Willow River park project moved after DNR easement blocks planned Big Bend work

The Pine County Board approved amending a prior agreement to allow the City of Willow River to shift up to $25,000 in county-dedicated parks and recreation funds from the Big Bend Park project to work at Willow River Dam Park after new information about state easement restrictions.

County staff told the board the city discovered that most of the land where it planned walking trails, picnic areas and other improvements at Big Bend Park is covered by a Department of Natural Resources Wild and Scenic River easement. That easement, staff said, includes specific restrictions that preclude many of the improvements the city had proposed. The city appealed to the DNR to allow work on existing informal paths but had not received a response as of the meeting.

Because the easement prevented the originally planned work, the city proposed moving the county’s $25,000 commitment to Willow River Dam Park, where previous dam removal and rapids work have increased visitation. The shifted scope would fund gravel road and parking improvements, fencing repairs, porta‑toilet stations, grill and picnic-area updates and similar site work.

A county commissioner asked staff to follow up with the DNR and to confirm whether the easement could affect other county projects on bridges or infrastructure along the river; staff clarified the easement applied specifically to the private parcel at Big Bend and that easement language varies by parcel. The board approved the amendment by voice vote and directed staff to execute the amended agreement with the city.