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Most Crow Wing trails could be off limits to motor vehicles
Outdoors Editor Most state forest trails in Crow Wing County would be closed to motor vehicles unless posted as open under a proposal announced Tuesday by the DNR.
The "limited" classification that this proposal falls under is one of three classifications the DNR uses to manage motor vehicle traffic on state land. The others are "managed," in which trails are open to vehicles unless posted as closed, and "closed," in which all lands are closed to motor vehicles.
The DNR will accept comments on the proposal through June 21. A public meeting to discuss the proposal is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. on June 21 at the Northland Arboretum in Baxter. The meeting will be co-hosted by the DNR and Crow Wing County.
Motor vehicle use classifications provide the framework for managing vehicle use on state forest lands, which currently are classified as managed. About 15 percent of the 25,000 acres of state forest land in Crow Wing County does not have existing trails and would be classified as "closed" under the proposal.
The limited classification was chosen because it fits the criteria the DNR developed for the county and because it's identical to plans county land managers have for lands they manage, said Tim Browning, DNR regional manager for trails and waterways.
"We always try to complement the other governmental lands around us," Browning said. "It's more friendly to the public than if they had to know how different lands are managed. The county board ultimately approved this approach. It was a joint effort."
The DNR also has proposed designations for 104 miles of existing routes on state forest lands in the county. The route designations will determine where all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, off-road vehicles such as 4 x 4 trucks, and highway-licensed vehicles will be allowed to operate.
The proposal is to designate 25 miles as minimum maintenance state forest roads that will be open to HLVs, ATVs, OHMs and ORVs. An additional 20 miles of existing routes would be designated as trails for ATV and OHM use. Five miles are proposed for designation as hiking or hunter walking trails that would be closed to motor vehicle use.
About half of the existing routes would remain non-designated. The 45 miles of non-designated routes on forest lands classified as limited would not be available for motor vehicle use except during big game hunting and trapping seasons. The nine miles of non-designated routes on forest lands classified as closed would not be available for any public motor vehicle use.
At the June public meeting DNR and Crow Wing County land managers will present the proposals, respond to questions and accept comments. The classification proposal, road and trail designation plan and related maps can be viewed on the DNR Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us.
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