South Fowl Lawsuit

[BDub]

The South Fowl lawsuit is all about a snowmobile trail reroute north of Grand Marais, MN.

The Tilbury snowmobile trail was built in the 1960s before the 1964 Wilderness Act. As with many trails, it was built by users, following logging roads. The 1978 Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Act included the Tilbury Trail. For more than 25 years, the U.S. Forest Service neglected to close the Tilbury Trail and has yet to build a replacement trail, in accordance with the law.

The Forest Service finally did close the Tilbury Trail in 2003 and proposed a replacement following a northern route from McFarland Lake to South Fowl Lake outside of the wilderness.

The Conservationists With Common Sense organization supported the closure of the Tilbury Trail and its illegal use — illegal because the trail was partially inside the wilderness. We also approved the proposed northern reroute.

The Forest Service said fewer than a dozen visitors would be affected by the new route. The sight of snowmobiles through the trees would be for five seconds, their sound the equivalent of bedroom conversation.

Claims that North and South Fowl lakes are within the Boundary Waters are false. According to the legal description of the Boundary Waters and Forest Service maps, the wilderness ends at the lakes’ high-water marks. Prior to the passage of the 1978 act, the Fowl lakes were bargained out of the wilderness, but the lakes were mistakenly listed in the act. The lakes’ 10 hp motor limit shouldn’t have been implemented. The wilderness acts do not mandate the regulation of lands and waters not within the wilderness.

Of all the lakes listed in the 1978 Act, North and South Fowl lakes are the only ones not within the wilderness. All others are entirely or partially within the wilderness. As such, the Fowl lakes have not required motorboat quotas or the enforced banning of snowmobile use.

[Bufflehead]

Well, I'm a big time snowmobiler who enjoys seeing areas of Minnesota that are not accessable during any other time of the year.

 seeing a winter wonderland.

 Snowmobiles are low impact and come spring time all sign of them is gone with a few weeks of sun and new growth of grass's

 I hope the Forest service gets this trail completed. With opportunities to enjoy our grand wilderness disappearing with the urban sprawl and population explosion. It is a welcomed access by many.

 A wilderness excessable only by those physically able to hike and pack in, is a wilderness enjoyed only by a select few. That area is paid for and funded by all tax payers dollars and each of those tax payers should have access to it's enjoyment

[Dr.Bob]

Very well said Bufflehead.

[Harold]

Ditto!!  The forest service did the due diligence in proposing the alternate route.  It's a good one. But once again, we've got the Sierra Club and the like fighting it because now its simply too close to the wilderness.  Last I heard there were no buffer zones, but my guess is that this is the direction they are trying to go with all of this.

Just like all the other lawsuits these folks have been filing file up there for the last 30 plus years, it's simply taking steps towards a bigger agenda.

[Lee Borgersen]

Hey Harold,

Aunt Bee, Goober, Andy, And Ope says hey. Almost forgot Floyd & Howard..

Glad to see you chine on the issues. You & BDub always do get in the mix when it comes standing up for Truth, Justice and What used to be "The American Way".

[Harold]

 

Say Lee, please do me a favor and tell all my good friends in Mayberry I said HEY right back!

Truth, Justice and What used to be "The American Way".

You couldn't be more correct.