Cass County Board: Prices down, expenses up for Cass County timber sales

   BACKUS— Timber sales were slightly lower in 2021 with aspen continuing to be the highest timber sold. Land Commissioner Kirk Titus presented the timber sale information during his annual report Tuesday, April 19, to the Cass County Board of Commissioners.

   In 2021, 31,689 cords of aspen were sold at an average of $34.25 per cord, for a total of $1,174,535. The price per cord was down approximately $1.50 from 2020. The second highest timber sold was 10,176 cords of red oak for a total price of $443,289, an average of $30.33 per cord, down about $5 per cord. Birch was the third highest timber sold, with 3,881 cords being sold for a total of $75,796 at an average price of $19.16 per cord, down approximately $1.25 per cord. The total of all timber and pulp sales in 2021 was $2,232,894. Titus also mentioned that expenses overall were up 2%approximately.

   The county acquired three separate parcels through various grants. The first was a  Conservation Partners Legacy Grant in the amount of 27 acres in Section 21 of Crooked Lake Township, being surrounded by public land on all four sides. The second was a Conservation Fund donation of 440 acres of Potlatch forest land in Pine River, Poplar and Becker Township funded by a multi-county Lessard grant. Finally through another Lessard grant, the Northern Waters Land Trust donated 18 acres to the county on Lake George, which is surrounded by county land and will protect 1,450 feet of shoreline.

   Titus reported the Land Department completed a total of nine survey projects during 2021 for a total of 6.9 miles. Also during 2021, the Land Department held one public tax-forfeited land auction and sold unsold parcels from previous land sales over-the-counter on a first come, first served basis. A total of 57 parcels were sold for a total of $1.17 million of revenue. Parcels continue to be available over-the-counter year-around and another land sale auction will be held this summer with new parcels available for purchase.

   In the reforestation efforts the land department planted 37,080 trees on 48 acres during the spring of 2021 with another 178 acres being site prepped for planting in the spring of 2022. A total of 235 acres were bud capped in the fall of 2021 to help prevent deer browse and 40 acres were brush controlled through herbicide or hand release.

   Titus also mentioned that a revised Forest Resources Management Plan was approved by the board in January 2021 and covers the use and management of the roughly 255,000 acres of tax-forfeited lands in Cass County.

   For the complete Land Department Annual Report go to www.co.cass.mn.us.