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County board
passes resolution on Tilbury Trail
3/28/05
By Rhonda Silence
At the last two meetings of the Cook County
Board of Commissioners, there has been
discussion regarding a Hovland area snowmobile
trail and a proposed reroute. On Tuesday, March
22, 2005 commissioners made final changes to a
resolution asking the US Forest Service to
reopen the trail, which local property owners
call the Tilbury Trail and which the Forest
Service calls the Royal River Trail, until a
safe alternative route is decided upon and
constructed.
County Commissioners expressed frustration that
although the snowmobile trail has been in
existence for over 40 years, the US Forest
Service did not determine that a reroute was
necessary until 2001. At that time, Gunflint
District Ranger Dennis Neitzke appeared before
the Cook County board explaining that the
snowmobile trail was infringing on the Boundary
Water Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). He asked
the county to allow snowmobile traffic along the
side of the Arrowhead Trail as a temporary
snowmobile route while a new trail was
undergoing the necessary environmental studies
and construction.
That, as Commissioner Jan Hall pointed out at
the latest county board meeting, was several
years ago. "When the Forest Service came to
this board, they told us this was temporary. If
we had been told it was going to take three to
four years, we may have taken a different
tack."
There was little discussion of the motion which
asks the Forest Service to select and construct
a safe and logical alternative route as soon as
possible; reinstate its former policy of
allowing the Royal River Trail to be used by
snowmobilers, until such time that a permanent
alternative is completed; and as a goodwill
gesture, to dismiss any enforcement actions that
were taken this year against snowmobilers using
the Royal River Trail.
Commissioner Bob Fenwick expressed concern about
the language regarding enforcement. "I'm
not sure we should ask that they change their
enforcement measures-but I leave that to the
board," he said.
Commissioner Hall reiterated that the problem
was that the Forest Service did not complete the
process before it began enforcing the trail
closure. Fenwick said, "I wish enforcement
hadn't become an issue. I would hope that any
first-time offender had been given a warning.
However, right or wrong, they have the right to
close that route."
Fenwick did not block the motion however, in
fact, he made the motion to approve the
resolution. Commissioner Fritz Sobanja seconded,
and the motion carried unanimously.
The county board then discussed a letter
introduced by Commissioner Jim Johnson regarding
the snowmobile trail as well as the designation
of the Vegetable Lakes area of Cook County as a
semi-primitive non-motorized recreation
management area (SPNM). Johnson said he intended
to send the letter to the county's federal
legislators and asked his colleagues if they
wanted the letter to come from the entire board.
In the letter, Johnson proposed an entirely
different alternative to the snowmobile trail
reroute. Noting that the snowmobile trail had
been in use for two decades without penalty, he
suggested that the Forest Service allow
continued usage. He wrote, "The most common
sense solution to this problem is to grant an
easement through the BWCA along the already
established trail. If the BWCA Act could be
amended to allow a snowmobile trail, it would go
a long way toward solving the problem."
Johnson's letter asked legislators to consider
the idea, and if not feasible, to listen to
local input regarding the preferred route for
the relocated trail. He noted that local
residents, the primary users of the trail,
prefer Alternative #2, which they believe is
shorter and safer.
Regarding the Vegetable
Lake non-motorized designation, Johnson
expressed concern that local residents, as well
as Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
representatives felt left out of the process.
Johnson said in both matters, "local input
is crucial to the process."
His colleagues said they believed it was a good
letter, and agreed that Johnson should send it
on his own. Commissioner Sobanja said, "I
think it's valuable coming from a single
commissioner. I'm for it."
Commissioner Fenwick asked Johnson to share
whatever response he receives with the rest of
the board.
The board also discussed signage regarding
snowmobiles on the Hungry Jack Road. Snowmobile
traffic was successfully rerouted this winter
onto a trail off of this potentially dangerous
road. However, County Attorney Bill Hennessy
noted that signs cautioning drivers to watch for
snowmobiles on the road could be confusing.
Highway Maintenance Supervisor Paul VanderHeiden
told the board that the "watch for
snowmobiles" sign had been removed. He said
when the weather improves enough to install
signs, new signs will be erected marking the two
locations where the snowmobile trail crosses the
Hungry Jack Road.
Commissioner Hall noted that the reroute of that
snowmobile trail had been overseen by a
Snowmobile Task Force and suggested that the
group reconvene to look at similar situations
throughout the county. The board agreed and Hall
said she would work to get the Task Force
together again.
The board also heard a brief update from
Planning Director Tim Nelson on two Lutsen
issues. Nelson said the document governing the
Caribou Lake AUAR committee was still being
worked on and should be ready at the first
County Board meeting in April. He said in the
interim, the committee planned to meet to
discuss the ordinances proposed for Caribou
Lake, anticipating formal recognition of the
committee by the board later in the month.
Nelson also told the board that the planned
Public Hearing regarding zoning changes in
Lutsen had been postponed at the Lutsen Land Use
Planning committee's request.
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