Land, Water & Forest Resources Committee — Minutes

Minutes of the March 11, 2026 Meeting of the Sawyer County Land, Water & Forest Resources Committee of the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors Board Room, Sawyer County Voting Committee Members (X) Present: Others Present: Chair: Steve Kariainen Mike Markgren Jayne Schroeder Vice Chair: Randy Neumann Liz Klein Tim Davison Kay Wilson Rachel Thompson Kimberly Peterson- Virtual Jim Evans Greg Peterson Tristan Wirkus- Virtual Dale Magnuson Brian DeVries Craig Morris Allison Jonjak Brian Lehner Tim Seidl Call to Order – Chair Kariainen called the meeting to order at 8:30 am. Certification of Compliance with the open meeting law was met. Roll Call was taken; a quorum was met; the agenda was set. Public Comments – Mary Fandry Minutes from the previous meeting dated: February 11, 2026 Motion to approve made by: Mr. Evans Second by: Mr. Neumann Motion carried without negative vote. Johnson Timber Presentation—Bill Johnson of Johnson Timber spoke to the committee about the proposed biofuel project that could be coming to Hayward if the Forestry Revitalization Act is passed by the Senate next week. The $1.7B project will employ over 150 people and have a $750M to $1B annual economic impact over a 150 mile radius in NW Wisconsin, benefitting loggers, truckers, schools, several counties and the state. DJ Aderman of Futurewood Corp explained the process and long-term contracts being negotiated, allowing loggers and land owners to count on 3-5 year contracts, obtain financing for business improvements, and create a stable economic impact over the next twenty years. The project requires no changes to current logging practices and strict federal regulations govern harvest of unmarketable tops, bark and slash from the federal forest and Tribal land. The project hinges on a feasibility study, guarantee that 80% of the biomass will be sourced from Wisconsin forests, and an outtake agreement for exportation with DOT, airports and shipping ports. The overall carbon impact is being considered as the plans come together. Events—No applications were received Register of Deeds Update-- Ms. Thompson presented a written report for February and updated the committee on the availability of state vital records and online access to records. Land Records and County Surveyor Department Report – Land Records—A written RPL report was provided. Surveyor—A written surveyor report was provided. Mr. DeVries presented a 2025 Annual Land Records report and informed the committee on the activities and processes that take place in the land records department. Resolution 2026-____ Removing Certain County Quit Claim Guarantee from Ramy Seed Company Properties was discussed. Mr. Ramy spoke to the committee about the history of owning the land. Motion to approve the Resolution and remove the restrictions on the sale of the land, for consideration by the County Board by: Mr. Neumann Second by: Mr. Magnuson Motion carried without negative vote. Forestry – County Forestry Report— Mr. Peterson reported that 20 sales were active in February. There is approximately $4.33M in sold-uncut timber on file. The department is preparing for spring timber sales and submitting the annual ATV/UTV trail improvement grants. A meeting is scheduled in two weeks to get updates on the sale of the county’s carbon credits. Wisconsin DNR Report- Mr. Morris presented a written report on DNR activity. USFS Report- No report Motorized Trails Report— Mr. Davison reported that the Alliance had a successful winter season and is assessing bridge inventory needing repairs. He asked the committee to support the Public Works ad-hoc committee’s request for opening routes on Tribal land. Non-motorized— No report Zoning/Conservation Department – Mr. Seidl reported that Conservation staff attended the annual WI Land & Water Conference March 4-6. A poster ceremony was held at Winter School to recognize participants, and the school is the first to participate in an Envirothon competition. The county tree sale is active and online. Treasurer- Foreclosed property sales— Mr. Lehner presented the list of tax-delinquent properties and notices of sale going to the papers for publication. Board Appointed Committee Updates – None Correspondence, Reports from Conferences and Meetings – Kimberly and Tristan of Land Records attended the Land Information Conference and will attend an upcoming conference in Ashland. Treasurer Brian Lehner attended the WCCO conference in Madison, where Andy Phillips of Attolles Law spoke about Acts 235 and 217 affecting treasures. Future Agenda Items – None Adjournment – 9:43 am Next Meeting: April 8, 2026 Time: 8:30am Location: Board Room Minutes recorded by Liz Klein, County Clerk