For now, plans to crack down on people who abuse Duluth’s trails have been placed on hold.
At-large City Councilor Emily Larson has withdrawn a proposed ordinance that would have empowered the city to charge people for any damage they inflict on local trails.
“The ordinance is intended to protect the investments we have been making in our trails, but what emerged was a complex set of concerns,” she said.
Larson decided to shelve the proposed ordinance temporarily in hopes that those concerns - including enforcement, proper notice and fears of exclusion - can be addressed.
In the coming weeks, she aims to work out details, such as how trails will be marked when they are temporarily closed. She also wants the city to put together a detailed network map that clearly designates the permitted uses for each specific trail.
“What began as an informal network of trails is becoming more programmed. I think that’s OK, but as it happens, we need to make sure that all the various user groups have been brought along,” Larson said.
She contends the proposed ordinance has brought forward a useful and probably overdue discussion, calling it “sort of a chicken-egg situation,” where certain questions need to be resolved before people are ready to adopt new trail protections.
Larson hopes that the threat of being charged for damages will keep people off vulnerable trails that have been temporarily closed because of wet conditions. Likewise, the ordinance could help deter other problem behaviors, such as individuals messing up groomed ski trails.
But skeptics have questioned whether the proposed ordinance would prove effective.
Byron Johnson, a Duluth resident and avid trail user, suspects the ordinance would be difficult to enforce and compared it to the often-disregarded requirement that people keep their dogs on leash in city parks.
“People do what they do because they know they can act with impunity,” he said.
Johnson said that rather than threaten people with fines, the city would be wise to enlist the help of volunteers, posting them at trailheads to educate the public about proper trail use and etiquette.
“I think we could educate people and make them realize how the choices they make can detract from other people’s experiences in the park,” he said.
Larson said she hopes to engage people from multiple user groups in a discussion about how best to care for the city’s trails.
“I think everyone understands that we need to protect the city’s investment, as well as people’s experiences on the trails. We need to be mindful that we can sustain what we have for all the different user groups out there,” she said.
Although Larson has withdrawn her ordinance for the moment, she hopes to fine-tune it and reintroduce the measure for fellow councilors to consider yet before the end of the year.
