In Crow Wing County, a perennial hot-button issue comes on four wheels.
A proposed all-terrain vehicle trail brought applause Tuesday from some and heated written words from others. In the end, the county board approved submitting a trail route in the southeastern corner of the county to the DNR for Grant-in-Aid Trail designation. The proposed trail would connect existing trails in Fort Ripley and Pine Center.
The proposed trail route, covering about 47 miles, travels through Fort Ripley Township on County Road 2 through St. Mathias Township joining County Road 45 to connect with County Road 139 in Daggett Brook Township into Platte Lake Township and then north along County Road 132 up to Maple Grove Township before it turns back to the east to ultimately connect with Five Mile Road and Butternut Road as it goes through Nokay Lake, Oak Lawn and Long Lake townships.
Long Lake Township supported the proposal. St. Mathias Township sent in a letter strongly opposed to the use of township roads, as originally proposed. Township supervisors said they opposed any ATV trail in any part of the township and said they would do whatever necessary to stop one, including banning ATVs and off-road vehicles entirely. Commissioners took exception to the language and said the township did not have the authority to ban use of ATVs or OHVs - off-highway vehicles - beyond control of township road use.
Commissioner Phil Trusty said the proposal is a way to tie in the Pine Center and Fort Ripley riding areas for a loop. Trusty said he'd like to sit down and talk to St. Mathias supervisors to see if there was a way to work around the concerns, but that didn't seem possible from the letter.
Commissioner Paul Thiede described the letter as acrimonious, counterproductive and one that didn't blend well with trying to build relationships. Thiede said the county wanted to capitalize on recreational opportunities and didn't want to destroy the environment.
ATV damage to the landscape has been one concern of those opposed to a trail system.
St. Mathias Township Supervisor Becky Eckelman said the township felt backed into a corner when a map of the route was presented to the town board earlier this summer. Eckelman said people don't live in the country to hear ATVs going by all the time. She said a designated trail and maps may attract thousands of riders from outside the area to travel along township residents' front yards.
The township has about 500 residents. There are about 9,300 registered ATVs in the county, reported Darrel Palmer, Central Lakes ATV Club president. As trail ambassadors, Palmer said they do not see the amount of traffic people are concerned about. Palmer said there are five area ATV clubs with more than 800 members and the county is the fifth largest for ATV registration in the state.
Commissioner Rachel Reabe Nystrom told Eckelman the rural township residents were no more targeted than the people who live by the landfill or water treatment facility, which also serve the common good.
In addition, the board approved a Minneapolis-based Dovetail Partners proposal to create a comprehensive recreational trail plan for $68,000 during the next two years with parks reserve funds.
Mark Liedl, land services director, said the effort of identifying a trail plan may be combined with a comprehensive forest management assessment following guidelines from the Forest Stewardship Council. Trusty said the county doesn't have a good grip on trails and Dovetail will provide information the county needs.
The dedicated parks fund dollars may only be spent for parks and recreation purposes by state law. The fund is replenished through portions of tax-forfeited land sales and timber sales on tax-forfeited land.
RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
To Subscribe to the Brainerd Dispatch, Click Here.
Note: Comments are not edited and don't represent the views of The Brainerd Dispatch. Please read our posting rules in the terms of service policy. To report a post that may be inappropriate, click the triangle alert icon.
Top Commented Articles
