By Joe Morey News Editor
Four timber cuts were approved by the LCO Tribal Governing Board (TGB) at their meeting on Monday, July 15. The cuts were proposed by Futurewood Corporation, who the tribe entered into a contract with two years ago to do timber cutting of tribal fee simple lands. The tribe receives a percentage of the sale and Futurewood donates 2% of their revenue to the Boys and Girls Club of Lac Courte Oreilles.
The revenue from fee simple land goes into a stumpage account and those funds are used to pay tribal property taxes and buy more land back within the tribal boundaries, according to Nita Kemp, LCO Realtor.
“BIA foresters manage tribal trust land and do the timber cutting. They have their own account and a certain amount goes into it for forestry and we get 10% of that,” Kemp explained.
Kemp said Futurewood has a good reputation.
“They also watch the rates and right now rates are favorable and that is why they are proposing to do the cuts now,” Kemp said. “Futurewood works to get the best price.”
Four total cuts were approved by the TGB. The four cuts will bring in a total of $198,534 to the tribe, Kemp said. All four cuts are within our forestry plan and our IMP, she continued.
This spring, the tribe purchased 607 acres of lands within the tribal boundaries from Futurewood. Kemp said two of the proposed cuts were part of that purchase.
During negotiations for the purchase, Kemp explained that Futurewood proposed doing the cuts and predicted what the cuts would generate for the tribe. She told TGB the revenue generated is right on with what they said it would be.
None of the cuts are near any sugarbush. Futurewood takes that into consideration, Kemp said.
LCO TGB member Tweed Shuman asked Kemp if the tribe is getting too aggressive with our cutting?
Nita said we didn’t have our own forester and we lost a lot of revenue. She said there’s been no management of our forestry plan nor the timber cutting, so, we haven’t been too aggressive.
The community has raised a lot of questions about the cut on Trepania Road, near County Hwy E. Kemp said the tribe has no interest in that cut.
“It’s heirship land and the heirs requested that cut,” Kemp said. “It’s a much-needed cut, long overdue. It’s needed for sunlight on Trepania Road. The 80-acre section runs along Trepania Road from the college to the Kinnamon building.”
Marie Kuykendahl told the TGB the Roads Committee supported the cut to get rid of ice and snow on Trepania Road. She said they didn’t like the idea to use chemicals to remove the ice and snow.
The first of four cuts, the Larson 120, presented to council will bring in $68,000. It comprises 120 acres on the east side of Larson Road in the Town of Hayward, south of Gurnoe Lake Road.
The cut was defined as a hardwood and oak over story regeneration. Futurewood would clear them out for sunlight and what’s needed. Kemp said it wasn’t a clear cut.
The next cut, LCO Gurnoe 191, is called a shelterwood harvest preserving any well-formed seed trees to establish Oak. This cut will generate $35,640.
The Devils Lake 80 is the next cut in the Town of Couderay. This cut will thin northern hardwoods to enhance health. This cut will be open small clear cuts around overmature oak and hardwoods. Kemp said it will bring in $27,337.
The last cut was on Hwy CC, the Fanning 80, which was recently purchased from Futurewood. This cut will be a complete harvest of hardwoods for regeneration. It will bring in $67,173.