An updated plan outlining how the county will use and manage forests on tax-forfeited lands was approved Tuesday by the Crow Wing County Board.
This is the first time the plan has been updated since 2004. The most significant change is an update to the harvesting or cutting of aspen, a species that represents 60 percent of the forest cover type in the county's approximately 105,000 acres of managed lands.
According to the land services department, relatively few acres of aspen on the county's lands will reach maturity in the next decade. This can be partly attributed to heavy logging in the early 1900s and a lack of management in the mid-1900s, which led to an imbalance in the ages of the trees. Over the past 25 years, the county has been "very aggressive" in cutting mature aspen, leaving the younger trees to continue growing.
A change in harvesting rotation of aspen trees will also be utilized to stabilize the population. On sites with excellent timber, the plan calls for rotating every 50 years. On medium to good sites, the trees will be harvested every 45 years and on poor sites, every 40 years.
Age imbalance is not only a problem with aspen; balsam fir, birch and jack pine trees are also limited in their harvest potential in the near future.
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To offset the limited availability of these trees, the county plan calls for continued increases in the harvesting of oak acreage. Land services reports the number of oak acres cut down has increased annually by 200 acres since 2009.
In other business, the county board:
Approved the apportionment of 2014 tax-forfeited surplus revenues. Surplus revenues totaled $425,454. Of this total, $85,090 will go toward county parks, $127,636 will go to buildings and building improvements, $85,090 will go to the county general fund, $85,090 will go to schools and $42,545 will go to towns and cities.
Approved an out-of-state travel request for Steve Stroschein, senior engineer, to the 2015 National Association of County Engineers conference April 19-23 in Florida. Stroschein is a finalist for the project manager of the year award for his work on the County State Aid Highway 3 reconstruction project.
Approved a contract with the state for the Sentencing to Service program from July 1 through June 30, 2017. The cost to the county under the contract is not to exceed $120,531 over the two-year period.
The program is an alternative to traditional sentences for nonviolent offenders where they are authorized to work on community improvement projects.
Authorized contracts with the townships of Bay Lake, Center, Crow Wing, Fort Ripley and Ideal to provide election coordination services. These townships hold elections for township offices in March.
Renewed a consumption and display permit for Father David Forsman of the Holy Family Church in Roosevelt Township.
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Approved the 2015 stand exam plan, previously known as the harvest plan. The one-year plan outlines timbered acres being considered for sale during the year and will be made available for public inspection at the auditor-treasurer's office, the land services department and the Brainerd public library.
Approved a final contract payment for Anderson Brothers Construction Company in the amount of $649,810 for resurfacing County Road 134. The final amount was $25,655 over the original contract due mostly to the use of a warm mix additive in the pavement mixture. The warm additive was used in place of a traditional hot mix asphalt and has proven benefits, according to the request for board action.
Adopted a resolution to acquire right-of-way and easements needed for the improvement of Inglewood Drive.
Authorized advertising for sealed bids for aggregate surfacing on CSAH 36 from County Road 105 to Cuyuna Trail and for spot patching on county roads 128 and 144.
Accepted the promotion of Lukas Marks to assistant highway maintenance worker.
Approved the hirings of Brigette Stoner and Abby Eggum, financial workers in the customer service division of community services.
Accepted the departure of Cody Eisenschenk, correctional officer at the county jail.
Approved replacement staffing for the following positions: highway maintenance supervisor, highway maintenance specialist, public health nurse, correctional officer and seasonal watercraft inspection coordinator.
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CHELSEY PERKINS may be reached at 855-5874 or chelsey.perkins@brainerddispatch.com . Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchChelsey .
