Positive comments on the Paul Bunyan State Forest/Hubbard
County Forests plan are still needed. Currently the
opposing comments are running about 10 to 1. If the OHV
community remains silent, we are in very serious danger of
losing a number of the trails that remain in this proposal.
The January 28, 2005 deadline is rapidly approaching.

Comments can be sent to either of these offices:
Helen Cozzetto, Natural Resources Planner, 6603 Bemidji
Ave. No., Bemidji, MN 56601 or e-mail
helen.cozzetto@dnr.state.mn.us


Written statements on the Hubbard County portion of the
proposal may be submitted to Bob Hoffman, Natural Resource
Management Office, Public Works Building, 101 Crocus Hill
St., Park Rapids, MN 56470.

These links will let you see what is proposed:
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/input/m...bbard_plan.pdf


http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/input/m...sification.pdf


Here are a few points that could be highlighted when
submitting comments:

The current 149 miles of proposed ATV trails represents
only 1/20 of 1 percent of the total 217,000 acres covered
in this proposal.

Closing the small spur trails that were old logging trails
is not acceptable. It would make more sense to post as
closed, any of them that may lead to sensitive areas,
rather than just doing a blanket closure of all of them.

The connecting trails that will link the separate riding
areas are vital to a contiguous trail system. By
establishing routes that will provide access to services in
different areas the resulting dispersal of riders will
lessen the concentration of use in a particular area.

Since the total number of miles available to ATVs has been
drastically reduced under this plan, question the 421 miles
of "undesignated routes" as inventoried. Certainly there
are suitable areas that could be opened for ATV use in
those areas.

Comments on the proposed off-highway vehicle (OHV) trail
designation in Hubbard County continue to arrive, currently
reflecting approximately 10-to-one opposition to the plan,
according to Paul Swenson, the Department of Natural
Resources? (DNR) northwest regional director.
The opponents, he said, argue the proposal offers too
much motorized access to the forest.?
To date, more than 300 comments have been e-mailed and
mailed to the DNR and county on the OHV trail designation
and forest classification. The deadline for submission is
Friday, Jan. 28 at both offices.

To see full article from the Park Rapids Enterprise use
this link:
http://www.parkrapidsenterprise.com/...rticle_Id=3012

 

what are the trails like up there hb?are they mostly old rail road grades that are being used as trails now.i have never been in northern mn to ride because my understanding from the dnr trails map was that everything was rail beds and i get kinda bored with a long straight hiway.

 

Most are old logging roads, not very challanging for 4x4, but if you like to grouse hunt, or take the kids to a nice place to ride...its there. And the thing is, even if you dont plan on going there, you can still comment..these are public lands, and if you pay taxes..they belong as much to you as they do the treehuggers. Right now the comments are 10 to 1 against.
Theres just a few trails which are old railbeds...soo line, rabey,gandy dancer...the rest are beautiful wooded areas.

 

Hondabuster, good post. I will get my e-mail off tonight. I live next to Paul Bunyan Forest during the summer and there is not much traffic there. No reason to restrict it like they want too. Somedays during the week your lucky to see 2 cars and no atvs on the forest roads and none on the trails. The tree huggers don't have a life and don't want anyone else to have one. They even wanted to ban neight fishing on a near by lake. This is a good time for us to be heard. Minnrider, it is very pretty forest with a 40 mile atv trail going through it. They have a campgrounds and some small lakes that you can fish. Driving the forest roads you see a lot of deer and other wild life.

 

2 days to go, ...it only takes 5 minutes. Pop a top, and write a short positive email, and help out MN riders.

 

email sent[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] it looks like some of the guys from district23 are working on getting emails out also.hopefully there will be enough voices on our side to be heard.

 

Hondabuster, I need some help. I tryed twice to send letters to helen.cozzetto@dnr.state.mn.us. and have been rejected both times. Is this address correct, or am I doing something wrong?

 

I had trouble too. The first address didnt have a dot between the first and last name. Then theres no dot after the us
This address finnally worked, and i reedited my first post to be correct. Sorry.

helen.cozzetto@dnr.state.mn.us

Thanks for your help

 

Still didn't get through, I give up.

 

How do the comments and current comment ratio affect the decsion that will be made? How is the final decision actually made? voted on by who?