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US Forest Service outlines large West Zone aspen project, Day Lake Dam work and road reconstruction plans
Summary
Mike Martin, district ranger for the Great Divide Ranger District, briefed the committee on planned National Forest treatments including the West Zone Aspen project (about 49,000 acres), Day Lake Dam repair work, and reconstruction of Forest Road 164.
Mike Martin, district ranger for the Great Divide Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service, updated the committee on several upcoming and ongoing projects on national forest land that overlap or abut Sawyer County.
Martin said the district had about nine sales on the books and plans to offer three more in the coming weeks, representing roughly 21 million board feet of timber. He highlighted the West Zone Aspen project — a scoping-stage proposal covering about 49,000 acres across three districts (from Bayfield to Medford) to treat older aspen age classes; the project was open for public comment through the 29th of the month.
Martin also reported oak wilt detections in pockets (Maquanico area and along interior forest roads) and said the Forest Service is managing those pockets in coordination with partners.
Regarding infrastructure, Martin said Day Lake Dam (located at the Ashland/Bayfield/Sawyer county boundary) is classified as a high-hazard dam with failed toe drains that must be replaced. He said the plan is to draw down the impoundment next fall, perform earthwork to replace the drains, and then re-impound; the Forest Service is coordinating with Wisconsin DNR fisheries biologists to minimize harm to fish during a controlled drawdown and, if necessary, to relocate fish during the work.
Martin also described plans to reconstruct 11 miles of Forest Road 164 to support natural resource management and said recreation season activity is shifting toward fall trail use.
