Snowmobile trails disappearing in suburbs
The days are numbered for some suburban snowmobile trails as development and park regulations combine to squeeze them out.
For three decades, Craig Wissink has seen to it that snowmobilers have trails to ride through the northwest suburbs of Hennepin County.
Development has whittled away 50 miles of those trails, and Wissink -- Maple Grove trail captain for the Northwest Trails Association -- worries that future construction will leave suburban snowmobilers in his area maybe five more years to enjoy trails close to home.
Because riders typically go out for the day, they look for 50, 75, even 100 miles of connecting trails to roam. And if the connections are broken, even the scenic stretches skirting Three Rivers parks will be of no use, he said.
Minnesota has more than 22,000 miles of snowmobile trails, but segments are being closed every year in the Twin Cities metro area and around Duluth, St. Cloud and Rochester as well, said Ron Potter, snowmobile policy and program manager for the Department of Natural Resources.
"They keep disappearing. It's harder and harder to maintain a trail system,'' he said.
In the northwest suburbs, snowmobile trails have been cut from a peak of 150 miles to 100 miles today. And in Washington County, snowmobile trails have dropped from a peak of 180 miles to 133 miles.
Because most snowmobile trails are operated under temporary DNR permits that can be canceled from year to year, the DNR started about five years ago to set aside $500,000 a year for the purchase of permanent trail easements from willing sellers. But now the money is most often used for trail bridges because it makes no sense to buy an easement on one parcel of land if the parcels on either side are not secured, Potter said.
When trail segments close, the fallback option is to move trails to road ditches, which lowers their quality, Potter said. "Riding in a road ditch is nothing too exciting. You can get from point A to point B, but it's not an enjoyable trail.''
Source: Snowmobile trails disappearing in suburbs
For three decades, Craig Wissink has seen to it that snowmobilers have trails to ride through the northwest suburbs of Hennepin County.
Development has whittled away 50 miles of those trails, and Wissink -- Maple Grove trail captain for the Northwest Trails Association -- worries that future construction will leave suburban snowmobilers in his area maybe five more years to enjoy trails close to home.
Because riders typically go out for the day, they look for 50, 75, even 100 miles of connecting trails to roam. And if the connections are broken, even the scenic stretches skirting Three Rivers parks will be of no use, he said.
Minnesota has more than 22,000 miles of snowmobile trails, but segments are being closed every year in the Twin Cities metro area and around Duluth, St. Cloud and Rochester as well, said Ron Potter, snowmobile policy and program manager for the Department of Natural Resources.
"They keep disappearing. It's harder and harder to maintain a trail system,'' he said.
In the northwest suburbs, snowmobile trails have been cut from a peak of 150 miles to 100 miles today. And in Washington County, snowmobile trails have dropped from a peak of 180 miles to 133 miles.
Because most snowmobile trails are operated under temporary DNR permits that can be canceled from year to year, the DNR started about five years ago to set aside $500,000 a year for the purchase of permanent trail easements from willing sellers. But now the money is most often used for trail bridges because it makes no sense to buy an easement on one parcel of land if the parcels on either side are not secured, Potter said.
When trail segments close, the fallback option is to move trails to road ditches, which lowers their quality, Potter said. "Riding in a road ditch is nothing too exciting. You can get from point A to point B, but it's not an enjoyable trail.''
Source: Snowmobile trails disappearing in suburbs
