Lyon County Commissioners are none too thrilled about a proposed 63% reduction in a grant award for Gary Thooft’s Shady Oaks Native Prairie ATV Trails near Russell.
Representatives of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources spoke to commissioners at Tuesday’s board meeting about planned cuts — which the DNR said are temporary — in the State’s Off-Highway Vehicle Grant-in-Aid Program.
“After my second twohour meeting with four DNR representatives on the Thooft application, I was told that the grant for this year will be $10,000 — $5,000 to reimburse the Thooft family for allowing the public to use their property and $5,000 for other expenses,” County Administrator Loren Stomberg said. “This completely ignores the reimbursement formula the State uses in the application form. I do not know what authority they used to make this seemingly arbitrary decision, or if they truly have the authority to make that decision.”
Shady Oaks is a 6-mile trail system that was created by Thooft. Trails wind through a variety of trees, prairie grass and wildflowers. There are eight wooden bridge crossings, as well as picnic tables, porta-potties and campsites with electric and water hookups.
Bill Greer, of the DNR Parks & Trails Department, emphasized that proposed cuts are not just happening here in southwest Minnesota.
“Basically, that fund is just kind of tapped,” Greer said. “We’re seeing cuts to numerous clubs across the state; this is not isolated to this ATV club. We’re not targeting them, or anything like that.”
Greer said for that reason, the DNR is asking the snowmobile club known as the Ridge Runners Snowmobile and ATV Club to get more involved.
Funds in the program come primarily from ATV registrations, said Morgan Wendt, DNR Off-Highway Vehicle Acquisition & Development Specialist.
Commissioner Rick Anderson asked if trails in other parts of the state — specifically in the northeast part Minnesota, where trails are more prevalent — are getting cut, as Wendt stated.
“This is a statewide thing,” Wendt said. “We’re running up against a funding wall. The statewide ATV advocacy group is actively trying to pass a funding increase, so it increases the registration fee … so the DNR has more money to pass around.”
Wendt said the DNR is looking at things “very carefully” to ensure the funds are being used the best way possible.
Anderson wasn’t satisfied with that answer. Wendt said it’s hard to compare a trail like Shady Oaks with other trails in the state.
“Some trials require different levels of maintenance than others because of the terrain they’re in,” Wendt said. “Where appropriate, we are reducing all awards across the state. There were a number of projects that were not funded in this most recent application cycle.”
Commissioner Gary Crowley, too, held the DNR’s feet to the fire on this issue. He said the trail has been running for years in compliance and shouldn’t be singled out.
“We’ve had no issues out there; this is the only trail we have in southwest Minnesota,” Crowley said. “Would you maintain that trail for $5,000 a year? I would have no problem if you could sit here and tell me today that every trail, you’re cutting 50% (in funding). I bet you can’t do that, can you? I know you can’t.”
Greer reiterated that the DNR doesn’t want to see Shady Oaks close, acknowledging that Shady Oaks is the only ATV trails in a 10-county area in this part of the state.
But Crowley, who said Shady Oaks pales in comparison to other larger trails in the state when it comes to maintenance, wasn’t buying.
“I feel that you’re picking on this particular site for some reason,” Crowley said. “The cost of a trail is a lot higher than what you’re willing to pay. Can you imagine what it would cost the state to build a trail like this? It’s a big draw for a little community in our county. I just hope that we can keep this thing going.”
Thooft said a new section of the trail was approved by a previous DNR employee, who is no longer with the organization.
“Even if they did agree to it at the time, the proper steps, as far as the DNR, were technically not met,” Greer said.
Wendt said the addition to Shady Oaks can be part of the system, but can only be added by going through the required process. She added that the proposed reduction is temporary.
“Some of the trails that have been added have been on that property for 30 years,” Thooft said.
Greer said it is the DNR’s intention to keep the trail going, calling the DNR’s relationship with locals a partnership. But Stomberg countered, saying it doesn’t feel like a partnership.
“You said that you would be willing to buy the property, which is going to cost a lot more than what it is to rent it, but instead you’re going to cut the amount of money that (Thooft) is compensated for — that doesn’t sound like a partnership,” said Stomberg. “To cut funding to this extent — I’ve never seen this before in my career.”
The total estimated cost of running the park is $38,023; the Grant-in-Aid Program reimburses a percentage of certain expenses. Section A expenses are reimbursed at 65% and Section B expenses are reimbursed at 90%, so the grant reimbursement request is $27,114.95, plus $325 for spring opening expenses for a total of $27,439.95.
Even though a dollar amount is requested for a category, Stomberg said, the reimbursement only comes after presenting valid invoices of expenses actually incurred. The reimbursement is for the actual cost up to the amount approved on the grant application.
