Maplewood trail segment change order approved
News | Published on August 20, 2024 at 4:21pm GMT+0000 | Author: Tucker Henderson
0Focus put on protecting wetlands
By Tom Hintgen
Otter Tail County Correspondent
Heavy rainfall has necessitated a change within the Maplewood segment of the Heart of the Lakes Regional Trail from Pelican Rapids to Perham. Silt fencing changes became necessary and a change order was approved Aug. 13 by the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners.
A silt fence is a temporary sediment barrier made of porous fabric. It is held up by wooden stakes or metal posts and driven into the ground, keeping soil on a construction site rather than washing off into natural bodies of water such as streams, lakes and wetlands.
“With the constant rains we are experiencing, we need strong methods to get soils locked in place and not allow erosion,” said County Parks and Trails Director Kevin Fellbaum to county commissioners.”
Fellbaum said that, in some areas, certain procedures were needed in the Maplewood segment in order to protect some wetlands and other bodies of water. Construction taking place in Maplewood State Park is tied to the final design of the trail corridor through the state park.
What was once referred to as the Pelican Rapids to Perham Recreational Trail is now the Heart of the Lakes Regional Trail. There are plans in place in the coming years for the addition of connecting spur trail segments from the main trail to the communities of Dent and Vergas.
Four of the five major trail segments of the regional trail are built: the Pelican Rapids segment, Silent Lake segment, McDonald Lake segment and Perham segment.
Much of the funding needed for construction of the 10-foot-wide trail came from the state of Minnesota through allocated grants. Included is funding from the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) and the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission (GMRPTC).
Otter Tail County governmental employees, in previous months, were busy with
easements, right of way talks, environmental meetings and other hurdles that needed to be met before the trail could become a reality.
Public input meetings were also held. The county board, which experienced some opposition to the trail, had support for the trail from county residents, the cities of Pelican Rapids and Perham as well as organizations such as West Central Initiative and PartnerSHIP4Health.