got this from the mesabi daily news website..
Half Moon Lake south of Eveleth, which a St. Paul brewing firm used as the site of some of its beer commercials in the past, has a commercial property on it for sale that the state Department of Natural Resources has told the county they’re interested in buying for letting the public launch boats.
The County Board gave preliminary approval Tuesday to having its property acquisition team study costs and means to buy the property, so the DNR can buy it from them at the end of their process.
A study will be done and will be brought back to the board on costs, and funding sources, hopefully in a short amount of time, officials said.
Board Chair Keith Nelson of Fayal Township said there were some major reasons for the county looking at stepping in now with the purchase of the former Mattson Resort, located right by Hwy. 53: The state DNR’s process averages about 10 months to purchase; public safety, with no real public access for boat launching, with some launching boats from the edge of the highway; fire safety, as the Fayal Fire Department has a dry hydrant on the lake for year-round tanker access to fight fires; and the state has invested several hundred thousand dollars in a grants-in-aid snowmobile bridge over the nearby St. Louis River, and the Trailhawks Snowmobile Club-maintained trail runs right over the property.
“Counties statewide have stepped in to provide that conduit between the property owner and the DNR,’’ Nelson explained, of the intervention.
In a letter to County Administrator Dana Frey from state DNR Trails & Waterways head Laurie Martinson released Tuesday, she indicated the DNR’s “continuing interest in acquiring property for water access purposes on Half Moon Lake,’’ mentioning the specific property.
The board also approved adding three maintenance persons for the Hibbing Annex, starting in September; revised bylaws for the county’s Extension Committee; and a policy on cartway procedures, specifically setting a deposit for up to $4,000 to let the county cover its costs in appraisals and staff work.
The board also gave preliminary approval to an increase of one full-time information specialist in the Sheriff’s Office records area, with non-levy funding; southern county gravel crushing, for $272,054, to Vogt Dirt Services of Bemidji; and resurfacing and culvert, guardrail and shoulders on County Highway 34 (Howard Gnesen Road) from Arrowhead Road to County Highway 9 (Martin Road), 3 miles, for $962,201 to Northland Bituminous of Duluth. The three items will be up for final approval next week.
something about some joker running a duck boat and a 4 horse down the side of the hwy????…. ive been on this lake quite a bit and ill let you know there are some really big fish… put back a few trophy fish (for some) i practice cpr, no matter what the size, but some very nice photos have come from this lake.. access for a real boat would be huge. very nice weedlines, a hidden rockpile, an exciting back bay.. wow. this will be an amazing feat… go dnr….
