Last week there was an initial exchange of ideas as Oneida county's Forestry committee considers options concerning forest land now owned by the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands.
The committee heard from BCPL Director Tia Nelson and also state Treasurer Matt Adamczyk who is on the BCPL Board...
County Forest Director John Bilogan says one option is to purchase BCPL woods holdings in Oneida county...
"....for our department, more likely their land holdings within our land acquisition boundaries that surround our three blocks of our county forests, which total about 2000 acres within our block of BCPL land..."
Bilogan says the other option is the possibility of the Oneida County Forestry Department taking over the management of more than 20,000 acres of BCPL land.
Bilogan says both options were discussed, but the committee took no action until more information on both proposals is gathered. Bilogan thinks it will be awhile before any decision is made at the committee level.
The Board of Commissioners of Public Lands was founded at the time of the Wisconsin Constitution. The proceeds were used to establish the School Trust Funds, which continue to grow with revenue from unclaimed property, clear proceeds of civil and criminal fees, fines and forfeitures, and timber production on School Trust Lands. Funds gathered are used to make economic development loans and fund the libraries in the K-12 school system.
