Four miles.
The Cook County ATV Club wants to access a total of four miles of the Gunflint Trail in order to connect with adjacent forest roads. But the club ran into some opposition on Tuesday, May 12 at a public meeting to discuss the request.
While they took no action on the request, the County Board of Commissioners held a hearing in the commissioners’ room with about 20 in attendance.
Hungry Jack Lake resident John Bottger went up to the mike first. As a member of the committee that came up with the current ATV ordinance, Bottger said safety was his main issue, and he didn’t think the shoulders were wide enough to accommodate ATVs on the Gunflint Trail. He also said because of the high traffic flow and the speed of some of the drivers—and the age of some ATV riders—there was plenty of reason to be worried about ATVs on the Trail. If ATVs were allowed on the Trail it would also lead to increased signage, something no one wants, he said.
Barb Bottger of Hungry Jack Lake was up next. She worried about damage to wetlands that could be accessed by people taking the Gunflint Trail to snowmobile trails or other off-road routes. “It will be difficult, if not impossible to restrict riders from snowmobile trails. The danger to wetlands and potential risks are too great. The Gunflint Trail is unique. It’s all about peace and quiet,” she said.
Gunflint Trail resident Donald Lease agreed with the Bottgers. He said the shoulders were only “one to two feet wide,” the traffic was too fast and because the Gunflint Trail was a scenic byway, “We’re trying to keep the signs down.”
When it came to concerns about driving on pavement, Cook County ATV Club Secretary Rhonda Silence replied, “First, if these citizens are truly concerned about the safety of ATVers on pavement, where were they in 2009?
“ATVers have been driving on pavement in the city of Grand Marias since at least 2006. They have been driving on every other paved road in the county since 2009 without incident. The safety warnings on ATVs are just that, safety cautions, like those on a ladder…or in a Blazer or Jeep. If you read those warnings, you wouldn’t dare drive around a corner. There is a risk with driving an ATV, just like any other vehicle. ATVers understand and accept this risk.”
ATV Club Treasurer John McClure agreed with Silence, saying he didn’t think safety would be a big issue on the Gunflint Trail. McClure said he drives his ATV on busy roads in Arizona where he spends his winters and he has no problems with traffic.
McClure also felt the shoulder width was not an issue. As far as young drivers, he said a driver’s license was required before someone legally could drive ATVs on a road.
Grand Marais resident Gary Siesennop said he thought the shoulders were wide enough to accommodate ATVs and that what applied to an ATV driver applied to bicyclists, motorcyclists, cars etc. and he didn’t view “this as a problem for someone that is an attentive driver.”
When it came to signs, Siesennop added, “Signs are a safety feature, not a detriment.”
Stan Tull of Pike Lake was manning the video camera, but he stepped away and took a seat to offer his comments. “I don’t think we should be a selective tourist county. People who snowmobile, ride ATVs etc. bring money with them. We shouldn’t be selective in our tourism.”
Commissioner Garry Gamble said it would be beneficial for commissioners to take a look at the DNR’s concerns, talk to businesses, citizens, the Sheriff ’s Department etc., and take a look at the issue in a broader context. “It would be wise to make sure we are inclusive,” he said, adding that it might be prudent to form a committee to study the issue.
On that note ATV Club Secretary Silence replied, “We’ve had meetings and meetings and looked at maps and maps. After the first year the paved sections of Cramer Road, Sawbill Trail, Caribou Trail and Arrowhead Trail were added. In 2013, the highway department suggested adding the section from the Four Corners [Devil Track Road] to the mill [Hedstrom Lumber Company]. This has been a very long, thoughtful process. The Gunflint Trail is the only road that says ‘No’ to ATVs.
“All of the questions being asked today were asked and researched thoroughly in the three years that the county’s ATV task force met and worked with Commissioners Jan Hall and Fritz Sobanja, County Attorneys Bill Hennessy and Tim Scannell, County Engineer Chuck Schmit, and Sheriff Mark Falk.
“Since then the ordinance has been reviewed several times and the Cook County Highway Department, Cook County Sheriff ’s Department as well as the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have said the ordinance has caused no problem.”
The county board decided to form a committee to study possible affects of ATVs on the Gunflint Trail. Commissioners Frank Moe and Garry Gamble will be the county’s representatives on the committee. Just who else will serve on the committee at this time is undetermined.
Leave a Reply