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Metro COG presents final Heartland Trail study for Clay County; recommends phased build and task force
Summary
Metro COG and SRF presented the Heartland Trail study for the Clay County segment, outlining public engagement, four corridor segments, phasing across six construction phases and next steps including forming a task force and deciding whether to pursue state- or regional-trail designation.
Metro COG staff and consultants presented the draft Heartland Trail study to the Clay County Board of Commissioners on June 10, summarizing a year-long analysis of alignments, public engagement and a phasing plan for the county segment.
Dan Farnsworth of Metro COG introduced the presentation and Stuart Crosby, project manager and landscape architect with SRF (presenting as SREF Consulting), walked commissioners through the corridor analysis, public outreach findings and a six-phase implementation plan. “We have spent the last year looking at the Clay County segment of the Heartland Trail,” Crosby said.
The study divides the county corridor into four segments and recommends phasing construction in six stages, with initial phases focused on connecting Moorhead (Centennial Park) westward toward Buffalo River State Park. Crosby said public feedback strongly opposed routing the trail primarily along Highway 10, favoring alternatives such as 12th Avenue South and other local rights-of-way. The presentation noted that much of the proposed corridor would follow public road right-of-way, and that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) master-plan corridor covers a broad band; proposing an alignment outside that corridor would require DNR master-plan changes.
The draft study emphasizes public engagement: two open houses, a landowner meeting, four pop-up events, online mapping with over 2,000 visitors and more than 350 comments or contributions. Crosby summarized constraints around connecting into Buffalo River State Park, saying the Minnesota DNR Parks and Trails Division wants additional study in that area because of “high quality natural resources and cultural and archaeological sites.” The DNR is interested in a connection but will require further environmental and cultural review.
Commissioners asked about trailheads in Moorhead (the study will include a conceptual downtown Moorhead trailhead in addition to the planned Centennial Park trailhead), bridge crossings and coordination with Becker County on eastern segments. Crosby noted two challenging bridges between Holly and the Becker County line and said Becker County’s planning efforts will be important for cross-county coordination.
On governance and funding, the study recommends creating a task force to identify lead entities and decide whether the Clay County segment should be designated a state trail or a regional trail. Crosby explained trade-offs: state-trail designation would require staying within the DNR corridor and could shift maintenance responsibilities to DNR later, while a regional trail could open access to Greater Minnesota legacy funds but would increase long-term local maintenance obligations. Crosby said both state and regional routes have taken roughly a decade to construct in comparable cases and stressed the need to plan for maintenance funding when applying for grants.
No formal county action was taken; commissioners asked staff to notify them of upcoming task-force meetings and suggested the study’s August adoption by the policy board may be appropriate timing for next steps.
