Duluth, MN - Minnesotans for Responsible Recreation celebrates ten years of protecting quiet places this Saturday, June 2 from 2:00 8:00 p.m. at Indian Point Campground on the St. Louis River in Duluth. The outdoor celebration will feature activities for kids and adults, an Art of Quiet Places display, canoe and kayak paddle, picnic cuisine, a playful live auction of outdoor gear and the music and poetry of quiet places. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at the door. More information can be found on MRRs website at http://www.mnresponsiblerec.org/celebration.html or by calling 218-740-3175.
MRRs Executive Director, Jeff Brown says "While a quiet majority of Minnesotans seek quiet places, quiet seeking people tend to be quiet. If we are to protect the states remaining quiet places we must raise awareness of the value of these places and of MRRs history and commitment to protecting them." Brown invites Minnesotans to "make a noise for peace and quiet" this Saturday by attending the 10th anniversary benefit event.
Minnesotans for Responsible Recreation was founded in Duluth in 1996 after a two year campaign to protect the citys neighborhoods, Canal Park and treasured Lakewalk from a proposed crosstown snowmobile trail. Since then, MRR has successfully protected the North Shore, Superior Hiking Trail, Mesabi Trail Bikeway and state forests from proposed ATV routes and scramble areas. In 1999 MRR published a nationally acclaimed landmark report, Off-Highway Vehicles in Minnesota, that stimulated the current public discussion and debate about the place of these machines on Minnesotas landscape. Most recently, MRR convinced the City of Duluth to make all land off-limits to ATVs and then partnered with the city to develop a model Citizen Trail Watch program to assess and restore damaged hiking and skiing trails. MRR is currently working to reform or abolish public gas-tax funding of motorized recreation and to implement standards to protect the state from the noise, fumes, danger to others and environmental damage caused by these machines.
