Lake County Board Chair Rich Sve brought light to the importance of May 26th for fans of Westerns, as it is the birthday of both John Wayne and James Arness. It is also, notably, National Paper Airplane Day, meant to roughly coincide with the end of the school year.
The meeting proper began with an update on the Lake County Veterans Memorial Association’s Memorial Project, which is currently seeking to build a space in Two Harbors dedicated to Lake County veterans and had an information table at the Memorial Day program this past week. The project is making good progress on funding, having raised almost $115,000 so far, with more commitments and possible grants on the way. The project still must raise about $150,000 to be fully funded, with funds matched by Lake County. Fundraising opportunities have increased recently and they are hoping to break ground on the project this year.
The Lake County Forestry Department Annual Update was provided by Land Commissioner Nate Eide, starting with a brief recount of members of his staff visiting local mills that buy wood harvested by the Forestry Department and process it, eventually turning it into goods as varied as paper and clothing. Over 18,000 cords were harvested in Lake County in 2025, with most of those sold being aspen, followed by maple. The percentage has changed over the past few years, with the market for birch falling and aspen taking a far larger percentage, up to 62% in 2025. Of the wood sold, almost half goes to LP (Louisiana-Pacific Corporation), with the second largest buyer being Sappi for use at the Cloquet Mill. The Forestry Department’s revenue this past year was largely provided from selling timber, with the second largest money source being land sales, followed by cabin leases. Expenses are mostly spent on staffing, at roughly $516,000 out of the $589,000 total. Extra revenue generated by the department goes into local schools, recreation and trails, resource and forest development, as well as towards the communities involved in sourcing wood for harvest.
The Forestry Department faced several challenges this past year, peak among them being fires, particularly the Camp House Fire near Brimson. Eide noted that the Brimson Fire was partly stopped on County land that had been well-harvested prior to the event, citing it as an example of seeing “forest management being used as a fire break.” After the fire, the Forestry Department replanted the area. The department has recently loosened its terms for dealing with balsam fir, as the species has been an ongoing problem for the department due to it being an increased fire hazard. Eide clarified that “balsam fir is always going to be in the landscape, but we can do better with other species.”
Another problem for the department is damaged roads. He pointed out one that has been identified but is not yet fixed, with the main problems being a lack of contractors to do the work and rising costs. “It’s kind of like whack-a-mole,” Eide said. “We’d fixed this [road] two years ago and it’s back [to needing repairs] again.”
The Update briefly covered the ongoing pursuit to add SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) to the area’s industries. The still-new technology uses woody biomass to make jet fuel, which would make it perfectly suited to being sourced from Lake County. The dead wood harvested for SAF would clear fire hazards, such as balsam fir, and provide a way for the region to sell and use wood that is unusable for other purposes.
There was also an update on the popularity of the Split Rock Wilds Trail system, with Eide showing off a YouTube video of “Mountain Biking the North Shore” and other positive feedback from the social media site Reddit. He noted that this past winter had also been great for snowmobiling, as “the trails really are great here” and Lake County had more snow than anywhere else in the state.
Commissioner Hogenson questioned the situation on emerald ash borers, with Eide responding that the outlook is “bleak but hopeful because of our cold temps.” Temperatures at -20 to -30 below kill off the beetles, so the cold temperatures in the region will stave off, though not fully stop, the spread. Long-term, researchers are hoping to find an alternative species to replace the local ash trees in swamps to “at least save the forest there,” as ash helps keep the water table low enough to support other species.
Next up, Lake County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (LCHRA) Executive Director Matthew Johnson spoke with the Board about the new Silverpointe II proposal for additional housing in Silver Bay, asking for $850,000 out of the Lake County Housing Trust Fund for the project. He began by pointing out one major change relevant to the County from the proposal two years ago: previously, the Silverpointe II facility would have been paid for and owned by the Lake County HRA; in the current iteration, the developer, Vision Inc., would pay for over 2/3rds of the cost.
Vision Inc. already owns the 50-unit facility Gunflint Vue in Grand Marais and is currently breaking ground in Two Harbors on the 75-unit facility North Shore Flats. The proposed Silverpointe II facility would add another 25 units to their stretch along the North Shore. The Lake County HRA is donating an acre and a quarter of land for the facility in Silver Bay, where it will be located near the original Silverpointe Apartments and shopping center. Johnson noted that several local employers have issues with being understaffed and would benefit greatly from the workforce housing at Silverpointe II. “We stand in a good situation here,” he stated. “I feel very confident that in the next two years we’ll break ground on this project.”
After the project overview, Commissioner Hogenson thanked Johnson for his work, commenting that housing is “necessary and needed around here,” and his knowledge and flexibility as the HRA’s executive director have been “a huge benefit to us here in Lake County.” The resolution for the use of the Lake County Housing Trust Fund money was approved later this session.
County Administrator Matt Huddleston spoke on efforts to handle fallout from the recent Stewart Trail Fire, most importantly, providing aid for those directly impacted who suffered structural damage. Lake County held an open-house meeting on May 28th to address their needs and provide contact with those able to help, and there are plans to financially ease a few of the costs for rebuilding.
He also mentioned a renewed look at how to handle blight and recoup costs in cases where the property owner is unable to fix the issue and forces the County to take on the burden of maintenance. The Board put an emphasis on working with property owners to reach fair solutions, with Commissioner Hogenson pointing out the common case where blight was the result of fixes demanding effort beyond the capability of the property’s owner.
In Commissioner’s Correspondence, Commissioner Baltich was delighted by his time at the new Multi-Modal Trailhead Center in Silver Bay, where he attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony shortly before Memorial Weekend. He spoke about the amenities offered at the center, from a meeting room to a kitchen to several showers for those coming in off the trails, and complimented the facility’s simple yet thoughtful design. “It’s a nice building,” he commented. “It’s going to be very valuable for Silver Bay.”
A few days later, Board Chair Rich Sve attended the Memorial Day Program in Two Harbors, honoring Veterans. There was a good turnout for the event, which, after starting in the Two Harbors High School auditorium, included a small service at the Edna G before moving to the Lakeview Cemetery.
Consent agenda items approved included: payments for equipment and installation for new squad vehicles; purchase of a DefGuard Enterprise license for use by the County; purchase of two vehicles for the Highway Department; a Limited Use Permit Agreement with MnDOT for a temporary ATV trail route on Highway 1; and an agreement with Silver Bay concerning the street reconstruction project for segments of Banks Boulevard and Adams Boulevard.
