County board OKs ATV trail from Eveleth to Gilbert

St. Louis County commissioners on Tuesday approved a $35,000 allocation for a motorized vehicle trail to connect Eveleth and Gilbert.

The money will be given to the Eveleth-Gilbert ATV/OHV (all-terrain vehicle and off-highway vehicle) Joint Powers Board. It matches money from the Minnesota Trail Assistance Program grant.

The 4.5-mile trail is intended to connect hotels in Eveleth to the state's first off-highway vehicle park in Gilbert. It will run parallel to the Mesabi Trail that, when completed, will be the nation's longest paved bicycle and walking trail. The Mesabi Trail will be 132 miles long, from Grand Rapids on the west to Ely on the east.

Duluth Commissioner Bill Kron was the lone dissenter, saying, "I'm not against ATVs or anything else, but I think this project is going to compromise the Mesabi Trail."

The motorized trail as currently planned will cross the Mesabi Trail four times and run parallel to it 20 feet away, separated by trees and a fence.

Kron tried to amend the resolution to make it contingent on completion of an Environmental Assessment Worksheet, approval of the St. Louis County Railroad Authority, comment from the Mesabi Trail advisory committee and exploration of possible alternative routes. Ultimately, his motion died for lack of a second.

Mike Skenzich, mayor of Gilbert and chairman of the joint powers board, said the Environmental Quality Board will decide whether an Environmental Assessment Worksheet will be required.

Following the meeting, Jeff Brown, executive director of Minnesotans for Responsible Recreation, criticized the motorized trail route and said that the County Board broke state environmental review laws by its action.