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Board postpones forest-acquisition memorandum after DNR loan terms and revenue impacts discussed
Summary
Forestry staff presented a proposal to enroll the 'Duck Egg' property in the Wisconsin County Forest System and seek additional project-loan funding; supervisors questioned a DNR condition shifting payback from 20% to 40% of timber-sale revenue and postponed the item pending appraisal and numbers.
County forestry staff asked the board to consider enrolling the "Duck Egg" property in the Wisconsin County Forest System using a combination of DNR grant funding (50% of acquisition cost) and a project loan. Staff said the DNR has asked counties to move from a 20% timber-sale revenue payback to a 40% share for counties that seek additional project loans.
The financial mechanics drew extended questioning from supervisors who asked about payoff periods and the program's effect on forestry revenue. Staff projected that at a 20% payback the loan would carry a roughly 114-year payback period given current timber-sale volumes, and that shifting to 40% would change that estimate to roughly 60 years; staff also stressed the loan is 0% interest and intended to replenish the state project-loan fund.
Supervisors debated the tradeoffs of preserving land in public holding versus lost timber-sale revenue for the forestry program. Concerns included reduced immediate revenue to forestry operations and constraints attached to stewardship funding (e.g., public recreation requirements that affect allowable improvements). Given missing appraisal numbers and unresolved fiscal detail, the board voted to postpone consideration until the next (October) meeting so staff could return with firm figures.
