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Committee approves 2025 recreational-trails resolution; forestry report details upcoming timber sales and trail work

3806827 ยท April 13, 2025

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Summary

The committee approved the county's 2025 recreational trails aid resolution needed to apply for snowmobile and ATV grants. Forestry staff reported timber-sale revenue year-to-date, upcoming bid openings and trail maintenance work, including coordination with the U.S. Forest Service on gate relocations.

The Sawyer County Land, Water and Forest Resources Committee approved its annual 2025 recreational-trails aid resolution to support snowmobile and ATV grant applications and heard a report on forestry activity, timber-sale revenues and trail maintenance work.

Committee members unanimously approved the standard annual resolution to apply for snowmobile and ATV grants and directed staff to forward the resolution to the county board for final approval.

Forestry staff reported that current sale value (sold and uncut on file) is just under $4 million, March revenue was more than $237,000, and year-to-date receipts exceed $650,000. Staff said they have 22 tracts totaling about 1,600 acres in the spring timber-sale prospectus, with the bid opening scheduled for April 29 and sales to be approved the following week by the committee.

Trail coordinators said trail grading and brushing have begun in the southern part of the county, and they are working with the U.S. Forest Service to relocate gates where non-snow users are damaging trails. "Federal Forest Service likes to have gates on all their trails that are only for snowmobiling. So we're gonna work through the summer, relocate some gates, and put in new gates and stop that," a trail coordinator said.

Staff also reported progress on Good Neighbor Authority contract work and that trail-project grant applications are being finalized for an April 15 deadline; a detailed report on grant applications will be provided next month.

Why it matters: The recreational-trails resolution enables the county to seek state grant funding for trail maintenance and projects; timber-sale activity and grant applications affect county forest revenue and operations.

What's next: Staff will return with the results of the April 29 timber-sale bid opening and a detailed list of trail-project grant applications at the committee's next meeting.