Frazee could become a hub of trails

Former Frazee Mayor Hank Ludtke, center, performed the ceremonial ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of the the Heartland State Trail connection between Detroit Lakes and Frazee, along with current and former County Commissioners, trail committee members, Detroit Lakes Chamber Ambassadors, former Frazee Mayor Ken Miosek, Frazee Community Club President Tom Watson, City Administrator Stephanie Poegel, City Council Members Andrea Froeber and Drew Daggett, Frazee Mayor Mike Sharp, Frazee Community Development Corporation board members Erik Anderson, Polly Andersen, Guy Fischer, economic development coordinator for Becker County, and a large group of trail supporters Wednesday, July 23.

By Robert Williams

Editor

Senior project manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Parks and Trails Division Kent Skaar, former Frazee Mayor and EDA Board Member Hank Ludtke and Partnership 4 Health Active Living Planner Patrick Hollister hosted a meeting for trail committee members and a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of the extension of the Heartland State Trail connecting Detroit Lakes to Frazee on Wednesday, July 23.

The newest extension follows the Highway 10 right-of-way from Acorn Lake to bypass the Highway 10-Highway 87 interchange by utilizing Cemetery Road with the addition of a small parking lot across from Lions Park.

The connection is making Frazee a trail hub with more connections to go, including the North Country Scenic Trail connecting to Wannigan Regional Park, where the Otter Tail River State Water Trail already exists and now the Heartland State Trail. In the future, the Heart of the Lakes Regional Trail, which connects Pelican Rapids and Perham, will also connect to Vergas via the Otter Tail County Highway 35 project. This project will involve widening the shoulders of CSAH 35 to create a multi-use trail, effectively linking Vergas to the regional trail, the city of Dent and Maplewood State Park. 

The Vergas City Council and Frazee City Council met earlier this year with one of the discussion points being the future connection between the two towns via a route around Wymer Lake connecting the Heart of the Lakes and the Heartland Trails.

The hour-long meeting at Lions Park discussed other trails and extensions of the Heartland Trail including an open house held in Audubon, where a corridor study along Highway 10 was proposed, part of the trail that will eventually connect DL to the Fargo/Moorhead areas.

Project Manager Dan Farnsworth led a discussion about trail work in Clay County.

MnDOT District 4 representative John Gildersleeve discussed the permitting of a snowmobile route out of Frazee.

Trail study routes from Dunton Locks in Detroit Lakes to Bucks Mill were discussed and feedback is being accepted online at MnDOT’s website about proposed routes between the two.

Finally, funds remaining from the 2023 bonding bill were discussed, along with other topics during the concluding discussion.

Prior to the ribbon cutting, Skaar began a session of remarks thanking those in attendance for their efforts in making the connection to Frazee a reality. He also made note that this particular connection took 20 years to complete.

“State trails do not move quickly, admittedly,” he said. “But it is because of your work that we’re here.”

The extension was authorized in 2002. Active conversations began in 2005.

“Don’t feel that it’s been really long just because it was long here,” said Skaar. “Statewide, that is the progression. It’s three miles here, two miles there to move to the next intersection.”

Skaar noted MnDOT’s focus is maintenance of the trails, noting it is expensive and a bonding bill proposal will likely be needed in the future.

Former Trail Committee Chair Bruce Imholte was unable to attend but submitted comments—thanking those involved, committee members and elected officials, singling out past Mayors Hank Ludtke of Frazee and Larry Buboltz of Detroit Lakes.

Ludtke finished by discussing how he got involved with trails and future connections to Osage, Wolf Lake and Smoky Hills State Forest.

Ludtke also noted a piece of history that the first time he heard of the Heartland Trail mentioned in print was a proposed connection from Park Rapids to Detroit Lakes, 49 years ago, in the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ publication “Rails to Trails,” winter edition, in 1976.