Bemidji State hosts May 19 presentation on the North Country Trail

BEMIDJI, Minn. – A natural resources presentation entitled “Building America’s Longest Hiking Trail in Minnesota” is scheduled for 3-4 p.m. Monday, May 19, at the Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation (CRI), an off-campus facility located at 3801 Bemidji Avenue North.

This Bemidji Area Natural Resources Continuing Education Consortium presentation is open to the public and free of charge.

Presenting will be Matthew Davis, the North Country Trail Association (NCTA) regional trail coordinator for Minnesota and North Dakota. Davis will introduce the North Country National Scenic Trail, explain how the trail is developed, and focus on the role of volunteers. He also will focus on the trail’s ongoing development in Becker, Clearwater and Hubbard counties. Several management issues will be discussed, including impacts to the trail from timber harvesting, securing landowner permission for a single-use trail and the trail’s relationship with motorized recreation.

“It’s going to take a lot of people to make the North Country Trail a reality here in northern Minnesota,” said Davis. “That includes people to build the trail, maintain the trail, support the NCTA financially and, most importantly, to get out and to use the trail. Those that do get involved will help create a legacy for future generations of Americans.”

The presentation is designed to be of interest to natural resource professionals and the general public, including Bemidji State students who are interested in recreation and natural resource management.

Davis has been volunteering on hiking trails since 1999 and working with National Scenic Trails since 2003. He holds a master’s degree in resource recreation and tourism from the University of Idaho.

The talk is part of an on-going series of Bemidji Area Natural Resources Continuing Education Consortium presentations, usually offered on the third Monday of each month. Groups helping organize the natural resources consortium include: the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; Norbord Minnesota; the Chippewa National Forest; the Leech Lake Division of Resource Management; Ainsworth; and the Red Lake Reservation.

Individuals who wish to be added to a mailing list for the series or have questions should contact the Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation at (218) 755-4900; toll free, (888) 738-3224; e-mail, cri@bemidjistate.edu.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR
May 19
– 3-4 p.m. – Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation hosts natural resources presentation, “Building America’s Longest Hiking Trail in Minnesota.” Location: CRI; 3801 Bemidji Ave. N.; Bemidji, Minn. Cost: free; participants encouraged to bring a lunch. For information: (218) 755-4900; (888) 738-3224; http://www.cri-bsu.org.