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outlandish AWF Admin 
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DNR seeks comments on motor vehicle use proposals for state forest lands in... The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking public comments on its forest classification and motor vehicle route designation proposal for the White Earth State Forest. Comment is also being sought for scattered DNR Forestry lands in Becker, Clearwater and Mahnomen counties. The White Earth State Forest is part of the greater West-Central Forests Planning Unit that includes six state forests within a 10-county planning area. The West-Central Group is divided into two subunits. The North Unit includes Mississippi Headwaters and White Earth state forests and scattered forest lands in Becker, Beltrami, Clearwater and Mahnomen counties. The South Unit includes Huntersville, Lyons, Smoky Hills and Two Inlets State Forests and scattered forest lands in Clay, Douglas, Otter Tail, Pope, Todd and Wadena counties. The DNR is required to complete a classification review for all 58 Minnesota state forests by December 2008. In July 2006, the DNR formed an interdisciplinary team of resource specialists to conduct the review. Five public open houses were held in the fall of 2006. Since then, the DNR team has worked closely with county and tribal representatives to develop its recommendations. Preliminary planning for the White Earth State Forest and Becker, Clearwater and Mahnomen counties is ready for public comment. Planning for all other parts of the West-Central Group has been completed and the recommendations are now being implemented. The draft plan makes recommendations for approximately 110 miles of roads, trails and other inventoried routes on approximately 70,000 acres of state forest lands in the state forest and associated scattered lands. The proposal, which includes some route closures, will ultimately determine where motorized vehicles - including cars, trucks and off-highway vehicles (OHVs) - will be allowed to operate on state lands in the forest and in these counties. This proposal was developed in cooperation with the land departments of Becker and Hubbard counties and White Earth Natural Resources to be consistent across land ownerships.The motor vehicle use classification provides the framework for managing public motor vehicle use on DNR lands and associated forest roads and trails. All state forest lands in the planning area are currently classified as managed, which means trails are open unless posted closed. The proposal reclassifies the White Earth State Forest from managed to limited, which means trails are closed to motor vehicle use unless posted open. This "closed unless posted open" policy would apply to all the trails inside the state forests and the scattered DNR-managed forest lands in the three counties. Forest roads are open to both highway-licensed vehicles and OHVs under either managed or limited forest classification.The draft plan recommends establishing areas on DNR Forestry-administered lands receive special protections from vehicular use. The limitations area occurs at two locations in the forest. One at Snider Lake provides motorized use restrictions on about 3,400 acres. The second, at Upper Rice Lake, restricts big game hunting and trapping motor vehicle access on about 4,700 acres. These areas were selected to protect sensitive resources, with improved hunter walking opportunities provided at Upper Rice Lake. The exceptions, which allow for both off-trail ATV travel and use of non-designated routes by highway licensed vehicles and OHVs for certain activities, would still be in force for the balance of public forest lands. The DNR will host a public meeting on this proposal from 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, at Mahnomen High School, 209 First Street S.W., Mahnomen. The first hour will allow people to informally review the plan, maps and other materials. The DNR interdisciplinary team and other supporting staff will be present to answer questions. During the remainder of the meeting, DNR will present its proposal and respond to questions and accept comments. Land department staff for Becker and Clearwater counties and White Earth Natural Resources will also be present to answer questions and receive comments about designations on county-managed lands. The proposals are posted on the DNR Web site at http://www.findthetrails.com. Comments, questions or requests for copies of the documents may be directed to Bill Johnson, DNR Trails & Waterways, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4052; by calling (651) 259-5643 or 1-888-MINNDNR, or to whiteearthunit@dnr.state.mn.us. Written comments will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, July 25. Thank you for your support of ATVing in Minnesota! Ride Smart, Ride Safe
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jgrizzly660 Member
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Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Seeks Public Comment on Motor Vehicle Use Plan Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber, The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is seeking public comments on motor vehicle use plans for six state forests in east-central Minnesota. A copy of the news release is pasted below. Please take a couple of minutes to check it out and please pass this information along to other recreationists. Thanks in advance for your support, Ric Foster Public Lands Department Manager BlueRibbon Coalition 208-237-1008 ext 107 ______________________________________________________ DNR Seeks Public Comment on Revised ORV Management Plan News Releases FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DNR seeks comments on motor vehicle use plan for forest lands in East Central Minnesota (July 22, 2008) The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking public comments on its forest classification and motor vehicle route designation proposal for six state forests in an eight-county planning area in east-central Minnesota. The east-central forests include Land O' Lakes in Cass/Crow Wing counties; Hill River, Savanna, and Waukenabo in Aitkin County, Snake River in Kanabec County, and DAR in Pine County. The proposal also designates roads and trails on scattered DNR lands in Anoka, Aitkin, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, southern Cass, and Washington counties. Under state law, the DNR is required to complete a classification review for all 58 of Minnesota's state forests by December 2008. Planning for the east-central forests began in July 2007. Five public open houses were held in the fall. A team of DNR resource specialists conducted the review, working closely with Aitkin and Cass counties in developing recommendations. Preliminary planning is complete and ready for public comment. ROAD AND TRAIL DESIGNATIONS The draft plan makes recommendations for about 1,000 miles of roads, trails and other routes on roughly 363,000 acres of state forest lands in east-central Minnesota. The proposal, which includes some route closures, will ultimately determine where motorized vehicles, including cars, trucks and off-highway vehicles (OHVs), will be allowed to operate on state lands in the county. In addition, Aitkin and Cass counties are making county land route recommendations for motor vehicle use on about 220 miles in Aitkin County and 400 miles in Cass County. FOREST CLASSIFICATION The motor vehicle use classification provides the framework for managing motor vehicle use on Minnesota DNR lands, forest roads and trails. Minnesota's three classifications are managed, limited and closed. Right now, all state forest lands in the east-central forests are classified as managed, except for the Snake River State Forest, which is limited. Under state law, the managed classification is no longer available south of U.S. Highway 2. Thus, the proposal reclassifies all state and county forest lands as either limited or closed. On limited forest lands, trails are closed to motor vehicle use unless posted as open, while forest roads are open to both highway-licensed vehicles and OHVs. On closed forest lands, trails are closed to motor vehicles and only highway-licensed vehicles may operate on forest roads. RECOMMENDED CLASSIFICATIONS State Forests Motor Vehicle Use Classification DAR Limited Hill River Limited Land O' Lakes Limited Savanna Limited & Closed Snake River Limited & Closed Waukenabo Limited Scattered State Forest Lands Motor Vehicle Use Classification Anoka County Limited Aitkin County Limited Chisago County Limited Isanti County Limited Kanabec County Limited & Closed Pine County Limited & Closed South Cass County Limited Washington County Limited AREAS OF LIMITATIONS The draft plan recommends that several sites (approximately 58,127 acres) receive special protections from vehicular use. There are two sites in Aitkin County (10,603 acres), 12 sites in Cass County (44,995 acres), and two sites in Kanabec County (2,529 acres). These "areas with limitations" sites have unique or sensitive resources or have existing nonmotorized uses. The proposal would prohibit OHV use on DNR or county forest lands within these areas year-round, including by hunters and trappers. The use of nondesignated routes by highway licensed vehicles and OHVs for hunting and trapping purposes would still be permitted on the balance of forest lands within the planning unit, except on lands classified as closed. PUBLIC REVIEW MEETINGS The DNR will hold three public meetings on this proposal: * Sept. 23, Aitkin High School, 306 Second St. N.W., Aitkin * Sept. 24, Mora High School, 400 E. Maple Ave., Mora * Sept. 25, Pine River/Backus High School, 801 First St. N., Pine River. Meetings will run from 6 - 8:30 pm. The first hour will allow people to informally review the plan, maps and other materials. The DNR and county officials will be on hand to answer questions. During the remainder of the meeting, DNR will present its proposal, respond to questions, and accept oral and written comments. The DNR east-central state forest classification and route designation proposals are available online at http://www.mndnr.gov <http://www.sharetrails.org/alertlist/redirect.cfm?ID=3487&MID=1118&LID=42> or at http://www.findthetrails.com <http://www.sharetrails.org/alertlist/redirect.cfm?ID=3488&MID=1118&LID=42> . Written comments, questions or requests for copies of the planning documents should be directed to Brian McCann, DNR Trails & Waterways, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4052; brian.mccann@dnr.state.mn.us; or by calling (651) 259-5627 or toll free at 1-888-MINNDNR (646-6367). Written comments on this proposal will be accepted until 4:30 pm on Friday, Oct. 3. Get BRC's Latest News & Alerts via RSS! http://feeds.feedburner.com/BlueRibbonCoalition
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