Minnesota DNR - News
Releases
Chisholm ATV trail proposal out for
public review
The Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking public review and comment on
the proposed construction of an 11-mile ATV trail connecting the
city of Chisholm with Highway 5 and Connor’s Road just northwest
of the city in west-central St. Louis County.
The trail, designed to facilitate
travel into Chisholm from points north, is planned as a
grant-in-aid route open only to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).
The proposal, submitted by the
Northern Traxx ATV Club (sponsored by the city of Chisholm),
begins on Cemetery Road north of Chisholm and continues
northwesterly between Highway 5 and Highway 84, crossing Highway
84 near its intersection with Highway 134 (Dewey Lake Road). After
crossing Highway 84, the trail continues northwesterly past Dollar
Lake before intersecting with Connors Road. If approved, this
trail will be operated, maintained and managed by the city of
Chisholm in conjunction with the Northern Traxx ATV Club.
The ATV trail segments described
in the club’s proposal have already undergone rigorous DNR review.
The project addresses potential user safety and environmental
concerns identified during the DNR review, including the need for
water crossing permits, potential wetland impacts, and safe use of
public road rights-of-way. The proposal also incorporates design
features intended to discourage speeding along the corridor, which
incorporates sections of existing road, snowmobile trail, and
user-developed riding trails.
The DNR welcomes public
perspective on this project proposal. Copies of the proposal and
site map are available at
www.mndnr.gov.
Requests and comments may also be
directed to Steve Hennessy, DNR Tower Area Trails and Waterways,
650 Highway 169 Tower, MN 55790, (218) 753-2580, ext. 253, or
e-mailed to
steve.hennessy@dnr.state.mn.us.
Minnesota conservation officer tales -
January 2008
DART IN A DUCK
Conservation Officer (CO) Tricia
Plautz (Henning) assisted CO Gary Forsberg (Fergus Falls) on a
complaint of a duck with a dart in his head. With the help of corn
and a landing net, the COs captured the duck, and removed the dart
from the side of the drake mallard’s head. The duck was released
and is apparently doing ok.
CAN YOU PRODUCE A FARM ANIMAL IN
A FISH HOUSE?
When CO Tim Collette (Longville)
asked an angler about his long-expired ATV registration, the man
replied he didn’t need one because he was using it for
agricultural purposes. Collette challenged the man to come up with
a farm animal in his fish house. The man sheepishly admitted he
didn’t have any with him, so a ticket was issued.
WHAT A LINE
CO Mike Shelden (Alexandria)
cited an angler who was fishing with too many lines. When asked
why, the angler said he was “just setting the lines for proper
depth.” Shelden discovered that all the lines were down 20 feet
with shiner minnows on them.
IT’S IN THE LAUNDRY BASKET
A concerned citizen called CO
Greg Salo (Mora) regarding a hawk that was injured by a bird
feeder. The homeowner had trapped the hawk in a laundry basket.
Salo removed the laundry basket and discovered an injured
partridge from a nearby game farm.
WEEDING OUT THE LITTLE FISH
CO Aaron Kahre (Minnetonka) was
checking anglers on Black Lake in Hennepin County when he came
upon a man with two piles of sunfish on the ice. One pile had
really small sunfish and the other pile contained larger sunfish.
When Kahre asked the angler about the piles, he said he had to
“weed out” the little fish. A few minutes later, the officer
turned around just in time to see the angler stomping the smaller
bluegills back into the hole with his foot. Kahre retrieved the
fish and confronted the man. The angler’s excuse was that he
thought he could just put the fish back that he didn’t want. Kahre
explained the rules and sent the angler away with the appropriate
paperwork.
WHY THERE ARE RULES
CO Todd Kanieski (Osseo) located
two snowmobilers who had caused a car accident and left the scene
in Hennepin County. The snowmobilers were illegally riding against
traffic at night and on the shoulder of the road. The driver of a
car saw the snowmobile headlights coming at him. The driver
believed it was a car traveling in the wrong lane. Fearing a
head-on crash, the driver of the car veered into the ditch. The
juvenile snowmobilers didn’t understand why the car swerved at
them and also drove into the ditch. The snowmobilers thought the
driver was impaired but later discovered the driver was trying to
avoid hitting them. The suspects’ parents were called to the scene
to work out an agreement to resolve the damage and towing bills.
WHO HAS BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED?
Conservation Officer (CO) Gary
Forsberg (Fergus Falls) received a nuisance raccoon complaint from
a Otter Tail County homeowner who said a raccoon followed the
owner’s dog into the house. The raccoon took up residence in the
bedroom. The homeowner spent the night on the couch after
unsuccessfully attempting to capture the raccoon. Forsberg, with
assistance of a DNR Wildlife employee, removed the raccoon in the
morning after it was found curled up sleeping in the homeowner’s
bed.
IT’S INSIDE THE HOUSE WATCHING TV
CO Tom Hemker (Winona) had an
interesting situation following up on a complaint of a person
running a game farm without a license. When Hemker asked if there
were any more animals than what were in the pens, the homeowner
said there was one more pheasant inside house watching TV with his
daughter.
Still time for public to comment on
proposed state park at Lake Vermilion
The Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources (DNR) and the DNR Commissioner’s Advisory Task
Force are looking for input from the public on what would make the
proposed state park at Lake Vermilion in northeastern Minnesota a
place they would want to visit.
The proposal is to acquire approximately 3,000 acres of land for a
state park, including approximately five miles of Lake Vermilion
shoreline. The property, which is owned by U. S. Steel, will
otherwise be developed for private housing. The Minnesota
Legislature is expected to consider the park proposal during its
upcoming session.
To comment, people can go to the
DNR Web site at
www.mndnr.gov and click on the “Lake Vermilion park proposal”
banner located in the upper right corner of the page. Participants
can click on “Send Us Your Comments” to share their thoughts about
what experiences and facilities they would like to see at the
park.
The Task Force will consider the
public comments as part of its process for making recommendations
to DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten in January.
More information about the
proposed park and the Advisory Task Force is available on the DNR
Web site at
www.mndnr.gov.
Northern pike slot limit remains in place
on Lake of the Woods
A slot limit for northern pike
remains in place on Lake of the Woods, a portion of the Rainy
River and other connecting waters on the Minnesota-Canadian
border, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
(DNR).
Rule changes effective Dec. 15 do
not apply to these waters, which have special regulations in
place, said DNR Fisheries Program Consultant Al Stevens. Before
venturing out, anglers need to review northern pike regulations
now in effect at
mndnr.gov
Regulations now in effect on Lake
of the Woods, a portion of the Rainy River and other connecting
waters allow a continuous season on northern pike but require that
anglers can only keep fish that are shorter than 30 inches or
longer than 40 inches. Anglers on these waters may not possess
more than three northern pike at any time, and only one of those
fish can be longer than 40 inches.
“The rule change confused some
anglers,” Stevens said. “The change in rules does not mean less
restrictive regulations for Minnesota-Canadian border waters that
already have special regulations in place.”
