The Carlton County Board of Commissioners approved the first of two timber sales planned in 2021 during its meeting Tuesday, April 13.
The auction, scheduled for 11 a.m. May 13, will have companies making live bids in the boardroom of the Carlton County Transportation Building in Carlton, but precautions will be in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“We’re looking to have one member from each business unit come in and sit here in a chair, properly spaced so we don’t have a whole mess of people in here,” Land Commissioner Gregory Bernu said.
In the three timber sales the county has held since the COVID-19 pandemic began, companies have submitted sealed bids. Prior to the pandemic, many loggers brought their families with them to the auction, resulting in a boardroom filled with 30-40 people, according to Bernu.
The sale consists of seven tracts of land containing 11,190 cords of wood appraised at $213,540. Companies’ bids for the tracts must be at the appraised value or higher to win the permit to cut and remove the timber from the land.
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Only companies on the county’s “Responsible Operator’s List” are eligible to bid on the timber tracts. The list and a contractor application form are available at co.carlton.mn.us or by contacting the Carlton County Land Department at 218-384-9179.
