ATV trails discussed
WALKER - Land Commissioner Norm Moody and his forest resource managers and specialists reported to Cass County commissioners Friday they have focused on expanding the variety of recreational trails while continuing increased timber sales revenue from county managed land.
The county now owns (rather than depending upon private land easements) more of the trail corridors, Moody said. The county also has tried to exchange land with private owners, the DNR, U.S. Forest Service and Leech Lake Reservation toward consolidating ownerships.
Also speaking Friday about the cooperative efforts among agencies were Leech Lake Natural Resources representatives Rich Robinson and John Ringle, Norm Wagoner from the U.S. Forest Service and DNR representatives Mike Carroll and Lowell Jaeger.
Commissioner Jim Demgen objected to the state decision to close the Pillsbury Forest to all-terrain vehicle use, because that separates Pillager area people from the county's planned ATV trail system. Jaeger said the county either will have to exchange land with the state to go through the forest or design a route around it.
Cass County's 17 land exchanges in the last year were the most approved in any county in Minnesota, Moody said.
Forester Joshua Stevenson explained to the board that it has been cheaper to contract to have old buildings on tax-forfeited land torn down than to have liability for transients and kids who might use the buildings. Moody said the land usually is worth more when resold without old buildings than with them.
Forester Amy Rand said to retain the Smartwood sustainable forest certification Cass received five years ago, the county will have to improve all-terrain vehicle enforcement to prevent land damage, improve coordination with the Leech Lake Reservation, set an employee and contractor safety program, establish timber and soil damage guidelines, update the forest inventory, identify especially old or special tree and wildlife species with a plan to maintain those and set a herbicide application policy, among the recommendations made in a 2005 audit.
The Forest Stewardship Council, started in 1993 in response to conservation groups' criticism of forest practices, now certifies 12 forest certification auditors like Smartwood worldwide. Cass County is one of 1,300 landowners worldwide to receive sustainable forest certification.
Forester Jerry Lamon showed the board forest inventory map improvements since the county's first hand-drawn inventory was mapped in 1955. The current digital map inventory, which soon will be updated, has detailed small tracts, showing information about tree species and ages.
Once high conservation value timber stands are located, the county board may be asked to set aside some as no-cut sites or specialized timber management sites, Lamon said.
Forester Kimberly Wells informed the board just over half the county's 13,000 survey corner records have been scanned. When the process is complete, she said anyone with Internet access will be able to see a copy of the old, hand-written survey cards and a new, typed digital record on the county Web site.
Searches will be by township and range or by parcel number, she said. All records will be printable, making county survey records easily accessible to surveyors and the general public.
Forester Elissa Vredenburg reported signs will be posted before this summer on the first official non-motorized horse trail area in Foothills Forest. Another area will be added in 2007. Some of these trails have been used for years, but others are being added, she said.
Minnesota Trail Riders Association donated $853 to the land department for the trail signs, Vredenburg said. River crossings and steep hills will be identified, so people whose horse might not like to cross water can use another trail, she said.
Stevenson said six snowmobile clubs in Cass maintain and groom the 433.6 miles of snowmobile trails here. State snowmobile license fees, channeled back to the clubs through the land department, cover about one-third of their costs.
When clubs do their fall trail maintenance, they have found increasing all-terrain vehicle damage on trails, Stevenson said.
Forester Mark Sprague reported signs will go up in March on the first official ATV trails in Foothills Forest. Additional trails will open in the Chippewa Forest this year. Work also is expected to begin by fall on Land 'O Lakes Forest ATV trails, with an anticipated 2007 opening.
ATV clubs have helped with the trails' creation, Sprague said, adding he hopes clubs also eventually will help with enforcement as boat and water safety patrol volunteers do. A county ATV ordinance is expected by August.
Scramble areas will not be permitted on federal, state or county land as a part of the county-initiated ATV system, but private landowners may apply for permits to install one on their own property, he said.
Carroll reported one problem the DNR is encountering is private developers may provide a place for riders to stay and rent an ATV, but may fail to provide adequate land for scramble areas or trails to be installed.