The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will host two public meetings in July to review new plans for off-highway vehicles on state-owned and county-owned lands in northern St. Louis County.
The plan recommends where motorized vehicles, including cars, trucks, ATVs and other off-highway vehicles will be able to travel on the 1,375 miles of roads, trails and other routes on state forest lands in that area.
In general, OHVs will be allowed only on roads and trails marked open within the Superior National Forest boundaries. Outside the national forest, roads and trails on state and county forest land will be open to OHVs unless posted closed.
The plan includes state- and county-owned forest lands in the Bear Island, Burntside, Kabetogama and Lake Jeanette state forests and for scattered DNR forestlands outside of state forest boundaries. Sturgeon River and Cloquet Valley state forests are not included.
Meetings will run from 6-8:30 p.m. July 1 at Mesabi Range Community/Technical College, 1001 Chestnut St. W., Virginia, and July 2 at the Cook School, 306 E. Vermilion Blvd., Cook. Meetings will start with an open house followed by a DNR presentation on the DNR plan.
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The plan also recommends the designation of almost 400 miles of state and county forest roads for OHV use, more than 40 miles of hunter-walking trails, and 12 miles of off-highway vehicle trail. About 35 miles of the Arrowhead and Taconite snowmobile trail would be open to OHV use under the plan.
To see maps, view the plan or comment, go to www.mndnr.gov or call (651) 259-5627.
