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Hubbard County, Northern Waters Land Trust pledge closer coordination after heated press coverage
Summary
County leaders and Northern Waters Land Trust officials emphasized a long partnership that has conserved thousands of acres, and agreed to improve early communication after a newspaper article the county said mischaracterized their relationship. Commissioners cited concerns about lost tax capacity when land is conveyed out of the taxable base.
Hubbard County administrators and representatives of Northern Waters Land Trust used the board meeting to reset a tense public narrative and commit to better coordination on land‑conservation transactions.
Administrator Jeff said a recent newspaper account gave an adversarial impression of the relationship that county leaders do not recognize. He said the county’s interest is to be part of conversations—particularly when public funds are involved—about converting taxable parcels to conservation ownership so the county can weigh tax‑capacity impacts. Jeff said he will not place items involving the Land Trust on the board agenda without inviting the Land Trust to participate.
Annie Knight, representing Northern Waters Land Trust, described a multi‑year partnership with Hubbard County that she said has protected roughly 2,800 acres using Outdoor Heritage Fund grants and conveyed many parcels to county ownership with limited cost to the county. “We’ve had a really strong working relationship with Hubbard County especially over the last 3 years,” Knight said, and she welcomed earlier conversations and joint planning to avoid surprise transactions while respecting private‑landowner confidentiality.
Commissioners expressed concern about the county’s lost tax capacity from several recent conservation transactions and asked for better advance notification. One commissioner called for the county to advocate for legislative tools that would give counties a greater voice when public funds are used to convert taxable land. Knight and county staff acknowledged confidentiality constraints for private landowners and said they will work on earlier internal coordination and communication while protecting landowner privacy.
Why it matters: conservation partnerships protect habitat and public lands, but the county said it must balance conservation goals with maintaining a sufficient taxable base to fund local services. Commissioners said they will pursue more proactive communication and, where appropriate, advocacy to ensure counties have a role when public dollars are used in land transactions.
What’s next: county staff and Northern Waters Land Trust will pursue earlier meetings and coordination on potential transactions and the county will discuss options for legislative advocacy through regional county groups.
