. Covered activities include: a. Timber harvest and related forest practices. b. Prescribed fire. c. Maintenance of existing permanent forest roads an d recreational trails on public lands. d. Construction of new permanent forestry roads and recreational trails on pub lic lands. The Taylor County F orest is alr eady adhering to the conservation actions pertaining t o these species. The LSBHCP enrollment was developed over the last several years and included experts from the following state and feder al forestry and wildlif e agencies WI, MN, MI , US F ish and Wildlife Service, and US Forest Service. Planning participa nts also included Taylor County, Wisconsin County Forests Association, and private forest industry. Discussion occurred if this pla n would fu rther restrict fores t management and what enr ollment into the plan means for the Taylor County Forest. Lutz a nd Walcisak further explained that all guidance is bein g adhered to already and that because they are a federally protected species, we are required to follow the cons ervation measures of the LSBHCP, re gardless of our enrollment into the plan. The inc idental permit allows Taylor County to continue forestry operations, while protecting the County from future litigation of the federally listed bat species. Currently, without an incidental take permit, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 would apply, and a violation could result in a $25,000 fine and/or up to 6 months imprisonment. Motion made by Gebauer to approve the resolution as re sented and enroll into the Lake States Bat Habitat Conservation Plan, seconded by Beadles. All roll call vote was taken: Brooks, Beadles, Gebauer- In favor, Thums-Opposed. Motion carried. (Mildbrand-Absent). Approve Gravel Bid Advertisement: Walcisak presented a gravel project for 800 cubic yards of 0.75” crushed gravel, 1,770 cubic yards of 2” crushed gravel for 0.8 miles of County Forest Road, 0.6 miles o f logging road , and 1.4 miles of state funded ATV trail. The estimated bid value is $42,000 with approximately 70% ($28,500) of gravel costs being paid through grants and aids. Motion made by Gebauer to approve the gravel bid a dvertisement as presented, seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Administrator Report: Walcisak provided an update on several items. • Walcisak gave an update pertaining to the Ayres Engineering negotiation of Camp 8 and Chelsea Dams. Co rp Counsel i s pursuing reimbursement for 100% of actual loss for Camp 8 and 50% of actual loss for Chelsea. • Walcisak was r ecently reque sted to speak before the House and Senate Joint Committees on Forestry . Walcisak was one of 5 s peakers on February 21 st which also included: Chief State Forester Heather Berklund, Wisconsin Count y Forests Association Executive Director Rebekah Luedtke, Governor’s Council on Forestry Chairman Tom Hittle, Gr eat Lakes Timber Professionals Association E xecutive Director Henry Scheinebeck. Walcisak spoke on the challe nges facing the W isconsin forest industry as well as state budget priorities most impactful to the County Forest program. • An adjacent landowner proposed a land sale to Taylor County. The land is approximately 158 acres , enrolled in MFL op en, and falls within the d esignated forest management blocking/acquisition boundary. The forestry d ept will gather more information for the Committee and present their findings at future meetings. • WCFA Board of Directors meeting March 21st in Rothschild. Brooks has a conflict and will not be able to attend. Walcisak will attend. • WCFA Forest Administ rator Me eting Marc h 22 nd and 23 rd in R othschild. Walcisak, Lutz and Beadles will attend. DNR County Forest Liaison Re port: Timothy Allen gave an update on County Forest time standard hours as well as current workload. Current tim e standard accomplishment is approximately 73%. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation Committee meeting will be Friday April 14th at 9:30 AM in the County Board Room, third floor. Adjournment: With no further business, Gebauer moved to adjourn the meeting; Seconded by Thums. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:36 am. Secretary: Jake Walcisak and Jordan Lutz Forestry & Recreation Committee February 3rd, 2023 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, Rollie Thums, Jim Gebauer, Myron Brooks. Members Absent: N/A Other Attendees: Jake Walcisak, Jordan Lutz, Jim Metz, Larry Brandl, Brian Wilson Star News, Timothy Allen DNR, and Rebekah Luedtke Wisconsin County Forests Assoc. Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the January 6th, 2023, meeting; Seconded by Gebauer. Motion carried. Approve A genda: Brooks moved to app rove the agenda of 10 items; Seconded b y Thums. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Walcisak presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Brooks moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; Seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Lutz gave updates on timber sales. There are two (2) active timber sales. • #700 Central WI Lumber o About 1 load to be hauled and waiting on final payment. • #675 Steve Dassow o Steve has about 4 acres remaining to be cut and skid , s hould finish early next week. Cold temperatures last week have helped freeze down haul roads. Approve Tree Planting Bids: Lutz presented tree planting bid s. One bid was received from Superior Forestry Service Inc for $100 per acre with a total b id of $1,100 for the 11-acre site. Motion mad e by Gebauer to approve the tree p lanting bid from S uperior Fo restry Inc, as presented, seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Wisconsin County Forest Association Membership (WCFA): Request was made to add this agenda item, as it was brough t up at the January 18th, 2023, Personnel and Finance Committee meeting by Rollie Thums as he had concerns over membership fees. Walcisak present ed a members benefit docu ment provided by WCFA Executiv e Director Rebekah Luedtke and gave an ove rview of the benefits WCFA pro vides. A few highlights pertaining to WCFA: • There are 30 Counties in Wisconsin with a county forest pr ogram. All 30 Counties are members of WCFA. • Taylor County has been a n active participant since at least 1969 and ha s been a payi ng member since at least 1971. • Taylor County has ha d a representative on the WCFA Bo ard of Directors continuously since 1988. o In recent ye ars this has included Myron Brooks, Ch uck Zenner, a nd Herbert Bergmann. • Current dues are $2,663.68 , however the Wisconsin DNR County Forest Administration Grant covers $ 698.56. T his br ings the total cost down to $1,965.12 . This is down 21% since 2018. There was discussion surrounding the benef its of WCFA from Thums compared to the cost. Thums stated that he believes these same benefits would be available to Taylor County even if we weren’t a member of WCFA. Members Beadles, Brooks, Gebauer, and Chairman Metz spoke in favor of the benefits WCFA provides and continued membership. Walcisak clarified that many of these benef its are exclu sive to members. This inc ludes but i s not limite d to collaboration, communication, and training between member cou nties. A statewide organization, such as WCFA, can address much larger issues than a single county can handle. This includes legislation, administrative code, DNR and Federal program guidance, and state budge ts. Walcisak further stated he does not recommen d dropping WCFA membership . He believes Taylor County receives more in value than what is paid in due s. Walcisak s tated it would be improper to terminate memb ership, continue to benefit from statewide WCFA efforts, and le ave all other member counties to absorb the cost. Motion made by Brooks to continue as a paying member of WCFA. Mildbrand struck the motion as he felt no action was needed. Administrator Report: Walcisak provided an update on several items. • Chelsea Lake Dam : is now un der contract with P ember Co mpanies. Construction is scheduled for 2023. Substantial completion deadline is Septe mber 15 th, 2023. Contract extensions are possible but should not be relied upon. Current pool elevation is 1,531.0 feet mean sea level. Construction plans call for lowering the water level to achie ve a construction pool of 1,530.5 feet (6” below the normal pool). • No updates from Corp Counsel currently regarding 2020 dam grant applications with Ayres. • Snowmobile Trails: Governor’s Snowmobile Council meeting yesterday. Taylor County Snowmobile Council meeting last night. Trails are in good to excellent condition. Recent cold temperatures have firmed up all wetlands and water crossings. o Storm Damage expense to date $74,112.51. Any expenses exceeding our maintenance agreement with DNR will be submitted under a separate storm damage grant application. Total funds available for non-grooming work within the snowmobile program comes to $86,775. • 2018 Skid Steer is having new tracks and some other worn undercarriage components replaced. One track severely torn. Track warranty of 2 years. • USFS Title III Allocation to Jump River Fire Department after 45-day public comment period. No comments received. $3,386 towards replacing a water fill station at a project expense of $11,286.45. DNR County Forest Liaison Re port: Timothy Allen gave an update on County Forest time standard hours as well as current workload . Current tim e s tandard accomplishment is approximately 65%. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation committee meeting will be Friday March 3rd at 9:30 AM in the County Board Room, third floor. Adjournment: With no further business, Beadles moved to adjourn the meeting; Seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:18 am. Secretary: Jake Walcisak and Jordan Lutz Forestry & Recreation Committee January 6th, 2023 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, Rollie Thums, Jim Gebauer, Myron Brooks. Members Absent: N/A Other Attendees: Jake Walcisak, Jordan Lutz, Jim Metz, Chuck Zenner, Lester Lewis, Larry Brandl, Brian Wilson Star News, Timothy Allen DNR. Attending virtually: Adam Schneider (Ayres Associates). Approve Minutes: Thums moved to approve the minutes of the December 2nd, 2022, meeting; Seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Gebauer moved to approve the agenda of 12 items; Seconded by Thums. Motion carried. Approve Bills: Walcisak presented the monthly bill spreadsheet. Thums moved to approve the bills spreadsheet as presented; Seconded by Brooks. Motion carried. Timber Sales Update: Lutz gave updates on timber sales. There are two (2) active timber sales. • #700 Central WI Lumber o Harvesting and forwarding has concluded. Final hauling, invoicing, and payment remain. • #675 Steve Dassow o Steve’s double bunk forwarder started on fire and completely burned. This has significantly s lowed progress down. Steve only has one single bunk forwarder but plans to sub-contract to finish the sale. This sale will expire in June 2023, meaning this is his last winter to finish the sale. In June of 2023 the sale will be 4 y ears old. Discussion was had about automatically extending his sale without a request. Lutz recommended we wait and see how sale progresses. Lutz is working with the insurance company to get the machine moved as soon as possible. Approve Tree Planting Bids for Advertisement: Lutz presented a tree planting bid packet for an 11-acre site that is to be reforested into red pine this spring. The site was harvested (rotated) in 2021 and with DNR dozer assistance slash piles were consolidated. The slash piles will be burned in the coming weeks, while snow is present. The planting site will use 8,640 (1-0) red pine seedlings already purchased from PRT at a 8’ by 6’ spacing. Bids will be accepted until 3:00 pm on February 2nd, 2023. Motion made by Gebauer to approve the tree planting bid packet for advertisement, as presented, seconded by Beadles. Motion carried. Truck Purchase with WI Dept of Administration: • Background: 2022 Forestry truck order. Awarded bid to Medford Motors October 2021 for $38,000. Truck not built and order has been cancelled by Ford. • 2023 Pricing/Quote ▪ Medford Motors quote $49,546.00 December 8th, 2022. ▪ Wisconsin Department of Administration fleet purchasing contract with Ewald Ford of Hartford, WI $46,593.00 December 5th, 2022. ▪ Vehicle outlay account balance $42,000.00 ▪ Sell 2017 truck to Buildings, Grounds and Parks Department for $15,000.00. Fair market value $26,000.00. ▪ Total account balance for 2023 truck purchase $57,000.00 • A motion was made by Gebauer to approve purchasing a truck via WI Dept of Administration pricing through Ewald Ford of Hartford, seconded by Brooks. A roll call vote was taken: Gebauer-yes, Beadles-yes, Brooks-yes, Mildbrand-No, Thums- no. Motion carried with a 3-2 vote. Review and Approve Chelsea Lake Dam Replacement Bids: Discussion was had regarding the bids for both dam projects and the lack of performance by Ayres Associates in 2020. Chelsea Lake Dam bid came in $95,390 higher than Ayres 2020 opinion of probable cost. An opinion of probable cost is not a bid value, but an estimate prepared by an engineer for the anticipated cost of construction. Ca mp 8 Dam bid came in $50,555 higher than Ayres 2020 opinion of probable cost. This totals $145,945 over the 2020 opinion of probable cost for Chelsea and Camp 8 combined. However, the County is only responsible for half of that cost due to being awarded funding through the Wisconsin DNR Municipal Dam Grant Program. The total increase to the County from 2020 to current day is $72,972.50. Concerns were expressed by Mildbrand and Lewis regarding adherence to a county resolution which states no committee may exceed estimated costs by more than $100,000 without approval from full County Board. Discussion made it clear that the actual cost increase to the County of $72,972.50 does not exceed the $100,000 resolution cap and is not applicable in this situation. The Taylor County Dam Maintenance Account is adequate to cover approximately half of these increased expenses while running a deficit of $37,131.60. Additionally, 2022 timber revenue exceeded budgeted revenue and is sufficient to cover the expected deficit of approximately $37,131.60. Mildbrand and Lester Lewis sp oke in opposition of approving the dam bids without first resolving the matter with Ayres a nd bringing the increased costs to full County Board. Walcisak stated that each bid is valid for only 45 days from the time of bid opening and once a bid is approved the County must sign the DNR grant award letter within 30 days to secure funding. T hese deadlines limit the time available to delay a bid approval. Any delay in the bidding process would need to have been initiated prior to bid advertisement. Chelsea Lake Dam bids are valid only until Sunday January 22nd. This would only allow two weeks to resolve the situation with Ayres and would not be enough time in Walcisak’s opinion. Walcisak suggested that bid approval and resolution with Ayres be handled as two separate i tems. While they follow a parallel track, they are not dependent upon each other. Brooks and Beadles spoke in support of treating these two items as separate issues and moving forward with bid approval. Walcisak is already scheduled to meet with County Corp Counsel this afternoon to begin discussing a resolution with Ayres. Mildbrand proposed reviewing the possibility of changing Chelsea Lake Dam design plans to the less expense option discussed in 2020. Walcisak informed the Committee that the less expensive design option would net an approximate savings of $15,000. While the change in design itself would save approximately $30,000 there would be added costs for the new design, re-bidding and inflationary costs of losing another year in construction. Also, the less expensive design option has a life expectancy of only 45 years while the more expensive design option has a life expectancy of 85 plus years. Brooks and Thums voiced concern over delaying the bid approval and not accepting the lowest bids. T hums and Beadles were particularly concerned wi th losing the favorable Pember C onstruction bid on Chelsea Lake Dam if rebidding occurred, resulting in a much higher cost. Below is a summary of the upcoming dam replacement expenses as approved and compared to the current Taylor County Dam Maintenance Account. ▪ Cost to complete as bid $624,527.50 ▪ Dam grant reimbursement $312,263.60 ▪ Reimbursable to date $103,414.24 ▪ Dam account balance $171,717.76 ▪ Funds needed to complete as bid $37,131.60 Walcisak presented bids for the Chelsea Lake Dam replacement project. Three bids were received. Michels Construction $ 424,954.75. Janke General Contractors $ 409,422.00. P ember Companies $270,269.00. Bids were opened on December 8th, 2022. Motion was made by Brooks, seconded by Gebauer to accept the lowest bid of $270,269 from Pember Companies. A roll call vote was taken: Gebauer-yes, Beadles-yes, Brooks-yes, Mildbrand-No, Thums-yes. Motion carried with a 4-1 vote. Review and Approve Camp 8 Dam Replacement Bids: Walcisak presented bids for the Camp 8 Dam replacement project. Three bids were received. Nordic Underwater Services $396,350.00. Pember Companies $381,589.00. Minger Construction Companies $320,986.00. Bids were opened on January 5th, 2023. Motion was made by Brooks, seconded by Gebauer to accept the lowest bid of $344,016 from Minger Construction Companies. A roll call vote was taken: Gebauer-yes, Beadles-yes, Brooks- yes, Mildbrand-No, Thums-yes. Motion carried with a 4-1 vote. Administrator Report: • Walcisak provided an update on snowmobile trail status. Approximately, 95% of all trails have been brushed and signed. Trails are anticipated to open Friday the 13th pending weather conditions. Assistant Administrator Report: • Pirus was closed Wednesday for the season. • Northwest Hardwoods paid full restitution for failure to complete sale #668. Payment was received on Thursday January 5th, 2023. DNR County Forest Liaison Report: Timothy Allen introduced himself and gave an update on County Forest time standard hours as well as current workload, which includes starting timber sale establishment for 2023 and recon. Current time standard accomplishment is approximately 443 hours or 56%. Allen began on Monday, November 7th, 2022. Next Committee Meeting: The next Forestry and Recreation committee meeting will be Friday February 3rd 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 10:43 am. Secretary: Jake Walcisak and Jordan Lutz