Draft Letter for the DNR trail coments

[Guest]

Excellent Dave! Did you write that?

Please, anyone who can send this one in, send it.

[This message has been edited by Bornofice (edited 01-21-2002).]

[Dave]

No, I can't take the credit. The ATVAM people composed it.

[Guest]

Thanks again, Dave. You are a valuable asset to the ATV forum and FishingMinnesota.

I faxed my support in and my wife will mail her copy.

[Dave]

Guys, here's a draft of a letter you can send to the DNR guy (Donald Buckhout). I received it today from ATVAM.....All Terrain Vehicle Association of Minnesota

Of course, add or delete as you wish, sign, date, mail or FAX.....no emails will count.......
********************************************

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Office of Management and Budget Services
ATTN: Donald W. Buckhout
500 Lafayette Road
St Paul, MN 55155-4010

RE: Moosewalk/Mooserun ATV Trail EAW Comments

Dear Don Buckout,

After reviewing the EAW you have prepared for the Moosewalk/Mooserun ATV Trail. I am ready to submit comments on select areas of the EAW.

Number 6. Description

General Information

I believe it is important to state the existing situation, that being the
DNR forest lands and the Lake county forest lands in this area are in a "Managed" forest classification. Which means all forest roads and trails are open to Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) travel unless posted closed. This means that all of the trail in this proposal, except the 6.6 miles of the
NSST is open and has been open for OHV use. However under that condition no specific monitoring or maintenance occurs unless timber management activities are occurring.

Under the proposed change of including this system in the ATV grant program routine maintenance and monitoring will occur. Existing trail conditions will be improved as will the overall conditions of the forest. This is the right approach to take and certainly the responsible thing to do.

Trail Construction

The majority of this trail project is utilizing existing trail and forest
road. Some wetlands have been filled in the past to accommodate other use and timber management. Those conditions should be maintained, and drainage improved if necessary. The need to fill additional wetlands in these areas shouldn't exist. Most of this trail has been built twelve to twenty feet wide, this ATV activity only needs eight feet. If additional wetlands are
encountered most can be avoided with some trail realignment. If wetlands must be crossed this can be reasonably and economically accomplished with wooden boardwalks. ATV's are light weight with low ground pressure thus making boardwalks a very practical alternative to filling or hardening a wetland. This process does not require a permit either, when properly
installed.

Wildlife Resources

Concur with your assessment that very little direct loss or adverse impacts to wildlife resources will occur as a result of this project. Actually you state it as ".... a result of new trail construction." I wouldn't term this project as new trail development because 97% of the alignment is existing and presently be used trail and road. The 3% of new alignment is not
totally new development but rather reclaiming an existing road bed.

It should also be noted that the proposed season of operation is from June 1 through November each year. This means the trail will be closed during the early nesting period each year which is the most critical period of time for wildlife. Studies have also been conducted out west on elk and deer to comparing motorized impacts to non-motorized. These studies determined that
when the activity happens upon these animals the non-motorized has a greater impact to the animals circulation system and energy level. This is because the "silent sport" surprises the animal by all of sudden appearing and frightens the animal. They also tended to travel further from the sight of encounter with the non-motorized.

With the motorized encounter the animal usually heard the vehicle approaching and had time to prepare for it. If it needed to move it usually had adequate time to do so without becoming startled. If the vehicles
stopped to observe this would some times result in an elevated heart rate as
it moved further away. Copy of this study is available through NOHVCC if you would like to review it.

Number 22. Vehicle-related air emissions

Gas study done for ATV use indicated 0.18 percent of state fuel consumption can be attributed to ATV use within the state. Therefore the internal combustion emissions that is attributed to ATV use in Minnesota is very small. This is largely due to the small engines used to power these vehicles and the fact they get very good gas mileage.

Number 24. Noise

DNR rules for noise limits on ATV's state that all ATV's must be equipped with a functioning spark arrester type muffler and a United States Forest Service approved spark arrester. Also states ATV's may not be operated in the state unless equipped with a muffler where overall noise emissions do not exceed a sound limitation of not more than 99 decibels on the A scale at a distance of twenty (20) inches using the test procedures and instrumentation as set forth in the Society of Automotive Engineers'
Standards, SAE J1287 June of 1987. DNR staff will be trained and this rule will be enforced. Machines that are in compliance with this rule will not exceed MPCA Standards for noise as outlined in the EAW.

Fugitive Dust

With the humid weather and normal rainfall this will not be an issue most of the time. Shaded woods trails generally do not dry out adequately to be dusting until late afternoon if no additional precipitation is received. Recreational ATV riders typically wear long pants and long sleeve riding
shirts. Because of this the days when the dust would be the worst, hot dry days, are also the most uncomfortable for riding so use will generally be low.

Number 25. Nearby resources

The NSST has not been maintained for non-motorized summer use. It has always been open for that use but little has been done to encourage the use because demand has been so low. During some years the trail was mowed once during the summer, but as ATV use has increased this effort has been reduced. Therefore the ATV use has also reduced maintenance cost of the trail.

Respectfully,

[Dave]

Thanks, Bornofice but, I think we're all an asset to this site. And, Rick should send all of us a check...lol