DNR seeks comments on EAW for Star of The North Walking Trail

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has released and is accepting comments on an environmental assessment worksheet for a proposed hunter walking trail in Roseau and Lake of the Woods counties. 

The DNR is proposing construction and designation of the Star of the North Walking Trail. The project would link about 29.5 miles of existing routes with 27.5 miles of new trail development to create a 57-mile loop system of signed and maintained natural surface walking trail corridor.

Hunter walking trails provide comparatively easy access to grouse and woodcock areas in Minnesota’s primary grouse range. These trails wind their way through wildlife management areas, connecting with some state forests and other public hunting lands.

The agency will take comments during a 30-day public review period from Jan. 1 to Jan. 31.

A copy of the EAW is available online on the Star of the North Walking Trail page.  A hard copy may be requested by calling 651-259-5115.

The EAW is available for public review at:

• DNR Library, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155.
• DNR Northwest Region Headquarters, 2115 Birchmont Beach Rd. NE, Bemidji, MN 56601.
• Minneapolis Central Library, Government Documents, 2nd Floor, 300 Nicollet Mall.
• Roseau Public Library, 121 Center Street, Suite 100, Roseau, MN  56751.
• Warroad City Library, 202 North Main Ave., Warroad, MN  56763.
• Williams Public Library, 250 Main St., Williams, MN  56686.
• Bemidji Public Library, 509 America Ave. NW, Bemidji, MN  56601.

The EAW notice was published in the Jan. 1 EQB Monitor. Written comments must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 31, to the attention of Cynthia Novak-Krebs EAW project manager, Environmental Policy and Review Unit, Ecological and Water Resources Division, DNR, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4025. 

Electronic or email comments may be sent to environmentalrev.dnr@state.mn.us with “Star of the North Trail EAW” in the subject line.  If submitting comments electronically, include name and mailing address. Written comments may also be sent by fax to 651-296-1811. Names and addresses will be published as part of the EAW record.

ATV riders can explore Minnesota trails for free June 2-4

Minnesotans with an all-terrain vehicle registered for private or agricultural use won’t need to pay the additional registration fee ($53.50 for three years) to ride the state’s public ATV trails June 2-4, according to the Department of Natural Resources. 

Out-of-state riders can explore Minnesota ATV trails that weekend as well, without the need for a nonresident trail pass ($21 annually). This is the fourth year that Minnesota is providing ATV riders with free access to more than 3,000 milesof state forest and grant-in-aid trails during “No Registration Weekend.”

“We see this weekend as a great opportunity to showcase the wide variety of state and grant-in-aid trails across Minnesota,” said Mary Straka, off-highway vehicle program consultant. “There are a large number of privately registered ATVs across the state, and we encourage them to explore the public trails for free June 2-4.”

Some great places to start, according to Straka, include:

• The Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area, a 1,200-acre OHV park in Gilbert with 36 miles of scenic trails for riders of all abilities. The recreation area will have special programs, rides and displays on Saturday, June 4.
• The 100-mile trail system in Nemadji State Forest, which connects to the Matthew Lourey State Trail and the Gandy Dancer Trail for more riding opportunities.
• The 29-mile Spider Lake trail system in Foot Hills State Forest, where riders can curve around lakes and ponds, go up and down a variety of hills, and view overlooks from the ridges throughout the forest.
• The 200-mile Northwoods Regional Trail System in Aitkin and Itasca counties, where riders can use the Soo Line Trail to connect to great communities and trail loops.

The DNR advises riders to keep safety in mind when out on the trails. In particular:

• Safety training is required for ATV riders born after July 1, 1987, and it is recommended for everyone that operates an ATV.
• Kids under age 18 must wear a DOT-certified helmet.
• Kids age 16 and under must fit the ATV they are operating and be able to properly reach and control the handlebars and reach the foot pegs while sitting upright on the ATV.

Trail maps, updates on trail conditions, youth ATV Safety training and other OHV information can be found online at www.mndnr.gov/ohv.

Certain vehicles no longer allowed on snowmobile trails

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds snowmobilers that only snowmobiles can operate on the state’s grant-in-aid trail system. Due to a change this year in the way a snowmobile is legally defined, certain vehicles are no longer allowed on the trail.
The new definition of a snowmobile no longer includes all-terrain vehicles (ATV) modified with aftermarket ski and track kits, said 1st Lt. Pat Znajda, DNR enforcement district supervisor in Baudette.
 
“The legal definition of a snowmobile is a self-propelled vehicle originally manufactured and designed for travel on snow or ice steered by skis or runners,” he said.

Snowmobiles do not include vehicles equipped with aftermarket ski and track configurations such as an ATV, an off-highway motorcycle, an off-road vehicle, a mini truck, a utility task vehicle, vans with tracks and skis and some bombardiers.

The grant-in-aid trail program is a cooperative effort between the DNR, local governments, local snowmobile organizations, and private landowners who provide the majority of Minnesota’s 22,000 miles of snowmobile trails.

Funded through snowmobile registration and snowmobile state trail sticker fees and gas taxes, the grant-in-aid program helps local groups and clubs develop and maintain trails. A snowmobile state trail sticker or a registration/trail sticker combination decal is required when operating on grant-in-aid trails.

Minnesota’s state and grant-in-aid snowmobile trails are open now through the end of March.
For more information, see the snowmobile laws, rules and regulations handbook at www.dnr.state.mn.us/regulations/snowmobile/index.html.

Parks and Trails Legacy Advisory Committee seeks applicants

The Department of Natural Resources, the Metropolitan Council and the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission are seeking qualified applicants to serve on the Parks and Trails Legacy Advisory Committee.

“The Parks and Trails Legacy Advisory Committee plays a critical role in helping us achieve the vision Minnesotans have for use of the Parks and Trails Legacy Funds and creates an accessible and equitable, integrated system of state and regional parks and trails in Minnesota,” said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr.

The purpose of the Legacy Advisory Committee is to promote and coordinate implementation of the 25 Year Parks and Trails Legacy Plan. Funding recommendations for individual projects is not a part of this committee’s work. The plan can be found at www.legacy.leg.mn/funds/parks-trails-fund/plan.

The committee is made up of 17 members, including, to the practical extent possible, geographical and demographic representation. The committee has a mixture of park and trail professionals and citizens. Committee members should have expertise in two or more of the four strategic pillars of the plan:

• Connect people and the outdoors.
• Acquire land and create opportunities.
• Take care of what we have.
• Coordinate among partners.

Terms are two years with the option of serving two terms. Meetings are scheduled every two months and are located around the state and can be attended remotely.

Interested individuals should complete the application form online
(www.legacy.leg.mn/parks-and-trails-legacy-advisory-committee-member-application) or send applications to Darin Newman, Department of Natural Resources, Box 39, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155 or email to: darin.newman@state.mn.us.

The deadline for applications is Monday, Dec. 22. 

Brown’s Creek State Trail opens, capping construction season at Minnesota state parks and trails

Following the installation of a bridge over Manning Avenue in June and the recent completion of paving, Brown’s Creek State Trail is now open, the Department of Natural Resources announced today. The 6-mile trail connects Stillwater to the Gateway State Trail, which continues to St. Paul.

“With the nice weather we’ve been having, many people may still be able to get out this fall for a walk or a bike ride on Brown’s Creek State Trail,” said Erika Rivers, director of the DNR’s Parks and Trails Division. “It’s a very exciting addition to the Minnesota state parks and trails system, and the DNR is grateful to Washington County, the city of Stillwater and the Gateway-Brown’s Creek Trail Association for their support throughout the project.”

Rivers added that the DNR and representatives of these organizations look forward to celebrating the completion of the trail at a special event on Saturday, June 6, in conjunction with National Trails Day.

The trail is one of several major projects wrapping up or recently completed at Minnesota state parks and trails, expanding outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the state.

“Reinvesting in Minnesota’s outdoor recreation infrastructure will help us connect more people to the great outdoors,” Rivers said. “Assistance from many local government partners and community organizations was key to completing these projects. Legacy funding also made many of them possible.”

In addition to trail, highlights of the 2014 construction season include:

An 11,000-square-foot visitor center and MnDOT safety rest area with a view of Lake Superior opened at Tettegouche State Park in June.

Four camper cabins opened in June at Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park in southeastern Minnesota.

The 4-mile Vermilion Park Drive was paved at Lake Vermilion State Park, where work will begin next spring on a modern campground.

A restroom building and visitor plaza opened at the Ray Berglund State Wayside on the North Shore in July.

A 6-mile trail segment connecting the Paul Bunyan State Trail to Crow Wing State Park opened in July.

Scott County took the lead to pave a 4-mile segment of the Minnesota Valley State Trail, which runs parallel to state Highway 101, from Memorial Park in Shakopee to the Wilkie Unit of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, east of Valleyfair.

Renovation of an historic camp store into a guesthouse and a new, 5-mile segment of the bike trail at Itasca State Park were completed in September.

Two historic shelters, Ladyslipper Lodge and Lakeview Lodge, were renovated at Gooseberry Falls State Park, and can now be rented by visitors.

A new trailhead—with expanded parking, a changing station and a vault toilet—is near completion at Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area.

Seven yurts were constructed this summer—two at Afton State Park, two at Glendalough State Park and three at Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area—and will open as soon as wood-burning stoves are installed and final inspections are conducted.

This is a partial list of recent projects; many more are done or underway. Most of the funding for development and rehabilitation projects comes from bonding and the Parks and Trails Fund, which receives 14.25 percent of the Legacy Amendment sales tax revenue. For fiscal year 2014 (which ended June 30), the Parks and Trails Division budgeted $4.22 million for new development projects and $3.88 million for rehabilitation projects.

Recent data suggest that Minnesotans’ investments in the outdoors are resulting in increased participation in outdoor recreation. For example, as of the end of September, year-to-date sales of daily state park vehicle permits were up 2 percent over last year, and sales of year-round permits were up 5 percent.

“While capital improvement projects and permit sales are two tangible measures of success,” Rivers said, “more important are the many positive memories families took home with them after visiting Minnesota state parks and trails throughout the summer and this amazing fall. Those memories will last a lifetime.”

For a map and more information about Brown’s Creek State Trail, visit www.mn.dnr.gov). For other information about Minnesota state parks and trails, visit www.mndnr.gov or call the Information Center
651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.