The Monthly Meeting of the Rusk County Land and Forestry Committee Was Called to Order

The monthly meeting of the Rusk County Land and Forestry Committee was called to order Monday, November 12, 2007. Present from the committee were, Gene DuSell, Roger Svoma, Phil Schneider, Jim Platteter. Absent from the committee was Tony Hauser. Also present were: Paul Teska, County Forest Administrator; Wayne Tappon, DNR Forester; Dana Goin, ATV Club President; Roman Antczak, Weyerhaeuser Snowmobile Club; Art Kunstmann, Watershed Manager. Jerry Carow – WRA; Tony McKinney – Dairyland Power. From the public were Don Mansky and Daryl Kinnear.

Minutes, correct Contract # 2177 it should be #2277, motion to approve the minutes with the correction by Svoma, 2nd by Schneider, carried.

Motion to adjust the agenda as necessary by Schneider, 2nd by Svoma, carried.

Weyerhaeuser Snowmobile Club - Romie Antczak appeared representing the Club. 2 issues. Several years back their shelter was heavily vandalized, and the County Insurance Deductible was $2,000.00 so the club had to absorb all the costs to repair the building. If it gets vandalized again, the club cannot keep paying the repairs and would like the county to look at their deductible. On Trail # 133 there was heavy damage to their trail this spring. One person was caught, ticketed and was going to fix the trail damage. The person did not do a good job fixing the trail. The club had to go in and use their funds of over $2,800.00 to fix this trail. Antczak wants it to be on record that the club cannot continue to fix damage with their funding. Teska said he would check to see if we can send the person a bill. A lot of people use this trail, hunters, bikers, etc., and a large majority their club funding is going to repairing their trails and making it hard for the club to make ends meet. No-one else is helping the club financially. Isn’t there funding available from other sources. Teska stated that he will find out if the insurance costs if the club insures their building is an eligible cost for maintenance. Rusk County does not have funding set aside to repair snowmobile trail damage. Teska agreed that it is not right that snowmobile funds have to keep paying for trail damage done by ATV’s and Pick-ups. This is the first time the committee has received a formal complaint from the snowmobile club. Schneider stated that we should check with our Insurance Carrier to see if we can get a separate rider for the buildings. Platteter reported that the deductible is going up to $10,000.00.

ATV Damage – Svoma reported that when the committee was on their summer tour, they noticed some sensitive damaged areas. We need to have a method for dealing with damage. Should we post these areas as off limits and hope the conservation officers can catch some of the people doing damage and then have the necessary things in the ordinance to go after the people that are doing the damage. Other than just issuing a ticket, have other things in place requiring fixing the damage, or paying the costs to repair the damages. Teska stated that our policy right now is that ATV’s can be anywhere on the county forest unless it is posted to no motorized vehicle traffic. If we want to close a specific area we have to change the ordinance and sign it properly. Teska stated that in Sawyer County if a road is gated or bermed it is closed automatically.

Kinnear stated that instead of taking steps to close the roads, why don’t we take steps to go after the guys that do the damage? If we find these people that are tearing things up then we should fine them. Make the ordinance and enforce it to people causing damage to county property. What he is hearing is that all the county can do is shut areas down, and what it seems to amount to is total closure. If a certain area is closed, then the people will find another area.

Teska stated that years ago they tried to prosecute someone whom he had caught and the DA would not because he said we had to prove intent to do damage. If an area in the ordinance states that an area is closed and someone is caught in it, then we can prosecute. Dana Goin said that if someone gets ticketed, where does the ticket money go? Could something be put in the ordinance to go for repairs? Feels that maybe the ATV dealers should be educating people that buy ATV’s There are unfortunately people that don’t care about the damage they cause and the only way it might deter them is if they get slapped with large fines and made to pay for repairs. Are ATV users willing to give some on time of year restrictions or are they against on not doing any further type of restrictions? Feels the only way to help is to start restricting time of use. The only way he could see total closure working is by having a network of trails for ATV’s to use. They are always looking for play areas. Then open the forest for hunting season. Now people are coming down from the north and they have no destination areas to go to. Said that if the county would have 100 miles of ATV woods trails with routes would help.

Tappon stated that ATV people need to get pro-active and propose changes that would give some type of limitation for protection. There are so many things that could be done to help protect the forest if the users would sit down and find ways. If the DNR has to make the regulations they will come down hard and there will be many restrictions. State lands are very restrictive and that is the direction they may force those strict policies on all county lands. If we try to do something now it will show the state that we are trying to fix the problems, if we ignore the damage and problems, eventually the state will step in and the restrictions will be many. We also need to educate the public as to the rules and regulations and areas of use more. Many people say they do not know where the areas are that they can and cannot ride. It is very important that we start showing that we are doing something to address the problem because if not, it will be done for us by the state.

Platteter stated that we need to put together a better ordinance and really have effective policies that minimize the problems and damage. Feels that the time of year closures don’t necessarily help. We are having a very wet fall and it would have been good if the forest could have been closed now as there is a lot of damage occurring because it is so wet in the blue hills.

Kunstmann stated that Chippewa County has ATV Routes that can be run and those are the only places. They had a 1 year grace period in which people were not given citations while they were educating the public. Rusk County is the only county that is wide open. We have an ATV Trail and cannot see why the rest of the county forest cannot be shut down except during hunting season. Since the surrounding counties have strict regulations many ATV users come into Rusk County and go everywhere and don’t even think of the damage.

Mansky would like to see more signing.

Svoma stated that we are not getting anything accomplished so we should table this for now and move on. Wants to try to protect sensitive areas and now this is turning county wide.

Teska stated that this has been happening for several years and then we bring it up every once in a while and then it gets put on the back burner. Teska has shown the committee damage to trails for many years while taking their summer tours. Schneider would like to invite Corp. Council to come to the next meeting and ask what advice he can give and what we can put into our ordinance. New Proposed ATV Trail – Dana Goin - Dana presented a map and cost estimates to the committee of a proposed ATV Trail. Feels we really need to have destinations for people to go to. Put bridges over the streams to stop damage there, build trails that are made for ATV traffic. This proposed ATV trail was given to the committee last year, but it was tabled. Now they would like to try again this year. It takes a year to get the funding. He has contacted many of the townships and they are willing to open up their roads to allow for ATV routes. Everything is in place other than the Forestry giving permission to put the paperwork through to apply for funding. Teska would like to get cost estimates from the Highway Dept. on per mile. Dana estimated $14,000.00/mile. We have not heard anything on the railroad grade so Teska is not against the new ATV trail. He is not in favor of the campground. Goin stated that the county needs more designated trails to keep ATV users staying on the trails and having destinations that they are going to which would help prevent damage and build enough trails that we can control the damage that is occurring. Application is due to the State by April 15, 2008. This committee can make application for funds. The project application does not have to go to County Board. Platteter has a problem with ATV’s using county roads. Schneider asked if the current ATV trail has helped deter the damage to the Blue Hills because he does not see that damage has lessened. The ATV club had made the offer that they would talk to people, police the areas and he wants to know what has been done. Goin stated that they did produce a map stating dates of closures, listings of fines, points out areas not closed to vehicle traffic. Feels that they have helped but also asks if the county has done anything more to get information out. Committee instructed Goin to go to Hwy Committee to find out if a certain portion of Hwy F will be open for an ATV route. Goin would like to see 8 remote campsites so ATV users can drive their ATV right up to the camping area. People like to be able to ride their ATV’s right up to their campsites. Discussion held on campsites. Teska will check the cost estimates with the Highway Dept. Bring this back to the December Meeting.

11:00 A.M., motion to close the timber sale bidding, by Schneider, 2nd by Platteter, carried.

Tract # 2-07: Doug Thorp $ 29,140.00 Robert Soltis $ 29,830.00 Motion to accept the high bid by Robert Soltis, 2nd by Jim Platteter, carried.

Timber Sale Contracts Closeouts - Contract # 2174 Mike Olson, close out and cancel the Letter of Credit. Contract # 2176 Earl Flora, close out and cancel the Letter of Credit. Motion by Schneider to close out the above 2 contracts and cancel their letters of credit. 2nd by Svoma, carried.

Dairyland Flowage boat landings, Josie Creek Park, Community Park – Jerry Carow/WRA, Tony McKinney, Dairyland Power. Jerry presented a cost estimate worksheet and stated that they would like to take $75,000.00 in county money (Power Line Funds) which was committed to the Flowage Project and accomplish a big project. Dairyland Power has committed $40,000.00 for the Community Park and North Boat Landing. Would also like to black top the entire parking lot. Do the bathrooms at Josie Creek Park if RBF funds would pay for half. Teska stated that the RBF grant would not pay for the bathrooms. Would back-top from Hwy X to the lake and including the shooting range hill and the parking lot at the lake. RBF Grant would pay for ½ of the parking lot. Community Park – do the bathrooms, black-top the parking lot and also Park Rd to Old 8 and Old 8 to Highway 8. RBF grant could also cover half of the loop for black-top. North Boat Landing – Parking lot construction, black- top the landing and the parking lot. Schneider has a problem with the county paying to black top town roads. Carow stated that we can justify committing to the repairs at the lake but the economic benefit to everyone with the roads being repaired. Platteter said he would like to see Community turned into a nice park. Discussion held. Schneider is not in support of this because they are still waiting for the Highway Dept. to finish the Highway “D” project to be completed. Not going to support any project involving the Highway Dept until they finish the D project. Svoma made the motion to approve the project and present it to the Finance Committee and then on to the County Board, 2nd by Platteter, carried.

A letter was received by Michael Isham from the public commending Carol on being very helpful and cordial on the phone when he called to inquire about camping permits. Teska gave the committee a copy of the letter and they made note of it and thanked Carol.

Northwest Properties Land for sale in the Town of Wilson. They purchased the Goodman Lumber Land. Discussion held. Teska to bring this item back next month.

Forestry Dept. Vehicles – Teska reported that we can get rid of one of our Forestry Vehicles now that we have the new 2008 Ford Pick-up. Committee agreed to sell the Ford 2 X 4 F150 131,000 miles on a 1996 Truck. Teska to go to Property Committee to get rid of this.

Access Permits: Cedar Rapids, Section 25 – Bruce Petit for Kretz Lumber/Crazy Horse Timber would like an access permit to the land in the Town of Cedar Rapids for timber cutting purposes and under frozen ground conditions. Motion to grant this permit by Schneider, 2nd by Platteter, carried.

Motion to approve the 50 cent/acre motion and present to county board by Platteter, 2nd by Svoma, carried.

Motion to approve and present to County Board the 2008 County Forestry Work Plan, 2nd by Schneider, carried.

Bucks Lake Dam has been completed. They Hwy Dept. heard back from DOT on the guardrail and they say that the county does NOT need one.

Motion to approve the bills by Schneider, 2nd by Svoma, carried.

Motion to adjourn at 12:15 P.M. by Platteter, 2nd by Schneider, carried.