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Facing a choice of either working with the mushing community and managing trails that pre-existed before the National Forest System plan was implemented or closing them, the Gunflint Ranger District chose to work with the mushers.
“Closing these user-created trails would have disrupted the regular travel and training routes for many mushers, diminishing opportunities to participate in a sport on the Gunflint Ranger District. Our decision designates these trails as National Forest System trails, allowing for these uses to be managed for long-term recreation benefits, helping to be the Objective O-REC-1,” stated the final Decision and Finding of No Significant Impact document for the East Zone Trails and Roads Decision Notice.
That announcement came on November 8 as part of the decision to implement a modified proposed action of the East Zone Trails and Roads project after considering the project’s public input and environmental analysis.
Areas covered under the final decision include the Gunflint and Tofte Ranger Districts, Superior National Forest, and Lake and Cook Counties.
As presented, the purpose of the East Zone Trails and Roads project was to “enhance and maintain recreational experiences and opportunities for access along the north shore of Lake Superior while protecting resources.”
Part of the plan includes 9.07 miles of new trails for OHV’s, with 2.03 miles of those to be open in the summer but all 9.07 miles open to winter OHV use.
A total of 15.68 miles of trails will be decommissioned. They include 5.20 miles of the Kimball Creek Hiking Trail. .036 miles of the Bally Creek Ski Trail and 10.12 miles of the Lutsen Ski Trail.
Some decommissioned roads were unclassified roads deemed not to be in the National Forest Road and trail system.
Failing culverts at Swamper, Poplar, and Tait Rivers will be removed and converted to OML 1 in an effort to improve watershed and riparian functions.
No increase in snow-compacted routes (except in areas of concentrated use) was made as a nod to Canadian lynx. “Bringing the mushing trails into the existing NFS trail system and closing existing routes elsewhere will improve lynx habitat quality and comply with this standard,” noted the report.
As part of the effort to authorize user-created dog mushing trails along the shore near Hovland, other trails and roads that were used or had resource damage with no future and no funds to repair them were closed. A total of 1.02 miles of roads were decommissioned.
During an April 2019 meeting between the Gunflint Ranger District and members of the 1854 Treaty Authority, Fond du Lac, and Grand Portage Bands, the Bands expressed concern that Band members used some of the roads slated for decommissioning to access moose hunting and gathering wild rice. Following that meeting, a letter was sent to the Bands in October 2020, updating the original plan with modifications suggested by the Bands and the 1854 Treaty Authority.
The Tofte and Gunflint Ranger Districts represent approximately 981,936 acres of federal ownership as National Forest System Lands. The Final East Zone Trails and Roads Environmental Assessment area is spread over roughly 47-square miles of the district, with only about 41 acres of land directly impacted under the modified proposed action.
Another way to look at it is that less than .01 percent of the east zone of the National Forest System lands are being impacted by this action.
The final Decision and Finding of No Significant Impact can be found at: www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=54973/
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