Trail clearing volunteers frequently not only volunteer their time, but also their own equipment. Thanks to a grant from Tread Lightly ®, Cook County ATV Club members Chuck Bolinger (front) and John McClure had an additional brush cutter to clear the Portage Brook Trail in the Hovland area.
Trail maintenance is a continual challenge in Cook County for all forest users. The nonprofit Northwoods Volunteer Connection (NVC) was formed to recruit, train and deliver volunteers to work on projects within or near the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota. NVC recently assisted the Cook County ATV Club in obtaining a grant for trail cleanup from the national Tread Lightly ® organization.
While the $500 Tread Lightly ® grant was relatively small, Cook County ATV Club treasurer John McClure said every little bit helps when it comes to helping clear the hundreds of miles of trails that are becoming overgrown.
Volunteers gathered at the Portage Brook Trail on Monday, September 12 and put the brush cutter purchased with the Tread Lightly ® funds to use.
The Cook County ATV Club heard from an outdoorsman who wrote, “Never knew what that trail was called until now. Thanks for clearing it as it’s one of my favorite rides.”
Before trail clearing, this bridge was barely visible on the overgrown trail.
The Portage Brook Trail is not just used by ATVers, but hikers and bikers as well. There is still work to be done on the trail, as well as dozens of other ATV, hiking, biking, skiing and snowmobiling trails throughout the county.
Volunteers are more than welcome to come help keep them from becoming too overgrown to use.
For information about the Northwoods Volunteer Connection, contact coordinator Laurel Wilson at (218) 663-8608 or email info@mnnvc.org. For information about the Cook County ATV Club, contact secretary Rhonda Silence at (218) 387-9844 or email ATVcookcounty@outlook.com.
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