MN DNR West Central Trails Plan Review Comments Needed

[Dave]

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has

begun motorized access planning for six state forests in

west-central Minnesota this past September.

It is very important that ATVers send in comments regarding

this process! Most of this group of state forests is south

of Hwy 2 which means they WILL be classified as LIMITED or

CLOSED. We’ve been told that the DNR has received dozens

of negative comments regarding this area and only ONE

positive comment to keep ATV trails open. WE NEED TO BE

ACTIVE IN THIS PROCESS IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ACCESS

THESE AREAS ON ATVS.

The planning effort, which the DNR is calling the "West

Central Group" of state forests, includes the Lyons,

Huntersville, Smoky Hills, Two Inlets, White Earth and

Mississippi Headwaters state forests, as well as scattered

forestry lands in Douglas, Todd, Otter Tail, Wadena,

Becker, Mahnomen, Clearwater and southwestern Beltrami

counties. The West Central Group is a cooperative

planning effort among the DNR; Clearwater, Becker and

Beltrami counties; and the White Earth Band's Natural

Resources Department.

The DNR and cooperating agencies have co-hosted open houses

in September/October 2006 so the public could review

preliminary base maps of inventoried access routes and

COMMENT ON CURRENT AND DESIRED FUTURE PUBLIC USES

(motorized and non-motorized) of forestry-administered

lands within the project area. The planning team will use

the public comments to refine base maps and produce

preliminary proposals for motorized use classifications and

road and trail designations.

The goal of the coordinated planning effort is to create

consistent access plans, which will best serve forest users

within the West Central planning area. While the DNR,

tribal and county land managers will ultimately develop

their own forest road and trail plans for the lands they

manage within each state forest's boundary, the agencies

have formed this interagency working group to better

coordinate each jurisdiction's plans.

Public comments received throughout the planning process

will be shared among cooperating agencies, so interested

parties need only submit comment once. Likewise, maps for

the entire planning unit are available at:

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/input/mgmtplans/ohv/designation/status.html

scroll down to the bottom to “WEST CENTRAL GROUP” to view

maps.

For more information or to send in comments, contact Bill

Johnson, DNR Trails and Waterways planner at (651) 259-5643

or [email protected].

Postal mailed comments can be sent to:

Bill Johnson

DNR Trails and Waterways – Box 52

500 Lafayette Road

St. Paul, MN 55155-4040