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WALKER-Cass County Administrator Joshua Stevenson thinks lack of bids for Cass County's February timber sale was caused by early spring and early road trucking load limits.

The Feb. 23 auction was held two days after Minnesota Department of Transportation started limiting truck axle weights on state roads. Those limits came about a month earlier than usual this year and were issued during an exceptionally warm week, Stevenson said.

The two timber tracts the county did sell likely were for summer logging, while any winter logging this year is about over, he said. There is very little frost in the ground, he added.

Loggers paid $45.49 per cord for aspen and $36.96 for red oak at the February auction, higher rates than most of last year.

The county board Tuesday awarded contracts to three survey companies who submitted the lowest bids to survey seven land tracts the county will offer to loggers for timber cutting rights at future auctions.

Kohout Surveying will survey a tract in Homebrook Township for $5,260, one in May Township for $3,030, one in Loon Lake Township for $2,725 and one in Crooked Lake and Beulah Townships for $20,500.

Northern Engineering and Consulting will survey a site in Becker Township for $4,190.

SMS won the contracts in Poplar Township for $13,467 and in Moose Lake Township for $3,485.

The commissioners also awarded contracts to abate hazardous materials like asbestos and to demolish structures on tax forfeited properties the county plans to sell at future auctions.

DeChantel Excavating will abate materials for $785 at one house in Cass Lake, and Storlie Construction will demolish the house and shed on that property. M&T Excavating will demolish a house trailer and three sheds on another Cass Lake property for $4,675.

Schrupp Excavating won the bid to demolish a trailer house, well and septic system at a Pine River address for $2,800 and a house and shed in Hackensack for $3,500.

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