Our Stories

Arrowhead Re-Route Update – December 12, 2012

Written by Bruce Matthews, NCTA’s Executive Director

Since 2005, fans of the North Country National Scenic Trail have been working hard to secure the re-route of the trail to include the section in northeast Minnesota encompassed by the Superior Hiking, Border Route and Kekekabic Trails. Anyone familiar with the area can see in a heartbeat why this makes sense for a National Scenic Trail. For more background on the re-route, visit NCTA’s website.

The size of the difference between the original route passed by Congress in 1980, and the proposed re-route (see map above), makes it necessary to seek Congressional approval, which the NCTA and our partners have been seeking for some time, including a disappointing effort with the current 112th Congress. With the entire re-route located within Minnesota Congressional District 8, we really need the support of MN-08’s congressman to make this happen, something that unfortunately we could not get with Tea Party Congressman Chip Cravaack during the 112th Congress. Fortunately, Mr. Cravaack was defeated; incoming Congressman Rick Nolan is a supporter of the trail and has already indicated his interest in re-introducing the legislation in the 113th Congress, which begins on Jan. 3.

We were able to get Congressman Collin Peterson from the neighboring MN-07 to introduce HR. 5980 in the 112th Congress, matched by Senator Klobuchar’s S 3319, identical bills which would have authorized the re-route. Both Michigan’s senators (Levin and Stabenow) signed on, as did MN Representative Ellison, but neither were scheduled for committee hearings. We held out hope there might be an omnibus lands bill emerging during the lame duck period after the November elections, into which we could wrap the Arrowhead bill. It was not to be–we’ve all seen Congress’s entire attention teetering on the edge of the fiscal cliff, in one of the most dismal performances ever in terms of the paucity of legislation passed (see this interesting article from the Minneapolis Star Tribune).

So, back to the drawing board for the 113th Congress. Rep. Nolan’s interest, expressed to our NCTA members at a meeting last week, is a promising start. We’ve already reached out to his staff and asked to be first in line in terms of getting this legislation re-introduced, and we’re confident in getting similar support again in the Senate. On February 8 NCTA’s representatives will be heading to Washington DC for the annual Hike the Hill effort and we will be moving aggressively to secure widespread support and endorsement from among the 14 Senators and 29 Representatives in whose states or districts the trail passes.

Here’s where you come in… As soon as we let you know we’ve made the pitch to your congressman and senators, your contacting them to urge their support will matter. A lot. Let’s make this happen in the 113th Congress!  Specific steps you can take will be listed on the Re-route’s Take Action page.