Discrimination against canoeists and kayakers in Minnesota
Question:
You can protest this by organizing a caravan of totally stupid trailers. Each vehicle can pull a lawn trailer, utility cart, or even better, a woodsplitter. Id like to see what they will do then. -Chip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – For those of you who paddle regularly, or even occasionally, in the Midwestern United States, we’d like to make you aware of some access issues that may soon prevent you from gaining legal access to your favorite river or lake. We encountered this problem at the Boom Site landing, on the Saint Croix river just north of Stillwater. The Saint Croix, which divides Minnesota and Wisconsin, has been designated by the National Park Service as a Wild and Scenic Riverway. North of Stillwater, it’s a medium-sized river that’s far better suited to paddling than power boating (right now it has a flow of about 1000 cfs). It’s the sort of place where you’d expect canoeists and kayakers to be at least as welcome as power boaters. Recently, however, new signs have gone up. Nearly all of the long, narrow parking slots at this landing are now designated for use only by vehicles with boat trailers. True, there are still four spots over in a corner that are designated for vehicles without boat trailers. Typically, however, these spots are quickly taken by people who drive to the landing and meet their power boating friends. 715-483-3288
Response:
Hey, send a letter to the guv, Jesse Ventura- let’s see if he’s just a blowhard like the rest, or if he’d actually do something!
| For those of you who paddle regularly, or even occasionally, in the Midwestern | United States, we’d like to make you aware of some access issues that may soon | prevent you from gaining legal access to your favorite river or lake. | | We encountered this problem at the Boom Site landing, on the Saint Croix river | just north of Stillwater. The Saint Croix, which divides Minnesota and | Wisconsin, has been designated by the National Park Service as a Wild and | Scenic Riverway. North of Stillwater, it’s a medium-sized river that’s far | better suited to paddling than power boating (right now it has a flow of about | 1000 cfs). It’s the sort of place where you’d expect canoeists and kayakers to | be at least as welcome as power boaters. | | Recently, however, new signs have gone up. Nearly all of the long, narrow | parking slots at this landing are now designated for use only by vehicles with | boat trailers. True, there are still four spots over in a corner that are | designated for vehicles without boat trailers. Typically, however, these spots | are quickly taken by people who drive to the landing and meet their power | boating friends. | | The pavement markings remain unchanged; in the past, people with roof racks | rather than trailers were considerate enough to pull ahead into each spot. Two | or three vehicles — each of which might carry more than one canoe or kayak — | could easily fit in the same slot as one vehicle with a trailer. Now, however, | there’s new signage that clearly discriminates against canoeists and kayakers | in favor of power boaters. | | (Unfortunately, this is not an isolated instance. One of the people we | contacted today at the Minnesota DNR tells us that in recent weeks similar | steps have been taken at landings all over the state.) | | Well, yesterday my wife and I inadvertently committed the crime of canoeing. | We parked at the same old landing, carefully pulling ahead so that other | canoeists or kayakers could pull in behind us in the same slot. Because we had | a roof rack and not a large boat trailer, our vehicle was ticketed when we | returned. It was not a parking offense. Because it happened at a DNR | facility, it was a criminal offense that carries with it a fine of several | hundred dollars. | | Admittedly, we’re not happy about that. We’re also concerned, however, about | broader access issues involved here. We’re all taxpaying citizens, and we all | have a right to river access. These new signs, which clearly discriminate | against canoeists and kayakers, should come down immediately. Whether it was | intentional or not, on most days these signs have the effect of making it | illegal for anyone without a boat trailer to use the only public access on a | roughly 40-mile stretch of river. | | Even worse, the same thing may be happening right now all over Minnesota. | | Even if you don’t live in Minnesota, we encourage you to make your voices | heard. This could become a dangerous precedent that will watched closely by | other states. If you’d like to voice your opinion about this development, here | are some people you can contact at Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources: | | | Dennis Asmussen, Director of Trails and Waterways Division | 651-297-1151 | fax: 651-297-5475 | | Bill Bernhjelm, Director of Enforcement Division | 651-296-4771 | fax: 651-297-3727 | | Steve Johnson, Community Stewardship Supervisor | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | DNR Waters | 651-296-4802 | fax: 651-296-0445 | | Michael C. McDonough, Water Recreation Program Coordinator | 651-297-2798 | fax: 651-297-5475 | | In addition, since the Saint Croix river is a National Wild and Scenic | Riverway, there are these National Park Service contacts: | | Robert Stanton | Director | National Park Service | 1849 C Street NW | Washington, DC 20240 | 202-208-6843 | | William W. Schenk | Regional Director | National Park Service | 1709 Jackson St. | Omaha, NE 68102 | (402) 221-3471 | | | And, to contact the superintendent of this particular national park: | | email | (Due to heavy e-mail traffic, they do not guarantee a response.) | | write to | 401 Hamilton Street | P O Box 708 | Saint Croix Falls, WI 54024 | fax | 715-483-3288 | |
Response:
I’m from Minnesota, and I’d have to say that there’s a lot of truth to what Steve wrote in his reply to you. Sure, I’d maybe question a few details, or the logic of certain arguments used to justify the new access signage that excludes canoeists and kayakers. But I WOULD agree that the DNR really HAS done a lot for paddlers in Minnesota. And they actually have a fairly large constituency here. There are a lot of enthusiastic paddlers in Minnesota. It’s also home of some noteworthy manufacturers of watercraft (Bell, Current Designs, and Wenonah) and paddling equipment (Bending Branches, Cooke Custom Sewing, The Duluth Pack Company, and Granite Gear). (Sorry if I left anyone out, and please note that I listed these in strictly alphabetical order.) We’ve got a lot of great paddling opportunities in Minnesota, and not just in the Boundary Waters. And the DNR, as Steve wrote, really HAS done a lot to make it possible for us to enjoy those opportunities. As I understand it, the DNR division directed by Steve Johnson deserves much of the credit for that. Actually, a lot of the people working for the DNR are paddlers themselves. This stuff was important to them, and that’s why they decided to go to work there. And no matter HOW they choose to enjoy the outdoors, these are decent people just trying to do their jobs. I’ve been talking to some of them on the phone recently, and most of them are pretty reasonable. Unfortunately, the Minnesota DNR also has an even larger constituency of anglers, waterskiers, and powerboaters. Apparently some of them complained when they arrived at landings and found one or two cars with roof racks (or maybe even three of them) in the parking lane where they had planned to park with their boat trailer. Some dang kayaker or canoeist was in "their" spot. So the DNR giveth and the DNR taketh away. The people at the DNR have a tough job, and it’s hard for them to please everyone. They’ve heard and responded to some vocal powerboaters. Let’s hope that they’ll listen to other voices, too. All we paddlers want, of course, is a constructive, fair solution that provides first-come, first-served river access for EVERYONE. We don’t want to be excluded in favor of other users, just because they have more money or a bigger boat, or because they use a trailer rather than a roof rack. If you read this, and if you agree that’s a pretty reasonable thing to ask, please contact some of the people listed below. It only takes a moment. Dennis Asmussen, Director of Trails and Waterways Division 651-297-1151 fax: 651-297-5475 Bill Bernhjelm, Director of Enforcement Division 651-296-4771 fax: 651-297-3727 Steve Johnson, Community Stewardship Supervisor Minnesota Department of Natural Resources DNR Waters 651-296-4802 fax: 651-296-0445 Michael C. McDonough, Water Recreation Program Coordinator 651-297-2798 fax: 651-297-5475 In addition, since the Saint Croix river is a National Wild and Scenic Riverway, there are these National Park Service contacts: Robert Stanton Director National Park Service 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 202-208-6843 William W. Schenk Regional Director National Park Service 1709 Jackson St. Omaha, NE 68102 (402) 221-3471 And, to contact the superintendent of this particular national park: email (Due to heavy e-mail traffic, they do not guarantee a response.) write to 401 Hamilton Street P O Box 708 Saint Croix Falls, WI 54024 fax 715-483-3288
Response:
In Montana there is presently a race for the governers office. The republican candidate has promised to try to overturn the Montana Stream Access Law.
The really mind-boggling part is that Ruby River ranchers have defied the Access law for the past few years to the benefit of their guided fishing business. Curt
Response:
Steve Johnson Community Stewardship Supervisor Minnesota Department of Natural Resources DNR Waters 651-296-4802 Fax: 651-296-0445 <As we’ve discussed, you and I [not referring to me] both canoe this area, but use here is predominantly by power boats—some of which operate at incredible speeds—and this is clearly an area to be avoided by inexperienced canoeists Power boats do not have the right to endanger canoes. Why not ticket the reckless operators and impose speed limits? <The site has parking for only 20 car/trailer units, although we are aware that many others launch there and park off-site. The site is almost always full, and I’m confident it would be full every summer weekend even if there were five times as many parking spaces. The recent decision to stripe four car-only parking spaces at this site and restrict use of the pull-through car/trailer spaces to car/trailer units responds to the intense pressure for use of this site. Use by paddle boaters is much more environmentally sound. Power boats of any sort have no greater right to access to rivers. An alternative system needs to be developed so that all river users have access. Access should not be based on whether you pull a trailer. Encouraging more power boat use encourages more of the problems described previously. <For example, a site on Lake Minnetonka was being used by commuters as a park-and-ride lot instead of its intended purpose, so DNR was forced to restrict parking to car/trailer units. So! Why should the paddle sports be punished for this improper use of the facility? Parkin Hunter
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – For those of you who paddle regularly, or even occasionally, in the Midwestern United States, we’d like to make you aware of some access issues that may soon prevent you from gaining legal access to your favorite river or lake. We encountered this problem at the Boom Site landing, on the Saint Croix river just north of Stillwater. The Saint Croix, which divides Minnesota and Wisconsin, has been designated by the National Park Service as a Wild and Scenic Riverway. North of Stillwater, it’s a medium-sized river that’s far better suited to paddling than power boating (right now it has a flow of about 1000 cfs). It’s the sort of place where you’d expect canoeists and kayakers to be at least as welcome as power boaters. Recently, however, new signs have gone up. Nearly all of the long, narrow parking slots at this landing are now designated for use only by vehicles with boat trailers. True, there are still four spots over in a corner that are designated for vehicles without boat trailers. Typically, however, these spots are quickly taken by people who drive to the landing and meet their power boating friends. The pavement markings remain unchanged; in the past, people with roof racks rather than trailers were considerate enough to pull ahead into each spot. Two or three vehicles — each of which might carry more than one canoe or kayak — could easily fit in the same slot as one vehicle with a trailer. Now, however, there’s new signage that clearly discriminates against canoeists and kayakers in favor of power boaters. (Unfortunately, this is not an isolated instance. One of the people we contacted today at the Minnesota DNR tells us that in recent weeks similar steps have been taken at landings all over the state.) Well, yesterday my wife and I inadvertently committed the crime of canoeing. We parked at the same old landing, carefully pulling ahead so that other canoeists or kayakers could pull in behind us in the same slot. Because we had a roof rack and not a large boat trailer, our vehicle was ticketed when we returned. It was not a parking offense. Because it happened at a DNR facility, it was a criminal offense that carries with it a fine of several hundred dollars. Admittedly, we’re not happy about that. We’re also concerned, however, about broader access issues involved here. We’re all taxpaying citizens, and we all have a right to river access. These new signs, which clearly discriminate against canoeists and kayakers, should come down immediately. Whether it was intentional or not, on most days these signs have the effect of making it illegal for anyone without a boat trailer to use the only public access on a roughly 40-mile stretch of river. Even worse, the same thing may be happening right now all over Minnesota. Even if you don’t live in Minnesota, we encourage you to make your voices heard. This could become a dangerous precedent that will watched closely by other states. If you’d like to voice your opinion about this development, here are some people you can contact at Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources: Dennis Asmussen, Director of Trails and Waterways Division 651-297-1151 fax: 651-297-5475 Bill Bernhjelm, Director of Enforcement Division 651-296-4771 fax: 651-297-3727 Steve Johnson, Community Stewardship Supervisor Minnesota Department of Natural Resources DNR Waters 651-296-4802 fax: 651-296-0445 Michael C. McDonough, Water Recreation Program Coordinator 651-297-2798 fax: 651-297-5475 In addition, since the Saint Croix river is a National Wild and Scenic Riverway, there are these National Park Service contacts: Robert Stanton Director National Park Service 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 202-208-6843 William W. Schenk Regional Director National Park Service 1709 Jackson St. Omaha, NE 68102 (402) 221-3471 And, to contact the superintendent of this particular national park: email (Due to heavy e-mail traffic, they do not guarantee a response.) write to 401 Hamilton Street P O Box 708 Saint Croix Falls, WI 54024 fax 715-483-3288
Response:
I received this response to an email I sent on this issue. You Minnesotans will have to let us know if this is accurate: Mr. Hunter, I have been getting a number of e-mails based on in accurate information on this issue. As a matter of fact, 4 car-only spaces were recently added at this site to ensure that single car users had parking available to them and to balance recreation use at this very high demand location. The St.Croix River is 252 miles long, with numerous water access sites, more than 20 sites are carry-in only for paddlers. The site in question has traditionally had minimal user by non-motorized users and is located in the lower 30 miles of the river which is the only section which has a lot of motor boat use. Minnesota has one of the most extensive paddling programs in the country, we manage over 3000 miles on 24 designated rivers with carry-in access sites, rest areas and camp sites. We manage a Water Trail on Lake Superior for paddlers and we have over 1550 public water access sites on lakes and rivers through out the state and all of them accommodate non-motorized users. We publish maps on all of our designated Canoe and Boating Routes. The St. Croix River has a series of five maps that cover the river. They are available through the DNR Information Center free of charge. We have also jointly published the book "Paddling in Minnesota" which has extensive information on paddling opportunities in Minnesota. Please visit our web page if you would like accurate information on water recreation opportunities in Minnesota. Sincerely, Michael Michael C. McDonough, Landscape Architect Water Recreation Program Coordinator, DNR Trails & Waterways Unit 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4052 Parkin Hunter
Response:
For those of you who paddle regularly, or even occasionally, in the Midwestern United States, we’d like to make you aware of some access issues that may soon prevent you from gaining legal access to your favorite river or lake
ETC. Have you tried contacting American Whitewater or the American Canoe Association? Both devote considerable resources to access issues. I suspect they might even pay for your lawyer if they view your situation as precedent-setting. American Whitewater: http://www.awa.org/ American Canoe Association: http://www.acanet.org/acanet.htm — Chris Before you buy.
Response:
For those of you who paddle regularly, or even occasionally, in the Midwestern United States, we’d like to make you aware of some access issues that may soon prevent you from gaining legal access to your favorite river or lake.
In Montana there is presently a race for the governers office. The republican candidate has promised to try to overturn the Montana Stream Access Law. We now have some of the best stream access in the country (garanteed by law). It looks like we are in for a fight to keep it. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Dennis
Response:
Thanks for the message. Sorry about the ticket. I found a similar problem to this in Rhode Island this past summer. Where they were ticketing surfers and paddlers in a beach parking lot designated for fishermen. If all else fails I guess we will have to get a boat trailer to paddle in Minnesota. Julie Keller Great river photos at http://JulieKeller.com
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – For those of you who paddle regularly, or even occasionally, in the Midwestern United States, we’d like to make you aware of some access issues that may soon prevent you from gaining legal access to your favorite river or lake. We encountered this problem at the Boom Site landing, on the Saint Croix river just north of Stillwater. The Saint Croix, which divides Minnesota and Wisconsin, has been designated by the National Park Service as a Wild and Scenic Riverway. North of Stillwater, it’s a medium-sized river that’s far better suited to paddling than power boating (right now it has a flow of about 1000 cfs). It’s the sort of place where you’d expect canoeists and kayakers to be at least as welcome as power boaters. Recently, however, new signs have gone up. Nearly all of the long, narrow parking slots at this landing are now designated for use only by vehicles with boat trailers. True, there are still four spots over in a corner that are designated for vehicles without boat trailers. Typically, however, these spots are quickly taken by people who drive to the landing and meet their power boating friends. The pavement markings remain unchanged; in the past, people with roof racks rather than trailers were considerate enough to pull ahead into each spot. Two or three vehicles — each of which might carry more than one canoe or kayak — could easily fit in the same slot as one vehicle with a trailer. Now, however, there’s new signage that clearly discriminates against canoeists and kayakers in favor of power boaters. (Unfortunately, this is not an isolated instance. One of the people we contacted today at the Minnesota DNR tells us that in recent weeks similar steps have been taken at landings all over the state.) Well, yesterday my wife and I inadvertently committed the crime of canoeing. We parked at the same old landing, carefully pulling ahead so that other canoeists or kayakers could pull in behind us in the same slot. Because we had a roof rack and not a large boat trailer, our vehicle was ticketed when we returned. It was not a parking offense. Because it happened at a DNR facility, it was a criminal offense that carries with it a fine of several hundred dollars. Admittedly, we’re not happy about that. We’re also concerned, however, about broader access issues involved here. We’re all taxpaying citizens, and we all have a right to river access. These new signs, which clearly discriminate against canoeists and kayakers, should come down immediately. Whether it was intentional or not, on most days these signs have the effect of making it illegal for anyone without a boat trailer to use the only public access on a roughly 40-mile stretch of river. Even worse, the same thing may be happening right now all over Minnesota. Even if you don’t live in Minnesota, we encourage you to make your voices heard. This could become a dangerous precedent that will watched closely by other states. If you’d like to voice your opinion about this development, here are some people you can contact at Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources: Dennis Asmussen, Director of Trails and Waterways Division 651-297-1151 fax: 651-297-5475 Bill Bernhjelm, Director of Enforcement Division 651-296-4771 fax: 651-297-3727 Steve Johnson, Community Stewardship Supervisor Minnesota Department of Natural Resources DNR Waters 651-296-4802 fax: 651-296-0445 Michael C. McDonough, Water Recreation Program Coordinator 651-297-2798 fax: 651-297-5475 In addition, since the Saint Croix river is a National Wild and Scenic Riverway, there are these National Park Service contacts: Robert Stanton Director National Park Service 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 202-208-6843 William W. Schenk Regional Director National Park Service 1709 Jackson St. Omaha, NE 68102 (402) 221-3471 And, to contact the superintendent of this particular national park: email (Due to heavy e-mail traffic, they do not guarantee a response.) write to 401 Hamilton Street P O Box 708 Saint Croix Falls, WI 54024 fax 715-483-3288
Response:
For those of you who paddle regularly, or even occasionally, in the Midwestern United States, we’d like to make you aware of some access issues that may soon prevent you from gaining legal access to your favorite river or lake. We encountered this problem at the Boom Site landing, on the Saint Croix river just north of Stillwater. The Saint Croix, which divides Minnesota and Wisconsin, has been designated by the National Park Service as a Wild and Scenic Riverway. North of Stillwater, it’s a medium-sized river that’s far better suited to paddling than power boating (right now it has a flow of about 1000 cfs). It’s the sort of place where you’d expect canoeists and kayakers to be at least as welcome as power boaters. Recently, however, new signs have gone up. Nearly all of the long, narrow parking slots at this landing are now designated for use only by vehicles with boat trailers. True, there are still four spots over in a corner that are designated for vehicles without boat trailers. Typically, however, these spots are quickly taken by people who drive to the landing and meet their power boating friends. The pavement markings remain unchanged; in the past, people with roof racks rather than trailers were considerate enough to pull ahead into each spot. Two or three vehicles — each of which might carry more than one canoe or kayak — could easily fit in the same slot as one vehicle with a trailer. Now, however, there’s new signage that clearly discriminates against canoeists and kayakers in favor of power boaters. (Unfortunately, this is not an isolated instance. One of the people we contacted today at the Minnesota DNR tells us that in recent weeks similar steps have been taken at landings all over the state.) Well, yesterday my wife and I inadvertently committed the crime of canoeing. We parked at the same old landing, carefully pulling ahead so that other canoeists or kayakers could pull in behind us in the same slot. Because we had a roof rack and not a large boat trailer, our vehicle was ticketed when we returned. It was not a parking offense. Because it happened at a DNR facility, it was a criminal offense that carries with it a fine of several hundred dollars. Admittedly, we’re not happy about that. We’re also concerned, however, about broader access issues involved here. We’re all taxpaying citizens, and we all have a right to river access. These new signs, which clearly discriminate against canoeists and kayakers, should come down immediately. Whether it was intentional or not, on most days these signs have the effect of making it illegal for anyone without a boat trailer to use the only public access on a roughly 40-mile stretch of river. Even worse, the same thing may be happening right now all over Minnesota. Even if you don’t live in Minnesota, we encourage you to make your voices heard. This could become a dangerous precedent that will watched closely by other states. If you’d like to voice your opinion about this development, here are some people you can contact at Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources: Dennis Asmussen, Director of Trails and Waterways Division 651-297-1151 fax: 651-297-5475 Bill Bernhjelm, Director of Enforcement Division 651-296-4771 fax: 651-297-3727 Steve Johnson, Community Stewardship Supervisor Minnesota Department of Natural Resources DNR Waters 651-296-4802 fax: 651-296-0445 Michael C. McDonough, Water Recreation Program Coordinator 651-297-2798 fax: 651-297-5475 In addition, since the Saint Croix river is a National Wild and Scenic Riverway, there are these National Park Service contacts: Robert Stanton Director National Park Service 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 202-208-6843 William W. Schenk Regional Director National Park Service 1709 Jackson St. Omaha, NE 68102 (402) 221-3471 And, to contact the superintendent of this particular national park: email (Due to heavy e-mail traffic, they do not guarantee a response.) write to 401 Hamilton Street P O Box 708 Saint Croix Falls, WI 54024 fax 715-483-3288
