The Lakewood Planning & Zoning Commission has scheduled a Public Hearing on a zoning amendment for Tuesday, October 23, 2018 beginning 7:00 p.m. at the Lakewood Town Hall, 3110 Strand Road, Duluth, MN 55803. A Planning Commission meeting will follow the public hearing.

The purpose of the hearing will be to seek input from the public on a purposed zoning ordinance amendment. The amendment addresses Commercial Timber Harvesting in the township and sets guidelines. The specific language is attached to this notice.

The public is invited to provide input to the Commission by attending the hearing, sending me a letter, or e-mailing me at townclerk@lakewoodmn.org prior to the hearing. All letters must be signed and received in this office by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 22, 2018. They will be presented to the Commission as part of the hearing process. Please call me at 218-525-4991, if you have any questions.

Ellen Hanson

Lakewood Township Clerk

October 12, 2018

20.02 Commercial Timber Harvesting

The purpose of this ordinance is to promote the general health, safety and welfare of our community, and to provide protection to our natural resources, including a healthy, diverse and productive forest, wetlands and watershed, and Township infrastructure.

Commercial timber harvesting shall be defined as the cutting or removal of either standing or dead fall timber for sales as a wood or paper process product. On-site chipping of timber and disposal shall also be regulated by this ordinance. Homeowner activities such as firewood cutting or selective tree removal by tree service companies shall be exempt from regulation under this ordinance.

Commercial timber harvesting is permitted in Lakewood Township provided that a forest management plan for the property or site specific timber harvest plan is prepared by the applicant and reviewed and approved by the Township, prior to the project commencing. The Township will retain a copy of the harvest plan as part of the property record.

To ensure that Forest Management Guidelines are followed, a Forest Management Plan must be in place for the intended site as developed by a forestry professional, either with the Natural Resource Conservation Service or the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Stewardship plan.

If no formal forest management plan is developed through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources or the Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Township requires that the applicant submit, for review and recording, a site specific forest management plan that includes the following information: 

     A.   Briefly describe the proposed project, including the reason for the proposed project (i.e. disease control, forest stand improvement, forest regeneration etc.) and a timeline for the start and finish of the project.

     B.   Provide a site plan showing the forest /tree types, all roads, driveways and trails that will be used for timber access and timber removal.

     C.   Provide a listing of any endangered or threatened species that may be located on the site.

     D.   Where applicable, list all provisions that will be taken to address and protect water quality and wetlands, forest soils, wildlife and aquatic habitat, erosion control, and any cultural or historic

            resources known to exist.

     E.   List all measures that will be implemented in order to protect the property and neighboring properties from fire hazards, insects, and diseases.

Upon completion of the timber harvesting, a certificate of plan compliance must be filed by a certified forestry professional with the Township.

If Township roads are used for the transporting of logging equipment or timber, after the ending date of Spring Load Limits and before MN DOT Winter Load Increases, the logger or property owner shall provide a performance bond of $5,000 (five thousand dollars) posted with the Township, to ensure necessary repair or maintenance to Township infrastructure resulting from the commercial timber harvesting. Any unused funds shall be returned. Road and parcel preconditions and post conditions will be documented by the Township.

Additionally, any timber harvesting plan must be in compliance with Lakewood Ordinance Article VI, Section 3 – Intensive Vegetation Removal, Article VI, Section 5 – Steep Slopes, Article VI, Section 10 – Wetlands, and Article VI, Section 11 - Land Alterations Within 300 Feet of Lakes and Rivers.