Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact South Fowl ...

Logged Area Logging trail ends here
Figure 3. 1970 aerial photo showing logged area. Yellow line shows logging trail
I further found that the trail from South Fowl Road to South Fowl Lake is very steep
(Figure 4), narrow and rocky such that only one snowmobile at a time could successfully
negotiate the trail. The problem was that a snowmobile attempting to go uphill had to
build up some speed in order to make it up the often icy hill. During the uphill run a
snowmobiler must “hope” no one was coming downhill. Negotiating this trail is a highly
unsafe practice, especially with ice fishing or other equipment in tow.
I realized I had the option of doing nothing in terms of further snowmobile access to
South Fowl Lake. No action would force snowmobilers to use Arrowhead Trail to South
Fowl Road, then the steep trail from South Fowl Road to the Lake. Three considerations
weighed on me regarding that route.
1. Arrowhead Trail is steep as it departs McFarland Lake, creating a particular
hazard for low profile snowmobiles attempting to be seen by oncoming highway
vehicles.
2. The Arrowhead Trail is a well traveled County Road and the Forest Service has a
long standing policy of creating separation between highway vehicles and
snowmobiles.
3. The steep unnamed trail down to South Fowl Lake cannot be negotiated by two
way traffic (Figure 4).
As a result of these concerns, I met with officials from the Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources and Cook County Board of Commissioners to develop a proposal that
would provide safe access from the McFarland Lake vicinity to South Fowl Lake.
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