County Board scrutinizes ATV trail proposal

ELY - A 4-mile-long all-terrain-vehicle trail that would connect hotels in Eveleth to the state's first off-highway vehicle park in Gilbert came under scrutiny Tuesday from the St. Louis County Board of Commissioners.

In a committee of the whole meeting, commissioners voted 6-1 to move a measure forward under which the county would provide a $35,000 grant to help complete the trail, south of Minnesota Highway 37 between Eveleth and Gilbert. Commissioner Bill Kron of Duluth voted against advancing the grant.

The board could take final action at a July 6 meeting in Duluth.

Because portions of the trail would parallel the nonmotorized recreational Mesabi Trail, and cross the Mesabi Trail four times, some questioned the construction plan.

"I am a supporter of ATVs," said Commissioner Peg Sweeney of Duluth. "... But I want to make sure that we do it right and do it safe. I don't think we should be crisscrossing the (Mesabi) trail."

Commissioners Keith Nelson of Virginia, Mike Forsman of Ely and Dennis Fink of Duluth said the ATV trail would boost economic development.

It would be parallel to the Mesabi Trail, but be separated from it by about 20 feet of woods and along private property by a mile-long fence.

"If it has a motor, there seems to be an issue," said Nelson of ATV trail construction. "We are going to provide them (ATVs) with an opportunity to stay off the Mesabi Trail. The Mesabi Trail will be a treasure of northern Minnesota, but if you look at the rest of the (Mesabi) trail, you will find the trail is adjacent to ATV trails in other areas also."

The Department of Natural Resources, which operates the Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area in Gilbert, would contribute $56,000 to help build the trail.

Because of ownership and liability issues with landowner U.S. Steel, it took a jointEveleth-Gilbert trail group about two years to develop the trail plan.

The trail would boost business at Eveleth hotels, said Tiffany Anderson, director of the Eveleth Economic Development Authority.

"We spend a lot of time working on (developing) our industrial park, but we think the trails are also important," Anderson said. "This would be a great thing for Eveleth."

Eveleth has three hotels about four miles from the off-highway vehicle area. Gilbert doesn't have a hotel.

Many ATV riders who use the OHVRA stay in Eveleth. Without a connecting trail, they must haul their ATVs to the OHVRA.

A different route for the proposed ATV connecting trail, not so near the Mesabi Trail, would be better for pedestrians, bicyclists and inline skaters on the Mesabi Trail, said Bob Manzoline, director of the St. Louis and Lake County Regional Railroad Authority, which operates the nonmotorized trail.

"We just don't want this to be the norm," Manzoline said of running ATV trails parallel to the Mesabi Trail.

Minnesotans for Responsible Recreation has filed a petition, reviewed by the Environmental Quality Board, that would stop all action on development of the ATV trail, according to Jeff Brown, MRR's executive director.

Sweeney asked that other route options be explored before July 6.