June 10, 2021 at 1:12 p.m.
County hearings set to discuss possible revisions to Soo Line Trail ordinance
Land Commissioner Joshua Stevenson said Cass and other counties along the trail are attempting to update their ordinances to make all regulations along the trail uniform. The counties also hope to jointly purchase signs to make those uniform as well, he said.
The trail runs in Cass County from a point between Cass Lake and Bena on Highway 2 south through Remer to a point south of Highway 200 where it enters Aitkin County. Cass's original ordinance was passed in 1988.[[In-content Ad]]The trail is open to snowmobiles in winter and all terrain vehicles in summer. Stevenson said the existing ordinance has not kept pace with advances in ATV manufacture. The revised ordinance will reference state definitions for ATVs, so as state laws change to keep pace with innovations, the county ordinances will automatically follow the state changes.
The Cass County Board approved policies for setting land values Tuesday. The market value for tax forfeit parcels offered for sale to a private party with a potential conflict of interest will be obtained from a third party.
The county will offer tax forfeit land at market value rate when being offered for sale, whether to a private party or a local unit of government. The land commissioner will be authorized to offer credit for some or all costs of obtaining certificates of surveys against land purchases.
Stevenson reported the county sold $263,871.31 worth of timber from county lands in July. The largest volumes sold by timber species were 5,678 cords of aspen at $23.81 per cord, 2,289 cords of red oak at $29.99 per cord and 1,852 cords of birch at $16.15 per cord.
Now that the highest volume of prime age aspen timber on county lands has been logged and markets for that diminished, Cass has begun shifting toward offering more acreage of other hardwood species in county sales.
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