Action Alerts and News

State Forest Off-Highway Vehicle System Proposals

11/4/05  MRR Requests Change in St. Louis Co. Board meeting re DNR Off-Highway Vehicle Plan for Cloquet Valley State Forest

North Shore State Trail

1/26/06, DNR moving on North Shore ATV trail report
OUTDOORS: Draft indicates project to make trail suitable for ATVs would require flattening about 100 hills. Duluth News Tribune

1/17/06, ATV Use on the North Shore State Trail - DNR Feasibility Study

11/4/05  ATVs Reconsidered on North Shore State Trail, Duluth News Tribune

11/1/05  ATVs Proposed for North Shore State Trail:  DNR and St. Louis County Land Department will be meeting to discuss a feasibility study regarding ATV use on the North Shore State Trail.  Friday, November 4, 1:00 p.m., St. Louis County Land Department, 320 West Second St., Duluth.  

County notes that "this is not a public hearing or public meeting."  MRR encourages interested citizens to attend, observe and be informed about proposals and actions to convert the North Shore State Trail to ATV use.

North Shore State Trail Background Information, Study Mandate & LCMR Tour Map

ATV Use on the North Shore State Trail: A Feasibility Study (Discussion Draft - 10/20/05) and Map

More on the North Shore State Trail

MRR and Off-Highway Vehicles

In 1999, MRR published a landmark evidentiary report documenting the impacts of OHVs and the policies, practices and institution that wittingly and unwittingly promote these impacts. (See bottom of page for more info on this report.)

All-terrain vehicles, dirt-bike motorcycles and four-wheel-drive trucks or "off-highway vehicles" ("OHVs") are negatively impacting Minnesota’s trails, waterways and quality of life. DNR policies allow these machines unrestricted access to over 95% of Minnesota’s state forest land. Monitoring of ongoing OHV effects, enforcement of OHV laws and repair of accumulating damage is inadequate. Proposed Minnesota DNR plans may increase OHV damage as well as conflicts with other visitors to our parks, trails and forests.

MRR Recommendations:
There is a place for everything when everything is in its place. To determine what place off-highway vehicles might have in Minnesota’s forests and on and along our trails and waterways, MRR works in legislative, administrative and legal arenas to implement the following:

• "Designated Routes Only Policy" to require these machines to stay in selected areas and on selected trails
• Public and environmental review, ie, completion of an Environmental Assessment Worksheet or Environmental Impact Statement, for proposed ATV, dirt-bike motorcycle, and four-wheel drive truck routes
• Funding for adequate monitoring, enforcement and reparations
• Repair existing damage
• Implement recommendations from the Legislative Auditor's 2003 Program Evaluation Report: State Funded Trails for Motorized Recreation

Reports

2003 Office of the Legislative Auditor Program Evaluation Report:  State-Funded Trails for Motorized Recreation

2002 Caught in the Treads: Unethical Advertising in the ATV Industry, Izaak Walton League

2001 St. Louis County Recreation Participation Survey Report: County residents seek peace & quiet

1999 Off-Highway Vehicles in Minnesota, Minnesotans for Responsible Recreation.  Click on report cover for 46 MB PDF report in its entirety. 

(Available for purchase in hard copy.)

Off-Highway Vehicles in Minnesota
        The following files are smaller pdf documents.         

Minnesota Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) 2003-2008

Wisconsin State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) 2000-2005

MRR on the Motorized Recreation Money Trail

4/6/05  MRR Requests Data on Grant-in-Aid Funding Accountability and Proposed Duluth-Area Crosstown State Snowmobile Trail
4/5/05  MRR Calls on DNR to Withhold Public Trail Funds from Snowmobile Club Violating Grant-in-aid Agreements
2004 Seeking Accountability on the Money Trail
MRR on the Motorized Money Trail

Not-so-funny-money

Case Studies of Systemic Failure of Minnesota's Motorized Recreation Funding Program: 

Case #1 - Rep. David Dill, the Voyageur Trail Society and the City of Orr

• 7/12/04 Minnesota State Auditor's Report on Voyageur Trail Society, the City of Orr and Rep. David Dill

• 7/12/04 Press Release from MRR Concerning Auditor's Report on Voyageur trail Society, the City of Orr and Representative David Dill 

Case #2 - The "Missing Link" Snowmobile Trail 
in Hermantown:  See above "Action Alerts! and News"

Learn more about Gas Tax Funds

MINNESOTA

Duluth

• MRR and the City of Duluth launch a community-wide monitoring and enforcement campaign.
• Neighborhood Police Station and Officer's Contact Information
• 2/3/04 Duluth City Council Voted 7-2 to Ban ATVs on all Duluth Public Lands  ATVs Banned in the City of Duluth   

• Duluth OHV Monitoring Campaign Help protect Duluth's parks and quality of life from the impacts of OHVs. Volunteer monitors needed.

• 2/2/04 Duluth News Tribune Article "Duluth Considers ATV Ban"

• Proposed ATV Resolution for the City of Duluth by Councilors Stewart and Ness

• 1/25/04 MRRs "Point of View" published in the Duluth News Tribune

• Photo Sheet (pdf)

• Talking Points (pdf) 

• Duluth Trails and Public Lands (a pdf photo essay)

• Restoration Plans from Boreal Natives restoration company (pdf)

• Photos of ATV Damage to Duluth Parks (pdf) 

• More Photos of ATV damage to Duluth Parks and Public Lands

• 10/15/03  Duluth City Council Candidates Agree to Prohibit ATVs on Duluth's City Lands   Proactive Steps to Protect Duluth's Public Lands from ATV Damage        Survey Response Data        Survey         Cover Letter   

Mesabi State Trail

• 7/14/04 MRR Letter to Environmental Quality Board re: Implementation of Rules mandating public and environmental review of all proposed ATV, dirt-bike motorcycle and 4-wheele drive truck trails
• 7/7/2004 Duluth News Tribune Article  County board OKs ATV trail from Eveleth to Gilbert
• 6/29/04 MRR Letter to Environmental Quality Review Board re: Motorcycle Joint Powers Board Designation
• 6/29/04 Press Release: Proposed Dirt-Bike Motorcycle Track Threatens Nation's Longest Bikeway
• 6/23/2004 Petition to the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board for Completion of an Environmental Assessment Worksheet Regarding the Proposed Eveleth to Gilbert All-Terrain Vehicle/Dirt-Bike Motorcycle Trail
• 6/23/2004 Duluth News Tribune Article: County Board Scrutinizes ATV Trail Proposal
• 6/23/2004 Action Alert to Protect the Mesabi Trail from Proposed ATV/Dirt-Bike Motorcycle Trail
• 6/20/2004 Duluth News Tribune Article on Bicyclists Discovering the Mesabi Trail
• 6/18/2004 Letter to Eveleth-Gilbert ATV/Off Highway Motorcycle Joint Powers Board about a Citizen's Petition for an EAW for Eveleth-Gilbert ATV/Off Highway Motorcycle Trail (pdf file)
• 6/18/04 Action Alert: Protect the Mesabi Trail from Proposed ATV/Dirt-Bike Motorcycle Trail Today!
• 10/1/03 MRR Letter to Environmental Quality Review Board re: comments on adopting rules requiring mandatory review of ATV, dirt-bike motorcycle and 4-wheel drive truck routes and use areas
• 4/10/2003 Joint Powers Resolution - Eveleth Gilbert ATV-OHM Trail Board (pdf)
• Mesabi Bicycle Trail brochure (pdf)
• Application for Access Across Tax-forfeited Lands (pdf)

Moosewalk/Mooserun Trail

• 5/16/03 MRR Discovers More Illegal Trail Building in the Finland State Forest. 
• 5/7/03 DNR Moosewalk/Mooserun Open House May 14 in Two Harbors.
• 12/ 2002 MRR Seeks Environmental Impact Statement, Wetland Restoration & ATV Trail Closures in Lake Co.
• 12/16/02 MRR Reply to State Memo 
• Moosewalk/Mooserun Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW)(pdf)
• Photos of the site
• 1/22/02 Comments MRR sent on 
• 1/24/03 Army Corps of Engineers Public Notice
• 1/27/03 Lake County Court Decision (pdf)
• 1/28/03 Press release - District court decision demonstrates need for audit reforms of DNR motorized trail program

North Shore State Trail and Northeastern Minnesota
DNR says conversion of the North Shore State Trail to ATV use is the "backbone of the DNR's proposed off-highway vehicle (ATVs, dirt-bike motorcycles, four-wheel drive trucks) system in northeast Minnesota".   MRR is opposed to an off-highway vehicle system in Northeast Minnesota..    A "mandatory" Environmental Assessment is required to "convert" the NSST to ATV use.  MRR is inventorying trail conditions, illegal ATV use and impacts the entire length of the North Shore State Trail in preparation for public and environmental review. 

• 10/21/05 DNR Cancels ATV Meeting After Public Involvement Requested

• 10/19/05 Public Involvement Requested in DNR/County Decisions Regarding ATVs on the North Shore State Trail

• 8/6/04 Duluth News Tribune Editorial DNR Right to Keep ATVs from North Shore Trail

• 8/5/04 Duluth News Tribune Article: No ATVs on the North Shore State Trail

• North Shore State Trail Monitoring Form

• 7/2/04 MRR Request for Information to DNR re NSST and Environmental Review

• 6/1/04 MRR Request for Information to DNR re NSST and Environmental Review

• 1/16/04 MRR has requested information about county board's decision making and policy and history of snowmobile and ATV trail funding and construction (pdf)

• 1/11/04  Duluth News Tribune, Sam Cook, State Trail Should Remain Closed to ATVs

• 1/6/04 ATV Update and Action Alert  

• St. Louis Co. Commissioner Contact Information

• 12/29/03 ATVs and NSST Background Information 

• 12/23/03St. Louis County Board secretly voted unanimously 12/23/03 to convert the North Shore State Trail to ATV use. Resolution 785. (pdf)

• 12/23/03 St. Louis Co. Board Resolution 

• ATVs on the North Shore State Trail: The "Backbone" of the DNRs "Off-highway Vehicle System for Northeast Minnesota"

• 9/15/03 Letter to Peg Sweeney from ATV Club 

• 8/15/03 Draft Funding Request from North Shore ATV Club

• 2/14/03 Wetland Alert! - Lake County

North Central Minnesota

MRR Appeals in Cass County District Court
                Memorandum of Law Part 1
                Memorandum of Law Part 2

WISCONSIN

• 9/23/03 Vilas Co., WI Referendum to Protect County Forests from ATVs

• 3/2003 - Local Ashland/Bayfield County League of Women Voters Study on Motorized Recreational Vehicle

THE COST OF OHV DAMAGE

• ATV, Dirt-bike Motorcycle, and Four-wheel Drive Truck Damage Site Assessment Cost of Restoration Analysis
• Outline of suggested materials and procedures to be used to restore native flora to illegal ATV trails by Boreal Natives
• Form to save and fill in on your computer  
• Form in pdf format (ready to print)   
• On-line form
• MRR Appeals for Basic Environmental Review of DNR OHV System Plans and Projects
  2003 State Audit of DNR motorized trail program

• 10/3/03 MRR Calls for Mandatory Public & Environmental Review of ATV Routes and Use Areas in Minnesota.  Letter to Environmental Quality Board

• 5/13/03 5 Reasons Environmental and Public Review is Required for a Sustainable ATV Trail System

• 5/1/03 MRR Testimony to Senate on SF 850.       

• 4/30/03 Mn Association of County Lands meeting, Grand Rapids   

• 10/3/03 MRR Calls for Mandatory Public & Environmental Review of ATV Routes and Use Area.  Letter to Environmental Quality Board

Comments sent from a concerned citizen (jj), another concerned citizen (bk), another concerned citizen (tb), another concerned citizen (jr), American Lands Alliance, and a University of Minnesota professor.