2009 LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN (Updated Annual Harvest Plan -2014) Itasca County Land Department 1177 LaPrairie Avenue Grand Rapids, MN 55744-3322 218-327-2855 ● Fax: 218-327-4160 LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN Itasca County Land Department Acknowledgements This Land Management Plan was produced by Itasca County Land Department employees Garrett Ous, Dave Marshall, Michael Gibbons, Adam Olson, Bob Scheierl, Roger Clark, Kory Cease, Steve Aysta, Tim Stocker, Perry Leone, Wayne Perreault, Blair Carlson, Loren Eide, Bob Rother, Andrew Brown, Del Inkman, Darlene Brown and Meg Muller. Thank you to all the citizens for their sincere input and review during the public involvement process. And thank you to Itasca County Commissioners Lori Dowling, Karen Burthwick, Rusty Eichorn, Catherine McLynn and Mark Mandich for their vision and final approval of this document. Foreword This land management plan is designed for providing vision and direction to guide strategic and operational programs of the Land Department. That vision and direction reflects a long standing connection with local economic, educational and social programs. The Land Department is committed to ensuring that economic benefits and environmental integrity are available to both present and future generations. That will be accomplished through actively managing county land and forests for a balance of benefits to the citizens and for providing them with a sustained supply of quality products and services. The Department will apply quality forestland stewardship practices, employ modern technology and information, and partner with other forest organizations to provide citizens with those quality products and services. ________________________________ Garrett Ous September, 2009 Itasca County Land Commissioner 1177 LaPrairie Avenue Grand Rapids, MN 55744-3322 218-327-2855 ● Fax: 218-327-4160 ICLD - LMP Section i., page 1 of 3 Itasca County Land Department Land Management Plan Table of Contents i. Title Page & Table of Contents I. Strategic Planning A. Acknowledgements B. Foreword C. Executive Summary D. Theme E. Mission F. Historical Background G. Social and Economic Setting H. Land Ownership I. Biophysical Geography J. Policy Statements and Goals II. Operational Planning A. Forest Management and Prescribed Harvest 1. Introduction 2. Forest Management Mission 3. Forest Management Goals 4. FSC Certification 5. GIS Applications in Strategic & Tactical Planning 6. Forest Inventory Update Protocols 7. Prescribed Annual Allowable Harvest Planning 8. Projected Landscape Cover Type Changes 9. Aspen Cover Type 10. Other Cover Types 11. References 12. Merchantable Cover Type Harvest Schedules B. Integrated Prescriptive Management and Monitoring 1. Integrated Prescriptive Management 2. Monitoring 3. Appendices C. Forest Management Guidelines and Specifications 1. Timber Sales 2. Site Preparation 3. Ground and Aerial Applications of Herbicides ICLD - LMP Section i., page 2 of 3 4. Pesticide Use 5. Timber Stand Improvement 6. Tree Planting D. Non-Timber Resources 1. Gravel and Borrow Sites 2. Non-Timber Forest Resources E. Landscape and Ecological Information 1. Ecological Descriptions and Forest Management Systems 2. Representative Ecosystems on Public Lands in Itasca County 3. Future Condition of Forest Types on Tax Forfeited Lands 4. Forest Habitat Management 5. Description of Pre-settlement Vegetation 6. Old Growth Forest Management 7. Special Management Areas F. County Recreation Management 1. Park and Recreation Resources 2. Off-Highway Vehicle Management G. Real Estate Management 1. Introduction 2. Land Classification 3. Repurchases 4. Land Exchanges 5. Land Sales 6. Partial Interests 7. Leases and Rental Property 8. Road and Trail Easements 9. Utility Easements 10. Applicable Minnesota Statutes 11. Appendix A H. Employee Relations 1. Training and Education Policy 2. Dispute Resolution Process I. Public Consultation Policy 1. General Procedures 2. Procedures for Undivided Interest Parcels 3. Procedures for Incorporating Stakeholder Input J. Stakeholder Comment Evaluations 1. Evaluation of Public Stakeholder Comments 2. Evaluation of Minnesota DNR Comments III. Appendices A. Agricultural Inspector and Weed Laws B. Balsam Bough Harvest Guidelines C. Historical Resources Inventory D. Links to Related Resources 1. Itasca County Links 2. Other Links ICLD - LMP Section i., page 3 of 3 I. Strategic Planning I.A. Strategic Foreword Itasca County is committed to managing county land and forests for the benefit of citizens living in the forest and providing them with a sustained supply of quality products and services. The most recent Strategic Management Plan was originally approved on January 25, 2005. It is being incorporated into the Land Department’s Land Management Plan with some minor reorganization and revisions. The Land Management Plan is designed for providing vision and direction for guiding strategic and tactical programs and projects of the Land Department. That vision and direction reflects a firm connection with local economic, educational and social programs. The Department will apply quality forestland stewardship practices, utilize modern technology and scientific information and partner with other forest organizations to provide citizens with those quality products and services. This Strategic Plan is not a problem solving or issue resolution instrument, both which will be routinely addressed in daily Department operations. I.B. Executive Summary Tax-forfeited land is land reverted to a public trust from private ownership due to non-payment of taxes. Legislation provides that the title is held by the state in trust for the taxing districts (county, schools and townships) with provision for county administration. The Land Department has the primary responsibility of administering the lands and the trust. The Land Commissioner is appointed by the county board and reports directly to that board while at the same time maintains and fulfills responsibilities delegated through MN state statutes. The Land Department manages approximately 300,000 acres of these lands of which 248,000 acres are commercial forestlands that are producing or capable of producing crops of industrial wood. Itasca County also plays an important role in the tourism and recreation industry by providing lands for the public to enter upon for snowmobiling, skiing, OHV use, hunting, fishing, camping, sightseeing, as well as many other recreational pursuits. I.C. Theme Dedicated to Quality Resource Stewardship of our Natural Environment. I.D. Mission The Land Department is committed to ensuring that the economic benefits and environmental integrity of the County’s natural resources are available to both present and future generations. Active land management will provide a balance of benefits that ICLD-LMP Section I., page 1 of 8 include recreational opportunities, quality water, wildlife habitat, timber production, earthen materials, maintenance of ecological integrity as well as a monetary return to the tax forfeited trust. I.E. Historical Background In the late 1800’s, northern Minnesota was an expanse of unharvested timber, with intense and large-scale logging focusing on areas with red and white pine resources. During the early 1900’s and especially into the great depression, many thousands of acres across northern Minnesota became tax delinquent as land owners could not or chose not to pay taxes on their lands. Efforts were made by the state and counties to return this land to private ownership, but tax delinquency rates continued to increase. In 1935 the state legislature provided for forfeiture of delinquent lands, thereby enabling resale of these lands to other parties. After this point in time, roughly 8 million acres of tax forfeited land accumulated throughout the state. In an effort to reduce this accumulation, counties sold thousands of acres over an extended period of time. Unfortunately, tax delinquency and subsequent forfeiture continued at a high level into the 1960’s. A series of legislative actions over the following years provided for the administration of tax forfeited land by the county with the title being retained by the state in trust for the taxing districts (county, school districts, townships). During the 1940’s, the counties in the northern regions of the state began to appoint Land Commissioners, adopt natural resource policy, classify lands and initiate forest management programs. The first Land Commissioner in Itasca County was appointed in 1946. Early forestry efforts centered upon timber sales and land sales, and were soon followed with tree planting programs. During this period many memorial forests were established by the Minnesota counties. Today, two-thirds of all Itasca County managed forest lands are dedicated as County Memorial Forests. Itasca County has approximately 248,000 of 300,000 acres under memorial forest designation. Through the 1960’s and 70’s, counties reduced their large holdings to 2.8 million acres. This included 2.5 million acres of timberland capable of growing trees to a commercial size and were therefore available for active forest management. Today, “the lands nobody wanted” are valued treasures to county citizens and the people of Minnesota. Along with the other northern Minnesota counties, Itasca County continues to provide wise stewardship of these lands by instituting a professional natural resource management program to ensure a healthy, productive and diversified forest to satisfy the needs of the present and future generations to come. I.F. Economic