Koochiching County commissioners this week set guidelines on the use of wetland credits from a recently approved wetland bank in the county.

The board accepted recommendations from staff, but expect to review a policy on the guidelines for use of the Duininck Lake Wetland Bank prior to adoption.

The board agreed that the primary use of the credits should be for county and possibly other government use in projects that disturb wetlands and require mitigation through the use of credits.

Keeping the 10 credits at Duininck Lake for county use is based on the small number available and that it takes from four to five year to establish additional banked credits.

Six of the credits, which may only be used for Board of Water and Soil Resources approved projects, should be sold at a rate of $13,068 per acre, or 30-cents per square foot.

Should an addition wetland bank site be approved providing an additional 10 acres of credits, the staff recommended considering sale at $17,424 per acre for projects within Koochiching County and $21,780 for projects outside the county limits.

Fees would be reviewed annually and adjusted as needed.

The staff also recommended that the county form a wetland committee, made up of county staff and commissioners, which would be responsible for making recommendations to the county board on mitigation requests, rate adjustments and other wetland credit management issues.

Land Commissioner Dennis Hummitzsch, one of the staff who made the recommendations, said the prices should be set to not undercut the prices of credits sold by private wetland bank owners.

“It would also encourage private development, something which is in everyone’s best interests,” he said of the costs.

Staff explained in a brief to the board that they are concerned about future rule changes and how they may impact the county’s wetland credits. Now, county and forestry road development is exempt from the Wetland Conservation Act rules or are eligible to use the state’s road bank, but they fear that could change.

The board also agreed to contract in 2012 with Federal Advocates Inc. for lobbying on behalf of the Highway 53 Improvement Task Force. The action, contingent on a cost-share agreement with other members of the task force, would cost Koochiching $4,000.

Board members said the services would be needed to secure the necessary funding to add turning and passing lanes between Cook and International Falls, following the addition of nine miles of four-lanes, a contract for which is set to be awarded in December.

The board also agreed to serve as the applicant for a road easement on school trust lands that cross County Road 137. Resident Chuck Whitcome met with the board on the issue.

Residents along the road, formerly known as the Rainy Lake Lodge Road, are working to improve the private road at their own cost due to safety concerns. Commissioners noted that when the area was developed, the road was not constructed to county road standards and therefore receives no plowing or other maintenance from the county.

The school trust property may be swapped with other land to allow for the road work.

Commissioners commended the residents for taking on the responsibility to improve the road, and noted that once it meets county standards it would be eligible for maintenance by county staff.

The board set a public hearing for 11 a.m. Nov. 1 to consider a request to vacate a platted road that crosses the Falls Kart Club coarse.