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County staff to advertise six timber sales covering roughly 385 acres; bids expected in spring
Summary
Polk County staff outlined six timber sales (four in Sterling, two in McKinley) covering about 385 acres with a combined minimum appraised value of $255,700; the committee was briefed on the sale maps, bid timeline and next steps for award and contracting.
Polk County staff briefed the Environmental Services Committee on the 2025 timber-sale program: six sales (four in the Town of Sterling and two in the Town of McKinley) totaling roughly 385 acres will be advertised for bids. Staff described the species mix and sale types — Red Pine, Jack Pine, Aspen and mixed hardwoods, with separate sales grouped by town — and said the minimum appraised value across the six sales is $255,700.
Staff said they will distribute sale maps and bid sheets to timber vendors, place legal notices in the newspaper and post the packages online; the DNR typically shares the listings as well. The bid period will run for about a month; staff tentatively scheduled a bid opening in mid-April and said awards will be brought to the committee (or the committee’s committee meeting) for approval immediately following the bid opening, with the likely award window spanning April–May depending on weather and access conditions.
Staff warned that snow and wet conditions can limit contractor access on some McKinley sales; those lots may require additional traversing from parking areas. In several cases, staff said, loggers will build or improve access roads and that timber purchasers will generally be expected to perform road work as part of contracts. Landowner outreach was minimal: staff said seven adjacent landowner notification letters were mailed for early-December harvests and that staff had not received phone calls or written objections related to those mailings.
If the committee approves the successful bidders after the opening, staff will prepare timber-sale contracts for signature; staff said the committee does not need a motion to advertise the sales. The committee did not take a formal vote on the timber-sales briefing because the item was informational; formal award motions will appear after the bid opening.
Ending: Staff asked committee members to direct any questions after the meeting to the forestry office; landowner letters and sale packets will be added to the meeting packet and made available with the minutes.
