Proponents of a 2.2-mile snowmobile trail in the Hovland area thought US Forest Service planning and environmental studies might be nearing an end with the latest public comment period, which ended September 27. However, that is not the case. Last week, Gunflint District Ranger Dennis Neitzke notified stakeholders interested in the trail that would connect McFarland and South Fowl lakes that the comment period on the court-ordered sound analysis had been extended another 30 days.
Neitzke said he had been contacted by Michelle E. Weinberg of Fagre & Benson, LLP requesting that the comment period be extended because her clients—the Izaak Walton League of American, Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, Wilderness Watch and the Sierra Club-North Star Chapter—wanted more time to review the EIS. Neitzke said the litigants had hired their own sound expert, Mr. Richard Horonjeff, and the specialist needed more time to complete his report. “We don’t necessarily have to do this, but we thought it would be best to extend the comment period,” said Neitzke.
In March 2009, the US State Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit, directed the Forest Service to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) assessing the sound impact of each of the South Fowl Trail routes on the adjoining wilderness area. The Forest Service did so, first seeking comments for a 2009 scoping of the project and then the draft EIS, issued August 9, 2010. The draft EIS had the same results as the previous environmental studies completed by the Forest Service. The Forest Service’s preferred alternative route is still Alternative 2—a route that the litigants believe is too close to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW).
Reached at her Minneapolis office, Weinberg said, “We were prepared to submit comments, but because of the technical aspects, we felt we should hire an expert in acoustics. To try to do so in the middle of a comment period was difficult, so we requested a short addition of time. We’re really happy that they granted the 30-day extension.”
Margaret Levin of the Sierra Club – North Star, reached at her Twin Cities office, also said she was pleased that the comment period had been extended. “Our concern is noise impact on the wilderness. We are happy to have the extension to gather more information on the noise issue.
“We need to make sure these wilderness areas are protected and that we are not establishing a poor precedent for the future,” said Levin.
Brad Sagan, of Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness (NMW), was reached in Ely. Sagan said he also felt that the extension was warranted. He acknowledged that there are a number of cabin owners and fishermen who are not happy with the time it is taking to complete the environmental studies. He said, “The folks that use the former trail…there are fundamental disagreements with them. Our [NMW] aim is to prevent the trail from being built.”
Asked if they knew that the Forest Service had reportedly spent $340,000 on environmental studies to date, Levin of the Sierra Club said she was not aware that that much had been spent. Sagan of NMW said he had heard that and he said, “The implication is that this is taxpayer money that could have been spent somewhere else? That’s the Forest Service’s decision to not spend that money somewhere else.”
Kevin Proescholdt of the Izaak Walton League, reached at his St. Paul office, said, “That’s a lot of money. From my perspective it points out that we shouldn’t build the trail in this location. It’s a challenging location, so I think obviously if the trail were ever built it would add a great deal to that amount.”
Asked if 30 days is long enough for the litigants’ acoustic expert to complete a report so they can submit comments, Proescholdt said yes. “We still hold out hope that we can convince the Forest Service that this is not the best place for a trail like this. We hope we can bring forward information that will convince the Forest Service not to put the trail in this location.”
The litigants were asked if they had hiked the proposed snowmobile trail route. Only Proescholdt had visited the area. “I’ve been on Royal Lake,” he said, “but I haven’t walked the proposed route.” Ron “Carbine” Carlson of Hovland has hiked the route. A former US Forest Service staffer, he helped plan the logging operations conducted in the area of the trail. Carlson is also a cabin owner on McFarland Lake. He expressed frustration that so much time, energy, and money had been spent on the proposed trail reroute.
Carlson is a board member of the Arrowhead Coalition for Multiple Use (ACMU), which is also involved in litigation regarding the South Fowl Snowmobile Access. Along with the Conservationists with Commonsense of Ely, ACMU has filed an Amicus Brief, or Friend of the Court letter, in support of the Forest Service decision to build trail Alternative 2. Cook County, the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior and the State of Minnesota have all endorsed Alternative 2 as well.
Curtis Gagnon of Grand Portage is president of ACMU. Gagnon said, “ACMU is dedicated to representing all people and users that require and appreciate safe travel to this favorite fishing lake. Alternative 2 is an ideal site for this trail. Other alternatives would be more expensive to pursue
“The trail will have very limited snowmobile use and will also be open to skiers, snowshoers, dogsledders and other winter uses. ACMU supports multiple use and we have a real concern about the environment and its protection as well. We have many concerns—not just one.”
A member of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Gagnon added, “The forthcoming decision will also affect Indian treaty rights of the Grand Portage, Boise Forte and Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa members, if the decision affects other areas adjacent to the BWCAW. Based on the sound issue, year round and seasonal users, recreational and commercial uses could be affected negatively. If a court decision is made to not go with Alternative 2 and the sound issue is upheld, this creates a buffer zone around the entire BWCAW. Thedecision to go ahead with this route has to be made for the interests of all.”
This new comment period will not be published in the Federal Register as the others have. Anyone who commented previously will be notified in the manner they submitted comments, either by mail or e-mail. Anyone who has not yet reviewed the draft EIS can find it on the Superior National Forest website at www.fs.usda. gov/superior, under Land and Resources Management, then Projects.
Comments should be sent to Dennis Neitzke, Gunflint District Ranger, Attn: South Fowl Snowmobile Access Project, 2020 W. Highway 61, Grand Marais MN 55604. Comments may also be e-mailed to comments-eastern-superior-gunflint@ fs.fed.us or faxed to (218) 387-3246.
The proposed snowmobile trail begins at the existing Little John Lake parking lot, crosses the Border Route Hiking Trail and the now-closed Tilbury Trail snowmobile trail and moves southeast, ascending to a ridge above the Royal River. On the ridge the trail is approximately 400 feet from the wilderness, above the BWCAW. The route then follows the ridge away from the BWCAW in an east-southeast direction about 1.3 miles, then down-slope northeast to level ground and directly east to South Fowl Lake. The proposed trail would replace one partially built by logger Verl Tilbury in the 1960s, before the creation of the BWCAW. TheTilbury Trail was not part of the groomed snowmobile trail system and was used primarily by Fowl Lake cabin owners and ice fishermen.
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