The Crow Wing County Board of Commissioners approved the county's 2026 harvest plan on Nov. 25, 2025, following a staff presentation and a public hearing with no public comments.

Tom (Land Services) told the board the one-year harvest plan is drawn from the county's Forest Resources Plan and represents a pool of forest stands being considered for timber sales in 2026. Staff described the field examinations, management prescriptions and timber appraisals that precede any permit being offered for sale and said some stands may be deferred because of size, age, operability or location.

Commissioners asked about outreach to adjoining landowners and how close timber sales come to property lines. Tom said adjoining owners receive a property letter once a sale has been prepared and that staff generally leave a 6-to-12-foot buffer from the property line because county staff use survey-grade equipment but are not registered surveyors; surveyors will be retained when precise boundaries are needed.

With no members of the public speaking during the hearing, Commissioner Franzen moved to close the public hearing and later moved to approve the harvest plan; both motions carried on roll-call votes with all commissioners voting aye.

The board's approval authorizes Land Services to continue preparing timber sales identified in the 2026 plan; individual sales will follow the county's existing permitting and appraisal process, including any required additional field work, public notices and, where necessary, survey verification.