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RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING APPLICATION TO THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES ATV DEDICATED ACCOUNT FOR UP TO $200,000 TO SUPPORT A STUDY OF POTENTIAL ATV ROUTES IN FAR WESTERN DULUTH
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CITY PROPOSAL:
RESOLVED, that the proper City officials are hereby authorized to apply for grant funding in an amount not to exceed $200,000 from the ATV Dedicated Account administered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to support a study of potential ATV routes in far western Duluth.
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the city of Duluth has or will acquire fee title or permanent easement over all the land described in the boundary map or recreational site plan included in the application.
FURTHER RESOLVED, the city of Duluth has the legal authority to accept the money, and financial, technical and managerial capacity to ensure proper planning and maintenance of the project.
FURTHER RESOLVED, the Duluth City Council names the fiscal agent for this project as Jen Carlson, City of Duluth Finance Director, 411 West First Street, Duluth, MN 55802.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This resolution authorizes a grant application to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources ATV dedicated account for up to $200,000 to engage an engineering firm to support a study of potential ATV routes in far western Duluth. The City will incur no financial cost to conduct the study.
The City is pursuing the study in response to ATV-owning residents of far western Duluth, represented today by the Duluth-based nonprofit Head of the Lakes ATV Club, who have long wanted the City to designate select Duluth routes for ATV use to enable Duluth ATV riders to connect to the outlying statewide ATV trail network.
Routes to be studied for potential ATV use are shown in Exhibit A. They include:
1. West Skyline Parkway from I-35 Exit 249 to Becks Road
2. St Louis County Road 3 (Becks Road)
3. An existing snowmobile trail tracing the northern and western boundaries of Spirit Mountain Recreation Area
4. An existing snowmobile trail just below the Thompson Hill section of I-35
5. That portion of the City-owned DWP rail right-of-way that is entirely outside the City of Duluth and has never been improved for recreational use.
Potential ATV routes were selected for study on the basis of the following guidelines:
1. Focus on connecting far western Duluth to the outlying Minnesota regional ATV trail system (existing and planned).
2. Locate trailheads and routes at the periphery of the community heading outward so as to limit noise disturbances to homes and neighborhoods.
3. Focus on existing roads and trails that could be improved for ATV use.
4. Anticipate, avoid, minimize, mitigate, and manage conflicts between different trail user groups.
5. Protect the most valuable and vulnerable natural resources and trails from potential harm.
Intentionally excluded from study for potential ATV use are: the Superior Hiking Trail, the Duluth Traverse Trail, the Cross City Trail, Waabizheshikana - The Marten Trail, the Willard Munger State Trail, and the DWP Trail.
The study will be led by Duluth Parks in collaboration with partner City departments, in consultation with nonprofit stakeholders and the community at large, with review and guidance from the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Natural Resource Commission, subject to final approval by the Mayor and City Council. Staff has already introduced the proposed study to both commissions and interested nonprofit stakeholder groups representing ATV riders, other trail users, and environmental advocates.