I. Strategic Planning I.A. Strategic Foreword Itasca County is committed to managing county land and forests for the benefit of citizens living in the forest and providing them with a sustained supply of quality products and services. The most recent Strategic Management Plan was originally approved on January 25, 2005. It is being incorporated into the Land Department s Land Management Plan with some minor reorganization and revisions. The Land Management Plan is designed for providing vision and direction for guiding strategic and tactical programs and projects of the Land Department. That vision and direction reflects a firm connection with local economic, educational and social programs. The Department will apply quality forestland stewardship practices, utilize modern technology and scientific information and partner with other forest organizations to provide citizens with those quality products and services. This Strategic Plan is not a problem solving or issue resolution instrument, both which will be routinely addressed in daily Department operations. I.B. Executive Summary Tax-forfeited land is land reverted to a public trust from private ownership due to non-payment of taxes. Legislation provides that the title is held by the state in trust for the taxing districts (county, schools and townships) with provision for county administration. The Land Department has the primary responsibility of administering the lands and the trust. The Land Commissioner is appointed by the county board and reports directly to that board while at the same time maintains and fulfills responsibilities delegated through MN state statutes. The Land Department manages approximately 300,000 acres of these lands of which 248,000 acres are commercial forestlands that are producing or capable of producing crops of industrial wood. Itasca County also plays an important role in the tourism and recreation industry by providing lands for the public to enter upon for snowmobiling, skiing, OHV use, hunting, fishing, camping, sightseeing, as well as many other recreational pursuits. I.C. Theme Dedicated to Quality Resource Stewardship of our Natural Environment. I.D. Mission The Land Department is committed to ensuring that the economic benefits and environmental integrity of the County s natural resources are available to both present and future generations. Active land management will provide a balance of benefits that ICLD-LMP Section I., page 1 of 8
include recreational opportunities, quality water, wildlife habitat, timber production, earthen materials, maintenance of ecological integrity as well as a monetary return to the tax forfeited trust. I.E. Historical Background In the late 1800 s, northern Minnesota was an expanse of unharvested timber, with intense and large-scale logging focusing on areas with red and white pine resources. During the early 1900 s and especially into the great depression, many thousands of acres across northern Minnesota became tax delinquent as land owners could not or chose not to pay taxes on their lands. Efforts were made by the state and counties to return this land to private ownership, but tax delinquency rates continued to increase. In 1935 the state legislature provided for forfeiture of delinquent lands, thereby enabling resale of these lands to other parties. After this point in time, roughly 8 million acres of tax forfeited land accumulated throughout the state. In an effort to reduce this accumulation, counties sold thousands of acres over an extended period of time. Unfortunately, tax delinquency and subsequent forfeiture continued at a high level into the 1960 s. A series of legislative actions over the following years provided for the administration of tax forfeited land by the county with the title being retained by the state in trust for the taxing districts (county, school districts, townships). During the 1940 s, the counties in the northern regions of the state began to appoint Land Commissioners, adopt natural resource policy, classify lands and initiate forest management programs. The first Land Commissioner in Itasca County was appointed in 1946. Early forestry efforts centered upon timber sales and land sales, and were soon followed with tree planting programs. During this period many memorial forests were established by the Minnesota counties. Today, two-thirds of all Itasca County managed forest lands are dedicated as County Memorial Forests. Itasca County has approximately 248,000 of 300,000 acres under memorial forest designation. Through the 1960 s and 70 s, counties reduced their large holdings to 2.8 million acres. This included 2.5 million acres of timberland capable of growing trees to a commercial size and were therefore available for active forest management. Today, the lands nobody wanted are valued treasures to county citizens and the people of Minnesota. Along with the other northern Minnesota counties, Itasca County continues to provide wise stewardship of these lands by instituting a professional natural resource management program to ensure a healthy, productive and diversified forest to satisfy the needs of the present and future generations to come. I.F. Economic and Social Setting Itasca County is located in north central Minnesota, 180 miles north of the Minnesota state capital of St. Paul (Figure F.1). Itasca County is part of the Arrowhead Region, so called because of its pointed shape, encompassing the northeastern portion of Minnesota. This area is predominately a rural region including Carlton, Cook, Lake, St. Louis, Itasca, Koochiching and Aitkin Counties. This region is quite rugged and is dotted with thousands of lakes and mixed forests. The Arrowhead Region is home to Voyageurs National Park, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Superior National Forest, ICLD-LMP Section I., page 2 of 8
Figure F.1 portions of the Chippewa National Forest, along with numerous state and county forests. For these reasons the economy is heavily dependent on the tourism and timber industries. The larger cities found in the Arrowhead Region are Duluth, Hibbing, Cloquet, Virginia, Grand Rapids, and International Falls. Itasca County s local economy is directly tied to the timber industry. Businesses across the county are involved with the various sections of the timber industry; such as processing raw materials, supplying reforestation needs, manufacturing primary and secondary wood products. Statewide forestry is the fourth largest industry, contributing $7.5 billion to the states economy. Using economic multipliers, it is estimated that the economic contribution of all Itasca County Land Department sales to the county economy is about $20 million annually. ICLD-LMP Section I., page 3 of 8
Another primary industry of the Arrowhead Region and eastern Itasca County is iron ore mining. Taconite is mined from the Mesabi Iron Range, transported by train to Duluth or Two Harbors and shipped across the Great Lakes to major port cities like Chicago, Cleveland or Detroit. Iron ore and taconite mining operations on the Mesabi Iron Range are found in the eastern portion of Itasca County. Mining operations have traditionally endured many cycles in the economy, but recent demand for steel worldwide has increased and created new mining opportunities within the County. Agriculture in the current economy of Itasca County is generally limited to smaller family farms in the region and has declined in the past 30-40 years. Although the prevalence of agriculture in the County has declined, it is still an important element to the overall economy of Itasca County. The tourism industry continues to grow in Itasca County, and is a critical part of Itasca County s economy. With over 1,000 lakes in the County, it is a common fishing, camping, and resort destination. There are abundant public trail networks in the County for snowmobiles, ATVs, hikers and cross country skiers. Lake homes and cabins are common throughout the county and help support the local service industry and associated businesses. Hunting and trapping have also been a traditional activities in the area with significant impact on the local economy., Along with state, federal and private industrial lands, tax forfeited lands are open to the public for hunting or wildlife viewing. Management of these lands is critical to provide a wide variety of forest types and age classes for hunting or wildlife viewing opportunities. I.G. Land Ownership Itasca County administers about 17 percent of the land area in the county. Tax forfeited lands are scattered across the county with areas of concentration found in the northern, eastern and southern portions of Itasca County. Public ownership in the County is about 52 percent and is divided about equally between Federal, State and County agencies (Table G.1). Private land ownership totals roughly 45 percent of the land base in Itasca County. This includes private non-industrial lands which comprise 30 percent of ownership in the County, and private industrial lands which comprise roughly 15 percent. Private industrial lands are owned primarily by the timber and mining sectors of the economy. I.H. Biophysical Geography: There are seven biophysical regions that occur in Itasca County. The biophysical regions for Itasca County are based on unique combinations of geology and climate. Geologic properties include glacial lobe, glacial landforms and inherent features of glacial deposits. Sources of information for geology include published information and field observations. Climatic properties include precipitation and temperature and are summarized by annual and seasonal patterns and geographic distribution of those patterns. All information for climate is from records provided by certified weather stations throughout Itasca County and adjacent areas. ICLD-LMP Section I., page 4 of 8
Table G.1 Itasca County Land Ownership - 2008 Private Non- Industrial, 30.41% Leech Lake Tribe, 0.50% State of Minnesota, 18.44% Other, 2.01% Industrial Lands, 14.28% Federal, 17.05% Tax Forfeit, 17.33% Biophysical regions are linked to a hierarchical land classification system having multiple levels and are designed to meet requirements of strategic, tactical and project planning. They are part of the Laurentian Mixed Forest Province which covers the north and eastern portions of Minnesota. Biophysical regions are designed primarily for strategic planning and for organization of biophysical information of higher resolution. Biophysical region information reveals that Itasca County has great potential for producing a range of high quality forest products with high sustainable yield potential. That region information also depicts a multitude of opportunities for all season recreation in a forest-lake landscape. In contrast, farming is seriously limited by large distance to markets and an unfavorable climate even though nutrient-rich soils are common in a major portion of the County. The seven biophysical regions within Itasca County are used in the Land Department s strategic and operational planning. A county-wide map and additional detailed information for each biophysical region is found in section II.E.1. ( Ecological Descriptions and Forest Management Systems ) of this plan or can be obtained from the Land Department. A general description for the geographical distribution of the biophysical regions in Itasca County is as follows. 1) The Bigfork-Cook Plain biophysical region contains nearly 380,000 acres in the county and is located in the northern part of the county. 2) The Laurentian Upland North region contains approximately 241,000 acres and is located in northeastern portion of the county. 3) The Laurentian Upland South region contains 159,000 acres and is located south of the Iron Range and population centers are typical Iron Range cities and towns. 4) The Mesabi Range region is limited to the eastern portion of the county which contains rich deposits and a long history of mining iron ore, ICLD-LMP Section I., page 5 of 8
and it has limited forest resources. 5) The Wawina-Hibbing Plain region contains approximately 156,000 acres and is located in east central and southeast portions of the county. 6) The Grand Rapids Upland region occupies approximately 432,000 acres and is located in the central portions of the county. 7) The Cut-foot Sioux Upland region occupies nearly 462,000 acres in western and northwestern portions of the county. I.I. Policy Statements and Goals The policy statements provide a framework of standards the department head follows in making supervisory and managerial decisions. A goal is a more specific action against which the effectiveness of any policy can be measured. An objective is a more detailed means to achieve a goal. Objective level information is not covered in this document. I.(1.) Maintain ecological integrity through quality resource stewardship of our natural environment. a. Maintain an Integrated Resource Information System (IRIS) that provides a comprehensive, systematic approach to the management of natural resources from a base of quality, selected information sources. b. Produce quality forest products and services within identified sustainable biophysical capacity of the County forest. c. Prepare techniques for improving effectiveness of evaluating the capacity of forestland for supporting equipment traffic that will minimize adverse impacts and maintain sustainable productivity of quality products. d. Utilize native plants for producing quality goods and services. e. Continue to apply silvicultural practices that provide high quality water from forest environment. f. Recognize and manage selected natural resources in special management areas. g. Develop detailed forest management handbooks for managing species, issues or activities. h. Attain and maintain recognized 3 rd party forest certification for county forest lands. I.(2.) Provide visitors and the citizens of Itasca County with a variety of quality park and recreation opportunities. a. Manage developed recreation under the Park System program. b. Manage undeveloped recreation under the forest management program. c. Provide public access to and public use of the County forest. d. Coordinate with other landowners to provide managed OHV recreational opportunities. e. Participate with other landowners in providing hunters with access to forestland and opportunities for quality upland bird and big game hunting. f. Enhance quality of scenic corridors by applying silviculture practices appropriate for increasing seasonal variety of colors of native plants. I.(3.) Maintain a forest road and trail system in Itasca County that provides a variety of access for citizens and reduces the threat of wildfire. a. Administer Ordinance for Management and Control of Recreational Vehicles. ICLD-LMP Section I., page 6 of 8
b. Provide for managed OHV travel for commercial purposes. c. Provide and obtain easements, licenses, leases and permits to manage access to private land, pubic land and public water. I.(4.) Provide quality wildlife habitat for game and non-game species through forest management activities. a. Consideration for wildlife habitat features such as seasonal food, thermal cover, cover for nesting and brooding, shelter from predators and contiguous travel lanes will be analyzed and evaluated during preparation of prescriptions. I.(5.) Manage timber resource to produce industrial crops of wood. a. Increase potential productivity of County forest by selecting prime quality parent stock for natural regeneration and for collecting seed for regenerating new forest. b. Maintain a timber inventory system that produces an annual update of growing stock information necessary to carry out intensive forest management plans. c. Provide a forest composition that is firmly connected to sustained biophysical capacity, potential productivity, and that integrates the needs of local consumers of wood products. d. Improve mixture of timber types, composition of stands and age class distribution of commercial trees. I.(6.) Implement integrated prescriptive management and monitoring program. a. Monitoring and evaluating compliance with performance standards is an integral part of integrated prescriptive management. b. Establish and maintain permanent plots for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating dynamics of forest growth and yield, plant community structure and their response to proactive prescriptive management. I.(7.) Manage tax forfeited trust on enterprise principles. a. Participate in supporting local business by making available from County forest timely quality forest products. b. Purchase to the greatest extent possible equipment, services, supplies and materials from local businesses provided they are competitively priced and of acceptable quality. c. Provide a monetary return to the tax-forfeited trust. d. Improve efficiency of Department land management programs, projects and field operations by managing ownership through land sale, exchange and acquisition opportunities. I.(8.) Administer Real Estate Management program to further the public interest through land sale, exchange and acquisition opportunities. a. Decisions about tax-forfeited land sales are made on a case by case basis, in the context of MS 282 and meeting the county s need for economic development and environmental protection. b. Maintain a land classification committee for evaluation of land sale opportunities. I.(9.) Partner, educate and coordinate with individuals and organizations to provide citizens with quality forest products and services. ICLD-LMP Section I., page 7 of 8
a. Continue to encourage cooperative scientific research and development of new information necessary for sustained quality land stewardship with professionals qualified to conduct studies in a complex forest environment and that is applicable to the County forest and adjoining ownerships. b. Coordinate land management activities with private and public landowners in and adjoining Itasca County. c. Coordinate land management activities and seek input from Leech Lake and Bois Forte tribal representatives, while recognizing their legal and customary treaty rights. d. Provide professional development opportunities to increase occupant skills of staff through appropriate training sessions and practical experiences. e. Provide land management leadership in the county and statewide where appropriate. f. Provide students of Itasca County school system and citizens with opportunities for learning about the management and stewardship of the quality forest environment for which Itasca County is known. I.(10.) Provide earthen materials in support of expansion and maintenance of transportation system in Itasca County. a. Develop extractive use guidelines. b. Manage earthen materials in balance with multiple-use management of forest land. I.(11.) Control invasive species to the extent practical with available financial and human resources. a. Develop noxious weed control program and manual. I.(12.) To reduce dependence on foreign sources of fuel, develop pilot projects and a management program for producing biofuels for local consumption. a. Recognize that carbon storage and sequestration is an important public value and service of the County forest. ICLD-LMP Section I., page 8 of 8