Conservation staff reports tree sale, scholarships and dam maintenance plans

Jay Evans, conservation and zoning staff, updated the committee on a range of operational and outreach items, including a public tree sale, scholarship funding and dam maintenance work.

Evans said the county’s tree sale will run the second weekend in May and that available species include “sugar maples, white cedar, and red oaks.” He reported that the county’s AIS coordinator attended a meeting in “Manatouche Waters” and that the county received funding from SCOPE to award scholarships that will allow up to 10 Sawyer County students to attend conservation camps.

On operations, Evans said conservation staff have begun spring dam checks after snowmelt and are updating maintenance and operations plans, including emergency contacts. He told the committee that road bans remain in effect but are expected to come off in the next few weeks depending on weather and that state law requires they be lifted by April.

When Committee member Mr Newman asked about the status of the Price Dam on Lake Winter, Evans described a troubleshooting plan: use a specialized crane to operate the functioning gate in manual mode, measure the tension required to lift it, then compare that tension to the nonfunctional gate. If the nonfunctional gate requires higher tension, the problem may be pinching caused by a shifting wing wall; if tensions match, the lifting mechanism may be the fault.

The committee had no further questions. The report covered routine seasonal maintenance and outreach; staff did not present funding amounts beyond the scholarship headcount and no formal actions were taken on these items during open session.