Lake Holcombe School Board; School forest is in line for a bit of a haircut
Kent Dorney, Lake Holcombe School ag teacher, talked about what he wants to see happen with the school forests, during a June 19 meeting. Photo by Ginna Young
By Ginna Young
Some people may not know, but the Lake Holcombe School District owns three parcels of property that were gifted to the district through different situations. The sections are considered school forest and are used for enrichment, environmental studies and educational purposes, but also can generate revenue.
A stewardship plan was put in place in 1995, outlining what trees are in the sections and when they should be replaced/ replanted, as well as other notations. “All these specific guidelines to managing our forests,” said ag teacher Kent Dorney.
Dorney spoke to the board of education June 19, on how the time has come to do something with one of the sections. On the 80 acres located just past the Birch Creek Town Hall, Dorney worked with former ag teacher Brian Guthman to get that specific section registered with the DNR.
By registering the school forest, the benefit of doing that, is that the district now can get new trees whenever needed, as well as access to additional grant opportunities and unlimited use of a DNR forester, at no charge. Along with Guthman and the DNR forester, Dorney re-examined the stewardship plan, going over what should be cut and when.
“The trees are beyond maturity and now they are actually falling over, because of their age,” said Dorney.
There’s also regrowth work needed, as certain species of trees are killing other species, so the plan entails “killing out” underbrush choking out needed trees. Of course, there’s also the matter of making some money off the project.
“We are in need of a forester to manage the timber sale,” said Dorney.
Since the DNR forester’s time is limited, it was recommended the district go with a local forester to mark and put up the timber for bids. With that, they will be in charge of the thinning of the existing aspen and pine, and will also aid in a stand of black ash trees removal, before the emerald ash borer gets ahold of the commodity.
The forester will also find a buyer, take care of the county cutting notice, and is in charge of handling the payment and logging contract.
Based on Dorney’s advice, the board approved the hire of a forester to oversee the project. Next up on the list – once the plots have been surveyed – will be the woods behind the school and on West Lakeshore Drive.
“This has been years and years in the making,” said Dorney.
Members also agreed on the 2023-24 liability insurance renewal, but are still hopeful they will get a quote for the buildings, which isn’t promising, as Lake Holcombe is considered a Code 10 Fire Class.
“A satellite fire department would help that out immensely,” said administrator Kurt Lindau. “It would help all the people in the Holcombe area, because it would reduce their fire class.”
The board also approved the transportation contract rollover to a five-year contract, which was always the district’s intention.
Also approved, were the resignations of special education teacher Melissa Roach; math teacher Heath Hill; kindergarten teacher Rebecca Omtvedt; band instructor Dawn Anderson; and math interventionist Garrett Dekan.
Members also approved the hire of fourth-grade teacher Isabelle Francis; interventionist/long-term substitute teacher Korina Colliver; special education teacher/assistant girls basketball coach Nicole Kuc; and math teacher Grier Belter. They also accepted $98.30, from Eastbay Lodge, to the band and football programs; $5,125.37, from the fall 2022 Lake Holcombe Education Foundation (LHEF) Grants, for coach buses to Hamilton, preschool storytime and field trips to the Ice Age Center, Lambeau Field and Beaver Creek Reserve; $200 percentage, from Royal Publishing, for selling athletic posters; $60, from Chippewa Yellow Bus, for business ventures; $500, from the Lake Holcombe Lions Club, from fishing contest winner Connor Kane; and $500 and $3,000, from the Haunted Trail/Lake Holcombe Booster Club, for the middle school field trip and elementary field trip.
During the meeting, Lindau also reported on the use of ESSER III funds to purchase new cafeteria tables, as well as doors that will be installed to close off the elementary and high school halls. A fence will also be installed to circle the playground for safety.
“Kids could run off in the woods,” said Lindau.
