Committee refers bill to have DNR study ATV access on C.J. Ramstad North Shore State Trail

The committee voted to re‑refer House File 274 to the Ways and Means Committee after testimony that the bill would require the Department of Natural Resources to update the C.J. Ramstad North Shore State Trail master plan and consider ATV use on portions of the trail in Cook and Lake counties.

Representative Roger Skraba, the bill author, said the measure “does not automatically open the trail to ATV use,” but would ensure ATV access is considered during a master‑plan update. The bill directs the DNR to update the master plan and appropriates $25,000 in fiscal year 2026 from the all‑terrain vehicle account in the Natural Resources Fund to the DNR commissioner to support the planning effort.

Lake County Commissioner Rick Goodermont testified in support, citing two decades of local multi‑use trail experience and saying portions already opened to ATV use had improved year‑round maintenance and economic connections between communities. Mickey Bazell, president of the Cook County ATV Club, also urged DNR to pursue the planning work.

DNR parks and trails staffer Andrew Korsberg told the committee that the C.J. Ramstad North Shore State Trail is a roughly 153‑mile, natural‑surface, multi‑use trail from Duluth to Grand Marais used primarily for snowmobiles but also by hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers. Korsberg said the DNR does not own all land under the trail — landowners include the U.S. Forest Service, Cook and Lake counties and private owners — and that agreements with landowners and state parks rules would have to be revisited if motorized use were added. Some segments cannot sustain year‑round motorized traffic in their current condition and would require tread stabilization, gravel or other upgrades. He said environmental review would be required and that the $25,000 appropriation is smaller than the DNR’s estimate for completing full planning, though the department could prioritize the work within existing planning resources.

Korsberg also noted a 2005 feasibility study on ATV use on the North Shore is available on the DNR website and would inform the process. He said a February 2026 report deadline in the bill would be tight for meaningful landowner and public engagement.

Committee members asked whether the DNR could complete planning with $25,000; Korsberg said the department could prioritize the work but that full planning costs were higher and that additional funding and time would likely be required. Members also heard that Cook and Lake county boards support study of ATV access and that the bill’s purpose is to consider ATV access, not to open trails automatically.

The committee chair renewed the motion to refer HF274 to Ways and Means; the committee then referred the bill to Ways and Means (voice vote).