Cass to buy mile markers for recreational trails

WALKER -- The Cass County Land Department will provide $5,000 to buy mile markers for all county recreational trails.

Clubs maintaining the trails will install the markers at points the land department designates.

This comes in response to a suggestion from Commissioner Jim Dowson who said a person using an Itasca County Trail had his life saved when he had a heart attack on a trail there, because mile markers enabled rescue crews to reach him quickly.

The board authorized Land Commissioner Norm Moody to exchange county owned lakeshore property with the state to enable Polk County to meet state requirements for exchanging land for state leased lots.

Polk County will pay the Cass County Land Department $183,500, plus expenses for the land value here.

Applicants for most categories of representation on a county natural resources advisory board have been made, but the county still seeks representation for loggers, U.S. Forest Service and Minnesota DNR.