Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program

Lake County Demonstration Forest

Wayne Seidel

Lake County Forestry Department

April 30, 2008

Project No. 306-STAR06-07

Contract No. #B07350

This project was funded in part under the Coastal Zone Management Act, by NOAA’s
Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, in cooperation with Minnesota’s
Lake Superior Coastal Program.
Introduction and Proposed Work
The Lake County Forestry Department requested $2,800 in Coastal Program funding to
continue implementation of the “Plan of Action” for the Lake County Demonstration
Forest. The major work projects included:

1. Revise and re-print the two interpretive brochures – Woodland Hiking Tour (add
1.2 mile Lowland Ash Hiking Trail and two additional points of interest) and
Historical Site (re-print in a different color to help differentiate between the two
brochures). Print approximately 3,000 copies of each brochure.
2. Place 20+ pre-constructed sitting logs along the trail system to serve as rest break
locations for hikers. These would be positioned at scenic vistas and at points of
interest.
3. Purchase, assemble, and place two picnic tables near the KIOSK.
4. Purchase and install solar-powered lights in the two restrooms.

Past efforts at the Lake County Demonstration Forest included the construction of 4.5
miles of hiking trails, constructing two restrooms, restoring a depleted gravel pit into a
parking area, developing two brochures (Historical Site / Woodland Hiking Tour),
developing a Forest Management Plan, and installing signs (KIOSK, roadside signs, trail
signs, “You Are Here”, large wooden main sign).

Work Completed and Results

The Lake County Demonstration Forest Committee met seven times during the grant
period (October 9, 2007 – April 30, 2008) and conducted five work days to complete the
work project components listed below.

1. Placed twenty-four (24) sitting logs around the 4.5 mile trail system and at the site
of the future pavilion. Notably, a load of 18 foot-long tamarack logs was donated
by a Lake County Logger for this component of the project.
2. Purchased and installed two solar-powered motion detector lights for the
restrooms complete with a sign describing their operation.
3. Completed the revisions to both brochures (text, map, two additional points of
interest), received the printed copies (5,200 - Woodland Hiking Trail; 3,300 -
Historical Site), and distributed the brochures in the local area at over twenty
locations. We included laminated maps of the Demonstration Forest at each
distribution outlet.
4. Purchased, assembled and placed two picnic tables near the KIOSK.
5. Conducted trail maintenance that included the removal of dozens of windfalls
across the trail.
6. Revised the aerial photo trail map and installed at the KIOSK.
7. Kept a photo record of all projects - light installation and sitting log placement.
Conclusions
This project will enhance the use of the Demonstration Forest by providing updated
brochures with an accurate trail map, safe night-time use of the restrooms courtesy of the
new lights, outdoor table space for picnics and resting, and rest stops at scenic vistas
along the trail system. Three distinct and separate user groups now use the
Demonstration Forest. The recent construction of a spur trail to the Superior Hiking Trail
allows the site to be used as a trailhead for the Superior Hiking Trail. In addition,
snowmobile users on the State Trail use the site as a rest stop since the groomer provides
a groomed trail directly to the KIOSK/restroom area.

Lake County Demonstration Forest

Financial Summary

Demonstration Forest Committee Members

Tom Bodell 21.5 hours @ $28 = $ 602.00

Fran Casey 2.5 hours @ $25 = $ 62.50

Nate Eide 20.5 hours @ $27 = $ 553.50

Nancy Gellerman 5 hours @ $30 = $ 150.00

Pat Hondl 5 hours @ $23 = $ 115.00

Kevin Johnson 24 hours @ $27 = $ 648.00

Lenore Johnson 22 hours @ $10 = $ 220.00

Tom Martinson 2 hours @ $40 = $ 80.00

Bill Nixon 21.5 hours @ $28 = $ 602.00

Wayne Seidel 65.5 hours @ $40 = $ 2,620.00

Tom Spooner 16 hours @ $10 = $ 160.00

Labor/In-Kind Time = $ 5,813.00

($4,743 - Salary; $970 - Fringe)

*Note: All hourly figures include benefits

**Note: Wayne Seidel, Project Manager – Conservation Specialist / Extension Educator
- Per contract with University of Minnesota Extension that includes salary, travel/meal
expenses, and benefits in hourly figure = $40 / hour.
Contractual:

Write it Right – Editing $ 688.00

Printing – 5200 copies - Woodland Hiking Tour
Printing – 3000 copies – Historical Site Brochure $1,775.00

Contractual Total = $2,463.00

Supplies

Two Solar-Powered Lights $ 149.74

Toryx Screws $ 7.02

Supplies Total = $ 156.76

In-Kind Time and Materials:

Minnesota DNR – two picnic tables $ 700.00

Assembly and Placement by Lake County
Work Crew $ 80.00

In-Kind Time and Materials = $ 780.00

Grand Total = $ 9,212.76