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FEDERAL DAM - Largely due to the sale in 2012 of $750,175 worth of county administered non-conservation land, Cass' 2012 income from land and timber sales was higher than in recent years.

That revenue will be distributed in 2013 to the county's reforestation and recreational funds and to cities, townships and school districts where the sales took place.

Land Commissioner Joshua Stevenson obtained county board approval Tuesday to increase the percentage paid from 15 to 25 percent for reforestation and from 10 to 15 percent for recreational areas maintenance, compared with the 2012 distribution.

The total was enough higher than revenue generated in 2011 that cities, towns and schools also will receive an increased dollar amount this year, Stevenson said.

The board Tuesday authorized the land department to sign 2013 hay stumpage leases in May Township with Larry Converse for $27, in Poplar Township with Robert Frie for $200, in McKinley Township with Rodney Aker for $30 and in Smokey Hollow Township with Terry Mejdrich for $25.

Hay leases offered in Boy River and Gould Townships did not sell.

Stevenson said these tracts will not be offered for lease in the future.

The board approved sending a letter to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers asking that the corps take action to prevent boats from launching into Leech Lake at the corps' Federal Dam launch site without first checking to be sure that none of the boats are carrying aquatic invasive species, with a special focus on zebra mussels.

Letters supporting boat inspections and decontamination at this site also have been sent from the Association of Cass County Lakes and Leech Lake Association.

Cass commissioners Tuesday tabled a proposed land exchange between the county and state. It would have transferred ownership from the state to the county of an acreage called Camp Lake in Trelipe Township.

The Camp Lake area was originally Potlatch property, which the Nature Conservancy purchased, then transferred to the state, Stevenson said.

Cass halted the land exchange concept at this time, because Bungo Township objected to having land in that town traded from county to state ownership to offset the county obtaining the Camp Lake property.

Bungo officials indicated they prefer to have the land in that town county managed, because Bungo officials believe the county manages land better and communicates with citizens better than the state, Stevenson reported.

Stevenson said the county is still open to managing the Camp Lake acreage in behalf of the state, should the state decide that is legally allowed and in the states' interest.

Second publication rights after Brainerd Dispatch.

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