On behalf of the Gitchi- Gami Trail Association (GGTA), we are writing in support of the DNR’s proposed alignment of the Gitchi-Gami State Trail segment from Grand Marais to Cut Face Creek State Wayside. Specifically, we are responding to a letter to the editor opposing the DNR’s plan to erect a bridge over the Fall River as part of that segment.
The Gitchi-Gami State Trail is an integral part of a “high priority corridor” in Mn DOT’s Statewide Bicycle System Plan. It is a nationally recognized destination trail, and highly rated on sites such as TripAdvisor, AllTrails, and TrailLink.
While some of the currently constructed 29-plus miles of trail are alongside Highway 61, the trail segments that navigate away from the highway and penetrate the spectacular beauty of our shared public lands give the trail its distinction as a destination unto itself.
As designed, the Grand Marais to Cut Face segment will be incredibly scenic, offering beautiful views sheltered from Highway 61, including the waterfall on the Fall River south of the highway.
The DNR, as owner and operator of the GGST, is required to build the trail to state and national standards. Factors such as wetland mitigation, impact to streams, erosion control, construction costs, and elevation and grade reduction to enhance accessibility all impacted the planning of this trail segment.
At the DNR open house in Grand Marais on July 12 to discuss the trail, we heard from several people who raised concerns about the planned alignment, particularly the Fall River bridge.
The Fall River waterfall is unique and beautiful, but, at present, is inaccessible to all but a few. To visit this site on public land, the visitor must park a vehicle on the shoulder of the highway and scramble down an unofficial steep and rugged footpath, or approach the site by water in a kayak or other small craft.
Contrary to the implication of the line drawing superimposed on a photograph of the falls that accompanied the letter to the editor, the bridge will not obscure the view of the waterfall from below. The DNR’s trail and bridge design team plan to build a bridge here to blend with the environment.
Most important, the bridge will make this special place, with its views of the falls and the lake, accessible to people of all abilities and means.
The GGTA, an independent, member-supported nonprofit organization, has worked to promote the trail and to assist when possible in leveraging funding to construct trail segments. Facing the risk of losing some funding tied to this particular segment, GGTA members spoke with legislators on the DNR’s behalf to encourage legislative support of this specific project; and, in the 2017 legislative session, $2.1million was appropriated for it.
This appropriation was a sufficient match for other funding sources to allow the hiring of a consultant to design and engineer the trail segment, with the goal of beginning construction next spring. We hope that other North Shore residents and visitors will join us in supporting the construction of what we expect to be an extraordinary segment of the Gitchi-Gami State Trail from Grand Marais to Cut Face Creek.
Tom Peterson,
president, Two Harbors
Bill Blank,
past president, Lutsen
Gitchi-Gami Trail Association
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