Contact:
, Sierra Club North Star Chapter, (218) 387-9081
To save 25 Snowmobilers five minutes the Forest Service proposes a motorized trail seen and heard from the BWCA Wilderness in Cook County, Minnesota
HOVLAND, Minn. — Citizens who value peace and quiet hiked Dec. 3 near the far eastern edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to see a proposed snowmobile route that runs within a hundred yards of the wilderness. Superior National Forest officials led the hike and will decide early next year which of five proposed routes is chosen. The 19 hikers included advocates of the trail running across the cliff, also known as the northern route.
Participants saw the bluff that towers over Royal Lake, the steep slopes the trail would cross, and rare yellow birch. Royal River and Royal Lake are visible from the northern route, which means that wilderness visitors would hear the echo of snowmobiles and see the vehicles and the retaining walls built for the trail.
"It would be poor stewardship of our public lands to cut this trail across a beautiful vista enjoyed by wilderness visitors." said Sean Wherley of Friends of the Boundary Waters. "It's much worse in person than I expected from studying maps."
"Risking lynx recovery, opening avenues for exotic invasive weeds, and increasing ATV policing costs for the convenience of a handful of people would not be responsible management of our public lands," said Sally Nankivell, a Cook County member of Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness who was also on the hike. The area of the northern route "has been recognized for a century as being ecologically and botanically unique, harboring rare communities including the rarest plants in Minnesota," according to the Biological Evaluation prepared by the Forest Service.
One goal of the northern route is to get snowmobiles off the Arrowhead Trail, a gravel county road that is plowed in the winter. While there have been two fatal snowmobile-auto crashes in Cook County in recent years, the county board has not closed the upper section of the road to snowmobiles after two years of discussions. "The Sierra Club supports separating cars and snowmobiles," said Clyde Hanson, one of the Club members from Cook County on the hike.
The Forest Service is also seriously considering a route that runs along the Arrowhead Trail from McFarland Lake to the parking area at the South Fowl Lake Road. From there, snowmobiles ride on the South Fowl Lake Road to South Fowl Lake (alternative 4, modified proposed action). "The modified proposed action increases safety and better protects the wilderness and lynx. I'm surprised the Forest Service let the northern route see the light of day. I wonder if politics is preventing professional wildlife or wilderness experts from doing their jobs," said Hanson.
Snowmobilers can already trailer their sleds to the parking area at the intersection of South Fowl Lake Road and the Arrowhead Trail and then snowmobile on the unplowed South Fowl Lake Road to gain access to the lake for winter fishing and thereby avoid auto traffic.
An English teacher from Hovland led a drive in the late '80s that stopped a proposed radio tower in this same area. In 1990 the Minnesota Court of Appeals agreed that it would have harmed the views from inside the wilderness for visitors in violation of the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act. "The Forest Service should read the Drabik case before picking a route," said Hanson.
The Forest Service is accepting public comments until Dec. 16. To view maps and sample comments visit www.northstar.sierraclub.org.