Minnesota counties have provided more than $1 million in various forms of assistance to logging companies in the northern areas of the state, according to a recent report in the ACLT Update from Associated Contractors Loggers & Truckers of Minnesota. Northern Minnesota counties manage more than 20% of the state’s timberlands, and are big stakeholders in helping maintain the the region’s healthy forest management and a vibrant forest products economy.
Recognizing the importance loggers play in their respective economies, county officials have developed a variety of grants and related “logger friendly” policies concerning county timber sale and forest management policies to reduce the economic impact of the COVID pandemic. Using funds from the federal CARES Act that passed in 2020 and included $150 billion to state and local governments, several northern Minnesota counties decided to use some of their funding to support the timber industry. Some of the actions reported include:
• St. Louis County provided grants to reimburse forfeited down payments on timber permits turned back to the county. This provided more than $130,000 to 10 companies on 18 permits. The county also set aside $750,000 on ROW contracts specifically for logging companies.
• Itasca County modified conditions of some timber permits, offered free one-year extensions on permits that expired before June 30, 2020 and also developed a Business Relief Grant program that awarded 25 grants totaling $309,000 to county loggers in amounts ranging from $3,000-$37,000.
• Koochiching County allowed owners of select timber permits to either get a refund on a turn back or a two year free extension.
• Lake County allowed loggers with fewer than 50 employees to turn back timber permits under certain conditions, and also allowed free one-year extensions.