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Wednesday, March 29, 2006
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Conservation proposal gets some support
Senior Reporter A conservation proposal would set aside nearly 2,000 acres and 2.8 miles of Mississippi River frontage just northeast of Brainerd for public use and prohibit future development.
Tuesday the plan, called the Mississippi River Northwoods proposal, gained support from most - but not all - Crow Wing County commissioners.
At issue is a forest legacy program conservation easement. Potlatch would retain land ownership and an ability to sustain the area as a working forest, meaning it can cut timber there. But the proposal would have Potlatch selling development rights to the state, with the DNR Forestry Division owning the easement.
The public would gain recreational areas for fishing, hiking, hunting, bird watching, snowmobiling on an existing trail system and use of the planned bike trail link between Crosby and Brainerd. Potlatch is against all-terrain vehicle use on the site, which is in Oak Lawn Township. The proposal sets aside the land as a natural resource, prohibiting future development on the site.
Commissioner Dewey Tautges voted against the plan, speaking strongly in favor of using the land for an all-terrain vehicle park.
Susan Schmidt, Trust for Public Land Minnesota office director, said this area was on the top of many people's lists as one they wanted to protect.
The Trust for Public Land works is a national nonprofit organization working to conserve land for people for use as public parks, historic sites and natural spaces. The organization helps agencies and communities identify land for conservation and find ways to fund those plans. The estimated property value for the Potlatch property in question is $6.5 million to $7 million.
Schmidt said the proposal is in good running for limited federal money and competitive state dollars for forest legacy projects. But she said local governments, private sources and conservationists will be asked to provide funding sources. Completing the project could take three years, Schmidt said. If the proposal was finalized the land could not be developed and Potlatch would not be able to lease the site privately to hunters.
Gary Drotts, DNR Brainerd area office, said the land will face high density housing development pressure without a conservation easement and this proposal effectively protects the shoreline from French Rapids north toward Ironton.
More on ATVs
A draft all-terrain vehicle ordinance regulating ATV use in county road right-of-ways is the subject of two public meetings - 7 p.m. April 18 in Crosslake, planned at the Crosslake Community Center, and 7 p.m. April 19 in Brainerd at the Courthouse Annex (formerly the Service Building) Meeting Room One. The building is behind the courthouse on Laurel Street.
The board plans to have a public hearing, where a vote may be taken, at its regular board meeting on April 25, which it plans to have in Crosslake.
A draft ordinance will be available online at www.co.crow-wing.mn.us by the end of the week.
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In order to move forward, Schmidt said the plan needed backing from the county board. Tautges was in favor of prohibiting development as a way to protect the county's investment in the nearby landfill and Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport. But Tautges said he wanted an ATV park and could not support anything else.
"To me it's the ideal location for an ATV park," he said.
Tautges suggested the county propose a land trade between Potlatch and the county.
Board Chairman Ed Larsen said he doubted the land was close enough to the airport or the landfill to stop development on it. Looking at the land's estimated value, Larsen said the county would have to trade larger amounts of the public land just to match it. Land Commissioner Tom Cowell agreed with Larsen, saying the ratio of timbered public land to Potlatch's could be three or four to one.
Michael Kearns, county facilities and parks director, said the county has another option for an ATV park in Irondale Township.
Commissioner Gary Walters agreed an ATV park is needed, but said he didn't believe this property was feasible as the site. Walters said he didn't consider it a deal breaker, but he asked Schmidt to see if Potlatch would allow a corridor ATV trail. Schmidt agreed to ask, but said Potlatch was not in favor of ATV use on the site but would consider other recreation like ski trails.
Commissioner Terry Sluss said he often disagreed with Tautges during property rights discussions. Tautges is a strong proponent of property rights. Sluss said this time the property owner is against ATV use and should be able to do what it wants and the board can at the same time preserve public rights to the land.
Commissioner John Ferrari agreed, saying: "The big thing is keeping this open to the public."
RENEE RICHARDSON can be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
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