Lake County backs veterans memorial, seeks final funding for Two Harbors site

Lake County’s land base remained the real money question at the board’s May 26 meeting: how much revenue the county can pull from timber, cabin leases and land sales, and how those decisions help pay for schools, trails and long-term forest health. Land Commissioner Nate Eide told commissioners the Forestry/Land Department harvested more than 18,000 cords in 2025, with aspen making up the largest share and maple next. Nearly half the wood sold went to Louisiana-Pacific, with Sappi, which serves the Cloquet mill, another major buyer.

Eide said birch has weakened in the market while aspen climbed to 62 percent of the harvest mix. Revenue continues to come mostly from timber sales, then land sales and cabin leases, while staffing accounts for most of the department’s roughly $589,000 in expenses. Lake County Forestry also had a sealed-bid timber auction scheduled for June 2, underscoring that the county’s wood business is active, ongoing and tied directly to public finance. The department manages state tax-forfeit lands in the county and handles forest management, timber sales and land administration.

The forest discussion carried an urgent wildfire edge. Eide pointed to the Camp House Fire near Brimson and said well-harvested county land helped stop part of the Brimson Fire, a reminder that managed cuts can function as a fire break as well as a revenue source. Lake County announced new wildfire evacuation zones in April tied to the 2025 Camphouse Fire, and the county’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan says proactive mitigation can make a difference. The Camp House Fire burned 12,071 acres and destroyed more than 200 homes, cabins and other structures, leaving a deep mark on county planning. The department has replanted burned areas and loosened balsam fir terms because of the species’ fire risk.

Veterans recognition was the other major item, and commissioners backed the Lake County Veterans Memorial Association’s effort to build a dedicated memorial in Two Harbors. The project, first presented publicly to Two Harbors officials in May 2023, had raised almost $115,000 as of the board meeting, with about $150,000 still needed before full funding. KSTP has reported a $250,000 fundraising goal matched by Lake County, making the county’s share more than symbolic. The association had an information table at the Memorial Day program and hopes to break ground later this year on a waterfront site intended as a lasting tribute to Lake County veterans.

That effort fits alongside Lake County Veterans Services, which provides claims assistance, benefit counseling, advocacy and help obtaining military discharge papers. In a county where public land decisions shape both the balance sheet and the landscape, the memorial became another test of how Lake County weighs tribute, public use and the economics of its land base.