If all goes according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s plan, by the end of this month, all but two of the 11 standing elm trees that line the entrance to Grand Marais will be cut down. At 70-80 years old, these trees form a canopy over Highway 61, creating a unique welcome to “America’s coolest small town.” If they go, so goes the cool factor. The road will end up looking like any other strip in the country.
At a recent City Hall meeting, MnDOT would have you believe the giant’s out of the box, and all we can do is watch as the trees are removed. They would also tell you that the elms aren’t really healthy enough to save, and then ask why you didn’t speak up earlier.
First of all, any construction project in the world can be changed (it’s only on paper at the moment). That’s called a “change order.” Secondly, a study on the status of the “declining” trees was paid for by MnDOT. A separate, independent assessment contradicts their conclusion. There is also evidence that the elms may be resistant to Dutch Elm Disease, and therefore have scientific value. And finally, regarding citizens’ input: people did attend meetings with their concern. However, the information was incomplete. Once the full scope of the project was made clear (only two trees will stand), the response was exponentially stronger.
Furthermore, an economic impact analysis was never initiated. This kind of study, “(EIA) examines the effect of an event on the economy in a specified area, ranging from a single neighborhood to the entire globe. It usually measures changes in business revenue, business profits, personal wages, and/or jobs. The economic event analyzed can include implementation of a new policy or project.”
Our “economic event” is in the form of highway construction, diverting traffic away from the business hub for two summers. And guess what? The University of Minnesota offers EIAs stating, “Economies are complicated, but an economic impact analysis helps cut through the maze. To find answers, we use a tool called Implan™. It calculates how business inputs and outputs make ripples throughout a local economy. The model helps us understand how jobs in one business affect other businesses.”
This would have been very helpful to all involved. It was never undertaken.
Should MnDOT proceed with the project as it stands, a month from now there will be an unprecedented outcry at the unnecessary uglification and great loss. People, who may have imagined the new look, will be shocked by how this special place has been made to look like Anywhere USA, no longer cool, or cute, or much of anything else.
Make your voice heard, whether you live here or out of town, a business owner, professional, in politics or not, adult, or child. Contact today: . Grand Marais City Hall:
218-387-1848
cityhall@grandmarais.city
. MDOT:
218-725-2708
bethpetrowske@state.mn.us
And anyone else you think may have influence, concern, clout and a voice.
Cameron Norman
Hovland
Leave a Reply