Converting a state trail in northeastern Minnesota to allow all-terrain vehicle driving would cost at least $875,000, according to a draft study by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and would involve flattening hills, installing dozens of culverts, and rerouting miles of trail around wetlands and other sensitive areas.
The 146-mile North Shore State Trail is currently used by snowmobilers in winter, and by hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers during the summer. It is not the same as the Superior Hiking Trail, a 205-mile footpath that follows the ridge above Lake Superior.
The North Shore State Trail is not open to ATV riders except for one 6-mile portion. However, ATV clubs asked the DNR to open the trail to off-road driving, and the 2005 Legislature ordered the agency to examine the feasibility of such a change.
The 70-page report focused on the physical changes that would be needed to accommodate summertime ATV use, and said the largest environmental concern is how driving on the trail would affect the 78 protected trout streams and tributaries that it crosses. To protect the waters, according to the study, the DNR would need to install 239 new and 37 replacement culverts.
It would also need to regrade the trail in 190 relatively flat locations to form a crown, or a high point in the middle so that water would flow to the sides. Otherwise, according to the report, water would puddle along the trail, and drivers would create ruts, wide spots or alternate routes.
The study also indicates that wetlands would need to be filled along nearly 10,000 feet of trail, including more than a half-mile of former railroad grade that is sinking slowly into a swamp. It estimates that 77 hills would need to be reshaped because their slopes "are highly susceptible to erosion by wheeled vehicles."
The draft report also indicates that opening the entire trail to summer motorized use could be complicated legally, because land along the route is owned by private individuals and companies as well as state, county and federal agencies. Easements or other trail agreements may need to be "revisited," according to the report, and state and federal environmental studies would also be required.
Craig Engwall, special assistant to the DNR commissioner, said the agency is not prepared to comment on the report. "It's a working staff draft that the commissioner's office hasn't seen or reviewed or commented on," he said. The feasibility study will be completed during the next month and a final copy will go to the Legislature by March 1, Engwall said.
The draft is dated Jan. 17 and began circulating via the Internet. Engwall said he does not know how the report was disseminated, but that its release was premature and unauthorized.
Dave Hendricks, president of the All-Terrain Vehicle Association of Minnesota, said he had seen the report but had not studied it carefully. He said that ATV groups want to ride on trails that are "sustainable," and will look elsewhere if the North Shore State Trail proves unsuitable.
Matt Norton, wildlife and forestry advocate for the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, said the cost estimates in the DNR draft study seem low, but he was not surprised by the environmental concerns. "The DNR is asking what do we need to do to make this trail happen," he said. "We all should be asking whether motorizing another whole swath of the state that's known for its scenic beauty is in keeping with our stewardship responsibilities."Minneapolis Star Tribune
