Cass to close gravel pit to use by ATVs and dirt bikes

LEADER -- The Cass County Board voted Tuesday to permanently close a county owned gravel pit to all-terrain vehicle and dirt bike rallying in the Spider Lake area.

Land Commissioner Norm Moody told the board the pit lies within a half mile of a homestead. He said the county highway department will oversee restricting pit access.

The board tabled preliminary action of exchanging a county land parcel adjacent to the county's recycling center and garbage transfer station for a parcel Marlon and Kathy Hoefs own in Blind Lake Township.

Moody said the parcel the Hoefs own would give the county summer access to numerous county managed parcels in Blind Lake Township.

Commissioners asked to see a more detailed map to decide first whether the county might want to use any of the parcel being traded for garbage transfer station and recycling center expansion in future years.

Moody reported 40 acres the county bought in Thunder Lake Township for $49,000 has been resold to a private purchaser with deed restrictions to allow a snowmobile trail across the parcel for $65,000.

Additional deed restrictions prevent subdivision of the parcel and require it to be managed as forest land, Moody added.

The board voted to sell a tax forfeited land parcel to the city of Federal Dam for the city's community sewer system treatment facility and to sell the city of Boy River three tax forfeited parcels within that city.

Both sales to cities were for appraised value.