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Crow Wing County authorizes special timber auction to salvage burned red pine
Summary
The board authorized a special June 1, 2026 timber auction to salvage red pine damaged in the Flanders Lake fire: staff identified eight timber sales on about 868 acres and estimated roughly 25,000 cords of salvageable wood, with immediate value reduced to about $370,000 from a standing value estimated at $4.6 million.
Crow Wing County Land Services staff asked the board to authorize a special timber auction on June 1, 2026, to salvage red pine damaged in the Flanders Lake wildfire. The board voted to authorize the auction during the emergency session.
The presenter (identified in the meeting as Tom) said staff had mapped eight distinct timber sales across approximately 868 acres of county fee and tax-forfeited property and estimated roughly 25,000 cords of damaged wood. "The current value of that wood as it stands today is about $370,000," the presenter said, adding that because the trees burned their marketable value is a fraction of what mature standing timber would have been. He said holding the timber until maturity would have represented about $4,600,000 in value.
Staff said the salvage program aims to remove severely damaged trees to reduce beetle-outbreak risk, recover some value for county land accounts, and clear hazard trees for public safety. The presenter outlined plans to stack and burn unusable material safely in winter, then return in spring 2027 to replant red pine wherever feasible, continuing additional planting in 2028.
Land Services staff and commissioners discussed traffic and operational impacts if salvage sells at scale: the presenter estimated between 1,000 and 2,500 logging truck loads could move out of the area if everything sells, and said coordination with local mills and loggers was underway. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about which parcels were county-managed versus private or DNR-managed; the presenter clarified the map colors used to show property ownership.
The board approved the request after a motion, with roll-call votes recorded in favor. The authorization permits staff to proceed with the special auction process and related salvage operations, with subsequent operations subject to county procurement and timber-sale rules.
Next steps include finalizing sale plats, coordinating haul routes with highway staff to minimize pavement impacts, and scheduling sale logistics for the June auction.
