02-05-2004, 03:49 AM
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) presented draft plans recommending that a third of existing forest routes remain open to off-highway vehicle (OHV) use in four Pine County state forests. Previously established forest roads, designated OHV trails, and OHV grant-in-aid trails are not affected.
The state forests include the Nemadji, St. Croix, General C.C. Andrews, and Chengwatana. All are located in Pine County and are classified as “limited,” which means that OHV use is permitted only on trails posted open, leaving the rest of the forest closed to motorized use. OHVs will not be permitted to ride on unsigned roads, skid trails or other existing routes through these forests under the proposed plans. Certain big game hunting and trapping activities will still be allowed under state law.
The proposed OHV trail designations are the result of 2003 legislation directing DNR to officially designate or close state forest trails to OHV use. These decisions are to be based upon an inventory of routes currently being used by OHVs and the suitability of these routes to sustain vehicle use. Previously established forest roads, designated OHV trails, and OHV grant-in-aid trails are not affected. DNR staff from the divisions of Enforcement, Fisheries and Wildlife, Trails, Forestry and Ecological Services have carefully catalogued and reviewed each undesignated route and issued their recommendations.
The recommendation to open or close a route was based upon:
- Trail need and purpose for public access
- Physical suitability of the treadway for OHV use
- Potential for environmental impacts and
- Availability of measures to avoid or control any concerns.
"We examined what was already on the ground and determined where OHVs could be operated sustainably without damaging natural resources," said Rick Dunkley, forest supervisor for these forests. "Where good trail management was not possible or didn't make good sense, those routes were proposed to be closed. The result will be win-win. We'll have more and better managed riding opportunities while eliminating problem routes."
The trail inventory identified approximately 300 miles of currently undesignated routes across the four east-central Minnesota forests. Of this total mileage, about one-third is proposed to be designated "open" to OHV use, while the remaining 200 miles will remain undesignated or "closed" under the draft proposal.
DNR officials said that the net effect is that riders will have more places to ride on routes that are better managed, monitored and enforced. The tradeoff is that fewer informal routes will remain open to OHVs. The recommendations are DNR’s attempt to balance competing needs for forest access with its mission to preserve and protect forests for future generations.
Plans and maps detailing the DNR's trail-related recommendations are available on the DNR Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us. Click on "public input" and then "management plans."
A public meeting on the proposed OHV trail designations is planned for 6 - 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 14, at the Community Center, 7369 Highway 61, Rutledge.
Copies of the trail designation proposal and a map of the affected areas are also available from Bill Johnson, DNR Office of Management and Budget, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4052; phone (651) 296-9229 or toll free 1-888-MINNDNR (646-6367).
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The state forests include the Nemadji, St. Croix, General C.C. Andrews, and Chengwatana. All are located in Pine County and are classified as “limited,” which means that OHV use is permitted only on trails posted open, leaving the rest of the forest closed to motorized use. OHVs will not be permitted to ride on unsigned roads, skid trails or other existing routes through these forests under the proposed plans. Certain big game hunting and trapping activities will still be allowed under state law.
The proposed OHV trail designations are the result of 2003 legislation directing DNR to officially designate or close state forest trails to OHV use. These decisions are to be based upon an inventory of routes currently being used by OHVs and the suitability of these routes to sustain vehicle use. Previously established forest roads, designated OHV trails, and OHV grant-in-aid trails are not affected. DNR staff from the divisions of Enforcement, Fisheries and Wildlife, Trails, Forestry and Ecological Services have carefully catalogued and reviewed each undesignated route and issued their recommendations.
The recommendation to open or close a route was based upon:
- Trail need and purpose for public access
- Physical suitability of the treadway for OHV use
- Potential for environmental impacts and
- Availability of measures to avoid or control any concerns.
"We examined what was already on the ground and determined where OHVs could be operated sustainably without damaging natural resources," said Rick Dunkley, forest supervisor for these forests. "Where good trail management was not possible or didn't make good sense, those routes were proposed to be closed. The result will be win-win. We'll have more and better managed riding opportunities while eliminating problem routes."
The trail inventory identified approximately 300 miles of currently undesignated routes across the four east-central Minnesota forests. Of this total mileage, about one-third is proposed to be designated "open" to OHV use, while the remaining 200 miles will remain undesignated or "closed" under the draft proposal.
DNR officials said that the net effect is that riders will have more places to ride on routes that are better managed, monitored and enforced. The tradeoff is that fewer informal routes will remain open to OHVs. The recommendations are DNR’s attempt to balance competing needs for forest access with its mission to preserve and protect forests for future generations.
Plans and maps detailing the DNR's trail-related recommendations are available on the DNR Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us. Click on "public input" and then "management plans."
A public meeting on the proposed OHV trail designations is planned for 6 - 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 14, at the Community Center, 7369 Highway 61, Rutledge.
Copies of the trail designation proposal and a map of the affected areas are also available from Bill Johnson, DNR Office of Management and Budget, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4052; phone (651) 296-9229 or toll free 1-888-MINNDNR (646-6367).
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