We, as retired DNR staff members, support trail designation

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This article was submitted on behalf of 29 people with experience working for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Their names are listed below. A Minnesota House floor vote on the legislation discussed in the article is anticipated Wednesday.

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In Minnesota, everyone can agree that participating in outdoor recreation is one of the important reasons we live here. Indeed, tourism from people attracted to our outdoor resources is a major economic boon to many Minnesota towns and cities. The 27 signees of this article are all retired Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff — conservation officers, wildlife managers, ecologists and foresters. We spent our careers working in the field to manage and protect the natural resources of Minnesota. We understand that there is a multitude of outdoor recreational opportunities here, including off highway vehicle (OHV) trail riding, hunting, fishing, birding, photography, berry picking, canoeing, etc. Our jobs were to find ways that everyone could enjoy the outdoors without damaging the natural environments and public lands we all love. But that has been an ongoing challenge.

To achieve the goal of promoting outdoor recreation while still protecting the environment, we believe the Trail Designation provision in HF 3911 at the Minnesota Legislature is urgently needed. This provision allows trail riding only on trails that are designated and posted as open to OHV use. This provision also makes clear which trails can be ridden without damaging fragile environments, and which cannot.

This policy has been in place south of U.S. Hwy. 2 for decades, but it is also needed north of Hwy. 2. South of Hwy. 2 only designated and posted trails are open to riding. Whereas north of Hwy. 2, any trail is currently open unless posted “Closed.” This is a severe problem, because it includes trails that have not been sanctioned by the DNR but were either user-made or where “Closed” signs have fallen or been taken down. This results in increased damage to sensitive habitats, spread of invasive plants deep into forests and increased forest habitat fragmentation. All of these damages are detrimental to forest and wildlife health. Importantly, this provision would keep riders on trails that do not endanger critical habitats.

There are now more than half a million registered OHVs in Minnesota, according to DNR data in an April 2024 news release. Thousands of designated trail miles already exist for OHV access, with three DNR statewide master plans for OHVs, ATVs and off highway motorcycles, and 700 miles of additional planned trails, in progress. These plans and trail additions fit into the goal of OHV clubs to create a trail network to attract users from around the nation.

Seventy percent of public lands belonging to all Minnesotans is north of Hwy. 2, and yet any trail north of Hwy. 2 is open to OHV riding unless it is signed “Closed.” This includes illegal user-created trails. This provision will unify policy statewide for all riders and help protect and preserve our public lands. Forest communities are already dealing with significant stressors of habitat fragmentation, the effects of climate change, and invasive species. The current OHV provisions north of Hwy. 2 have allowed decades of trail building by ever larger and more powerful machines that are adding to this habitat degradation. More and more users with more powerful OHVs in the future will bring even greater impacts.

OHV enthusiasts and other forest trail recreationists have nothing to fear from this provision, because it keeps all existing legal trails open. There are thousands of miles of designated trails available for recreational users, and this provision will not affect any hunter exemptions to travel off trail at all.

The provision will also help conservation officers better monitor trail use.

Without designated and posted trails, enforcement is impossible. A major concern in northern forests is that many new OHV trails are started illegally. Once a new trail is started north of Hwy. 2, it is considered open. Many of these newly developed trails are in some of the most environmentally sensitive areas.

As professionals, we dedicated our careers to leaving an outdoors legacy for future generations. The trail designation provision in HF 3911 is needed to support and carry that legacy forward. Legislators and the governor should support it.

Signatories are: from DNR retired forestry, Michael Dahl, Greg Kvale, Bill Schnell, R. Bruce Schoenberg, Craig Sterle and Daniel Wilm. From DNR retired wildlife: Bruce Anderson, Bill Berg, Jim Breyen, Steven Caron, Robert Kirsch, Scott Laudenslager, Gerald Maertens, Gretchen Mehmel, Martha Minchak, Dave Pauly, Jodie Provost, Dave Rave, Tom Rusch, Rich Staffon and John Williams. From DNR retired environmental and water resources: Maya Hamady, Carrol Henderson and Paul Stolen. From DNR retired enforcement officers: Jeff Birchem, Larry Francis, Dave Olson, Tom Provost and Pat Znajda.