11-14-2007, 05:10 PM
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking public comments on its forest classification and motor vehicle route designation proposal for the Mississippi Headwaters State Forest. Comment is also being sought for scattered DNR Forestry lands in southwest Beltrami County.
The Mississippi Headwaters State Forest is part of the greater West Central Forests planning unit that includes six state forests within a 10-county planning area. The West Central Group is divided into two subunits. The North Unit includes Mississippi Headwaters and White Earth State Forests and scattered forest lands in Becker, Beltrami, Clearwater and Mahnomen counties. The South Unit includes Huntersville, Lyons, Smoky Hills and Two Inlets state forests and scattered forest lands in Clay, Douglas, Otter Tail, Pope, Todd and Wadena counties.
The DNR is required to complete a classification review for all 58 of Minnesota's state forests by December 2008. Planning for the West Central group kicked-off in July 2006 when the DNR formed an interdisciplinary team of resource specialists to conduct the review. Five public open houses were held in the fall of 2006. Since then, the DNR team has worked closely with county representatives to develop its recommendations. Preliminary planning for the Mississippi Headwaters State Forest and southwest Beltrami County is complete and ready for public comment. More work is needed on the remainder of the North Unit and recommendations are expected later this winter.
EVALUATION OF ROUTES, PROPOSED DESIGNATIONS
In all, the draft plan makes recommendations for approximately 44.5 miles of roads, trails and other inventoried routes on about 11,500 acres of state forest lands in the state forest and associated scattered lands. The proposal, which includes some route closures, will ultimately determine where motorized vehicles, including cars, trucks and off-highway vehicles (OHVs), will be allowed to operate on state lands in the forest and southwest part of the county. This proposal was developed in cooperation with the Land Departments of Beltrami, Clearwater and Hubbard counties in an effort to foster consistency across land ownerships.
PROPOSED FOREST CLASSIFICATION<br />
The motor vehicle use classification provides the framework for managing public motor vehicle use on DNR lands and associated forest roads and trails. All state forest lands in the planning area are currently classified as managed, which means trails are open unless posted closed. The proposal reclassifies the Mississippi Headwaters State Forest from managed to limited, which has trails closed to motor vehicle use unless posted open. This "closed unless posted open" policy would apply to all the trails inside the state forests and scattered forest lands in the portion of Beltrami County. Forest roads are open to both highway-licensed vehicles and OHVs under either the managed or limited forest classification.
AREAS WITH LIMITATIONS ON OFF-TRAIL AND NON-DESIGNATED TRAIL USE<br />
The draft plan recommends establishing areas on both DNR Forestry- and county-administered lands that receive special protections from vehicular use. The limitations area occurs along selected reaches of the Mississippi River and provides motorized use restrictions on about 14,000 acres. These areas were selected to protect sensitive resources, especially for public lands in the vicinity of the Mississippi River. If approved, the motorized hunter/trapper exceptions on state forest lands would not apply in total DNR and Hubbard County lands, with use of non-designated routes still available in Beltrami County. Limitations areas are not proposed for Clearwater County forest lands. The exceptions, which allow for both off-trail ATV travel and use of non-designated routes by highway licensed vehicles and OHVs for certain activities, would still be in force for the remaining balance of public forest lands.
PUBLIC REVIEW MEETING<br />
The DNR will hold one public meeting on this proposal. It will be Wednesday, Jan. 16, in the Beaux Arts Ballroom, Hobson Memorial Union, Bemidji State University, 1500 Birchmont Road, Bemidji, MN. The meeting will be from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The first hour will allow people to informally review the plan, maps and other summary materials. The DNR interdisciplinary team and other supporting staff will be present to answer questions the public may have. During the remainder of the meeting, the DNR will present its proposal and respond to questions and accept comments. Land Department staff for Beltrami, Clearwater and Hubbard counties will also be present to answer questions and receive comments about designations on county-managed lands.
PLANS AND MAPS NOW AVAILABLE<br />
The DNR's West Central Group - Mississippi Headwaters State Forest classification review and route designation proposals are available on the DNR Web site at www.findthetrails.com.
The Mississippi Headwaters State Forest is part of the greater West Central Forests planning unit that includes six state forests within a 10-county planning area. The West Central Group is divided into two subunits. The North Unit includes Mississippi Headwaters and White Earth State Forests and scattered forest lands in Becker, Beltrami, Clearwater and Mahnomen counties. The South Unit includes Huntersville, Lyons, Smoky Hills and Two Inlets state forests and scattered forest lands in Clay, Douglas, Otter Tail, Pope, Todd and Wadena counties.
The DNR is required to complete a classification review for all 58 of Minnesota's state forests by December 2008. Planning for the West Central group kicked-off in July 2006 when the DNR formed an interdisciplinary team of resource specialists to conduct the review. Five public open houses were held in the fall of 2006. Since then, the DNR team has worked closely with county representatives to develop its recommendations. Preliminary planning for the Mississippi Headwaters State Forest and southwest Beltrami County is complete and ready for public comment. More work is needed on the remainder of the North Unit and recommendations are expected later this winter.
EVALUATION OF ROUTES, PROPOSED DESIGNATIONS
In all, the draft plan makes recommendations for approximately 44.5 miles of roads, trails and other inventoried routes on about 11,500 acres of state forest lands in the state forest and associated scattered lands. The proposal, which includes some route closures, will ultimately determine where motorized vehicles, including cars, trucks and off-highway vehicles (OHVs), will be allowed to operate on state lands in the forest and southwest part of the county. This proposal was developed in cooperation with the Land Departments of Beltrami, Clearwater and Hubbard counties in an effort to foster consistency across land ownerships.
PROPOSED FOREST CLASSIFICATION<br />
The motor vehicle use classification provides the framework for managing public motor vehicle use on DNR lands and associated forest roads and trails. All state forest lands in the planning area are currently classified as managed, which means trails are open unless posted closed. The proposal reclassifies the Mississippi Headwaters State Forest from managed to limited, which has trails closed to motor vehicle use unless posted open. This "closed unless posted open" policy would apply to all the trails inside the state forests and scattered forest lands in the portion of Beltrami County. Forest roads are open to both highway-licensed vehicles and OHVs under either the managed or limited forest classification.
AREAS WITH LIMITATIONS ON OFF-TRAIL AND NON-DESIGNATED TRAIL USE<br />
The draft plan recommends establishing areas on both DNR Forestry- and county-administered lands that receive special protections from vehicular use. The limitations area occurs along selected reaches of the Mississippi River and provides motorized use restrictions on about 14,000 acres. These areas were selected to protect sensitive resources, especially for public lands in the vicinity of the Mississippi River. If approved, the motorized hunter/trapper exceptions on state forest lands would not apply in total DNR and Hubbard County lands, with use of non-designated routes still available in Beltrami County. Limitations areas are not proposed for Clearwater County forest lands. The exceptions, which allow for both off-trail ATV travel and use of non-designated routes by highway licensed vehicles and OHVs for certain activities, would still be in force for the remaining balance of public forest lands.
PUBLIC REVIEW MEETING<br />
The DNR will hold one public meeting on this proposal. It will be Wednesday, Jan. 16, in the Beaux Arts Ballroom, Hobson Memorial Union, Bemidji State University, 1500 Birchmont Road, Bemidji, MN. The meeting will be from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The first hour will allow people to informally review the plan, maps and other summary materials. The DNR interdisciplinary team and other supporting staff will be present to answer questions the public may have. During the remainder of the meeting, the DNR will present its proposal and respond to questions and accept comments. Land Department staff for Beltrami, Clearwater and Hubbard counties will also be present to answer questions and receive comments about designations on county-managed lands.
PLANS AND MAPS NOW AVAILABLE<br />
The DNR's West Central Group - Mississippi Headwaters State Forest classification review and route designation proposals are available on the DNR Web site at www.findthetrails.com.