Crow Wing County Land Services outlines 2026 harvest plan; public hearing to be scheduled for Nov. 25

Land Services presented the countyServices' 2026 timber harvest plan to the Crow Wing County Committee of the Whole on Sept. 16, saying the county's goal for next year is 1,572 acres. Tom Strock, who presented the plan, said the 2026 total rises in part because the county updated its forest resources model in 2025.

The plan breaks out thinning and final-harvest treatments; "about 20% of this" program will be thinning, Strock said. He told commissioners the forest management plan provides a century-long framework, a five-year candidate-stand list narrows options, and the one-year harvest plan distills what the county will offer next season. "Our 2026 goals are 1,572 acres," Strock said.

Why it matters: the harvest plan directs sales the county will advertise and manage, affects adjacent landowners and recreational users, and determines which stands are treated to meet ecological and revenue goals. Strock said foresters perform detailed, on-the-ground examinations before sales are set up; if the field inventory does not match the model the county will defer a sale and try to find a replacement area.

Details and process: Strock said the county's 2025 harvest plan was a planned 1,424 acres and the county set up 1,419 acres for sale, acknowledging small differences because average sales are 30 to 40 acres and field conditions change. He said a forester visits potential sale sites to confirm inventory and to identify reasons to defer a sale, and the county notifies adjacent landowners when it establishes a timber sale. "We post the actual acres of the harvest plan. And then on the interactive map that we have, we actually show these polygons as well so people can get out and take a look and see where we're going," Strock said.

Timelines and sale terms: Strock described permit lengths used by Land Services: summer permits generally run two years with a one-year extension available, and winter timber sales are issued for three years with a one-year extension to allow for variable winter conditions that affect access. He also said the department spaces harvests geographically "so that we're not harvesting one large area in one specific spot," and noted that some final-harvest units sit in swampland and will not be visible from roads.

Advisory review and next steps: Strock confirmed the harvest plan followed the county's established practice of bringing the proposed plan to the Natural Resources Advisory Committee (NRAC) in July, followed by committee-of-the-whole review in September. Pending the committee conversation, Strock said staff would return to the board the following week with a request to set a public hearing for November and then hold a public hearing for public comment.

Action recorded at the meeting: commissioners agreed to place an agenda item next week to set a public hearing for Nov. 25. The chair and commissioners agreed the item could be placed on the consent agenda when it appears next week.

What commissioners asked: Commissioners pressed for local detail maps and asked which polygons represented thinnings versus final harvests. Strock said he could provide maps that separate thinning units from final-harvest units and noted some recent sale sites that had received parking and gate improvements. One commissioner asked whether the county replants after harvests; Strock said many sites regenerate naturally and the county plants conifers on sites that need active replanting.

What was not decided: The board did not adopt the harvest plan at the meeting. The department will return with a public-hearing request and accept public comment at the November hearing before final action.

Ending note: Land Services told the board it conducts field verification before any sale is advertised, notifies adjacent owners, and aims to balance sustainable timber production with spacing of harvests across the county.