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February 19, 2002
Rick Certano, Executive Director of the Spirit Mt. Rec. Area, met with SPPA members to disucss the Area's operation and potential.February 9, 2002
A snowshoe hike sans snow, from the west end of Magney Snively Park to Ely's peak.November 17, 2001
Some 90 people attended a interpretive hike at Spirit Mt. organized by Twin Cities Sierra Club chapters. Here's the announcement: Join the North Star Chapter of the Sierra Club for an interpretive hike at Spirit Mountain on Saturday, November 17, from 11am to 1pm. Meet at 11 am at the entrance to the Spirit Mountain campground (see directions at the end of this message).One year ago the North Star Chapter of the Sierra Club published the Citizens' Guide to Endangered Green Space. While focusing mainly on endangered green spaces in the Twin Cities area, the guide included the Spirit Mountain Northern Hardwood Forest. The group has continued to track the Spirit Mountain issue and on Saturday November 17 is sponsoring an interpretive hike so that interested people can see the area for themselves and learn more about the forest.
Carol Reschke (County Biological Survey Ecologist) who conducted the old-growth evaluation, and Gary Walton (Independent Botanist) who conducted the rare plant surveys, will both be present to help interpret the significance of the forest ecosystem. Nancy Nelson will give some background on the struggle to protect this unique and important natural area.
September 8, 2001
Many thanks to ornithologist Jim Lind for leading a very interesting birding hike for WSPPA. We circled part of the wading bird habitat at the end of 40th Avenue West, and saw 39 species, with the Yellow-headed Blackbird, Cooper's Hawk and Green Heron being perhaps the most unusual sightings. Early morning rain cleared before we went out to supply almost ideal conditions. This land is owned by the Army Core of Engineers and they or someone has recently mowed the top of the levies making it much easier to experience this unique area in West Duluth.Here's a species list:
Pied-billed Grebe Double-crested Cormorant American Bittern Great Blue Heron Green Heron Canada Goose Mallard Blue-winged Teal Northern Shoveler Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper's Hawk American Kestrel Merlin American Coot Semipalmated Plover Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Spotted Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Common Snipe Ring-billed Gull Rock Dove Belted Kingfisher Northern Flicker American Crow Swainson's Thrush European Starling American Pipit Palm Warbler Common Yellowthroat Clay-colored Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Yellow-headed Blackbird Common Crackle American Goldfinch
August 8, 2001
A serious hike along the Mission Creek trail, high water ensured this was good solid hike, but enjoyable all the same.July 17, 2001
A representative (am I good with names or what?) from URS/BRW, the consulting firm that is working on the Corridor Management Plan for Skyline Parkway, talked to us about what such a plan involves. View sheds and trees were a top topic as always, although possibilities for multiple use were also discussed. The time table for the planning process was laid out, and the need for a citizen group to provide input was clearly stated.July 14, 2001
Geologist Jim Miller of the Minnesota Geological Survey lead us on a tour of Skyline Parkway roadcuts from Keene Creek to Haines Road, with a return hike along the powerline. Jim is a great teacher and can make the geology of the Duluth Layered Series interesting for just about anyone!June 9, 2001
Members explored the Piedmont ski trails.May 15, 2001
Skyline Parkway cleanup - Met at the overlook 1/2 mile west of 28th Avenue West Who wants to stay inside when spring arrives in Duluth! Instead of holding a regular meeting on May 15, WSPPA members spent a couple of hours cleaning up a section of Skyline Parkway. Of course, being Duluth, 'spring' was thick fog and an icy wind. But the area was cleaner when we left.May 12, 2001
A large group enjoyed a beautiful day and an excellent wild-flower photography hike led by Erik Hahn from the Hartley Nature Center. Some of the species encountered may be seen in the gallery.April 28, 2001
April clean up a success
Just some of the people who turned up to work
on the clean up, April 28. The wet carpet on
the left was heavy, but not as heavy as the
queen matress we pulled out of Stewart Creek.
Many thanks to all who participated, and
the City for taking the stuff away afterwards.
About a dozen people worked from 9 a.m. till noon picking up trash along Skyline Parkway between the Magney-Snively parking lot and Spirit Mountain. At least three mattresses were hauled out of the Stewart Creek ravine, along with miscellaneous tires, batteries, and trash. There has been a definite increase in McDonald's cups, bags, and wrappers since the McDonald's opened on Boundary Avenue.
We were not able to clean up the Bardon's Peak area because that section of the road was still closed off due to the number of branches and trees on the road following the ice storm. Watch for another cleanup day, probably in May, to work on Bardon's Peak. We will also schedule cleanup days later in the summer to work on other sections of West Skyline Parkway...the stretch between 28th Ave. West and 40th Ave. West is especially in need of attention.
Thanks to the following people for helping with Saturday's cleanup! Terry Brown, Mychal Franklin, Pat Sackette, Debbie and Matthew Ortman, Rick Gitar and Family, Tom Beery, Tim Larson, and Don Anderson.
Feburary 22, 2001 - Meeting
Mark Anderson (MNDOT), State Scenic Byway program director, drove all the way from Minneapolis to talk about what a being a State Scenic Byway means to Skyline Parkway. In an interesting presentation he outlined the experiences of other Scenic Byways (there are twenty) in Minnesota. There are a lot of opportunities for interpretive development, and the current work to formulate a corridor management plan for the Parkway is definitely the right first step.January 16, 2001 - Meeting
WSPPA members gathered at the Munger Inn for a potluck dinner and discussion of Smart Growth. About 16 people enjoyed a nice relaxed dinner; we had lots of good food and plenty of opportunity to talk and get to know each other.Our speaker was Lisa Cerri, program manager for SnrGe (synergy), a new local non-profit organization with the mission of educating the Duluth community about the issues of Smart Growth and Sustainability. SnrGe's mission is to be a politically neutral, educational organization that will bring together groups of varying interests and act as an information resource that will provide tools for community members to use as we work through the comprehensive planning process. As part of this effort, SnrGe plans to establish a coalition of local organizations that support the principles of Smart Growth. WSPPA is invited to become a member of this coalition.
Lisa explained that "Smarth Growth" is a holistic approach to growth. Rather than focusing on one viewpoint, such as economic development, Smart Growth seeks to create balance between economic, environmental, and social perspectives. See the end of this message for the 10 Smarth Growth principles that have been endorsed by Minnesota's Smart Growth Network. The details of how to "grow smart" must be defined by each individual community.
Lisa Cerri can be contacted at 727-4820 or SmartGrowthMN@aol.com.
Information about Smart Growth can be found on the World Wide Web at the following sites:
Members of Minnesota's Smart Growth Network endorse the following Smart Growth principles:
1. Make efficient and effective use of land resources and existing infrastructure by encouraging development to areas with existing infrastructure or capacity to avoid costly duplication of services and costly use of land.
2. Provide a mix of land uses to create a variety of housing choices and opportunities.
3. Make development decisions predictable, fair and cost-effective.
4. Provide a variety of transportation choices including pedestrian friendly neighborhoods.
5. Maintain a unique sense of place by respecting local cultural and natural environmental features.
6. Conserve open space and farmland and preserve critical environmental areas.
7. Encourage stakeholder collaboration and community participation rather than conflict.
8. Provide staged and managed growth in urban transition areas with compact development patterns.
9. Enhance access to equitable public and private resources for everyone.
10. Promote the safety, livability and revitalization of existing urban and rural communities.
November 21, 2000 - Meeting
Summary by Nancy Nelson:(see the related Parkway images in the gallery.)
Joe Litman, structural engineer with LHB Engineers & Architects, joined us to talk about maintenance of Skyline Parkway. Litman has worked on several Skyline Parkway projects, including reconstruction of a retaining wall east of 40th Avenue West, reconstruction of the bridge at Twin Ponds, and reconstruction of the bridge over Chester Creek. He is currently preparing for next summer's planned reconstruction of the bridge over Keene Creek.
Joe showed many photos from all stages of each of these projects and shared fascinating details of the old construction, the new construction, and how the old and new were joined together. The city and LHB have worked hard to maintain the historic character of the parkway when deteriorating elements are rebuilt.
Maintaining the historic character of the parkway involves not only keeping the "look" of bridges and retaining walls, but also keeping the original alignment of the road. Skyline Parkway, with its tight curves and narrow shoulders, does not meet today's highway design standards. As a result, each project requires variances in order to maintain the alignment, road width, and unique features such as "guardstones."
In 1995, at the request of the Duluth Heritage Preservation Commission, a survey was completed to evaluate Skyline Parkway's historical signficance. The results of this survey indicated that Skyline Parkway retains its historical integrity and warrants historic designation. Because the roadway is considered eligible for historic designation, the reconstruction work that has been completed in the last few years has been designed carefully and has been reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Office so as not to jeopardize the possibility of historic designation.
The suggestion was raised by a member of the audience that portions of the road should be closed to vehicles and used as a walking/bicycling route. Litman explained that because Skyline Parkway is a "state aid route" (meaning that the state provides some of the money for improvements to the road) if the city were to close it to traffic, we would lose this funding source and would actually be required to pay back money that has already been accepted and used for improvements.
Interesting info about specific projects: The original retaining wall near 40th Avenue West was constructed as a "dry-stack" stone wall--there was no mortar holding the stones together. About 4 years ago it was noticed that the dirt behind the wall was slumping and pushing out the wall. Measurements showed the bulge in the wall was growing at a rate of 1-1.5 inches per month. The road was closed to traffic, and soon after that the wall collapsed. Because a dry-stack stone wall is no longer accepted as safe for road construction, the wall could not be rebuilt using the same method. Instead it was rebuilt as a mechanically stablized earth wall with a concrete face that was molded and stained to look similar to the old stone wall. The new concrete wall was carefully tied into what remained of the old stone wall.
When the bridge at Twin Ponds was rebuilt, the deteriorating concrete and steel beams of the deck were replaced, but the stone abutments of the original bridge were in such good condition that they were left intact. However, when the bridge over Chester Creek was rebuilt, the abutments were in very poor condition and had to be replaced. The new concrete abutments were faced with real stone to resemble the old bridge.
This was a very interesting and informative meeting!
Please note that WSPPA will not meet in December. Our next meeting will be Tuesday January 16 at the Munger Inn. Topic to be announced.
October 17, 2000 - Meeting
City Forester Kelly Fleisner addressed concerns about the loss of the view from Skyline Parkway as trees mature. The meeting was well attended as this is an issue of personal concern to many on Skyline Parkway. Here's what Kelly had to say.October 13,14, 2000 - Forest Fest
WSPPA staged Forest Fest 2000 to raise awareness of Duluth's wild places and to raise funds for the legal costs of pursuing application of proper environmental review procedures. See the fest page for an outline of the event.September 19, 2000 - Meeting
Bill Majewski, of the Duluth Planning and Development Department (and city staff representative to the Heritage Preservation Commission) explained the significance of local heritage preservation landmark designation and how WSPPA can help achieve this recognition for Skyline Parkway. About 20 people attended and there was considerable discussion.See Skyline Parkway status for a summary.
September 18, 2000 - Court hearing
Two specific points from the Spirit Mt. preservation lawsuit were heard by Judge Heather Sweetland. Our attourney, Anne Roeser, argued that the developers lease was invalid, as the Minnesota Rules specifically prohibit final governmental actions before environmental assessment is completed (see "Guide to Minnesota Environmental Review Rules", pages 5-6). Roeser also argued that in the absence of any formal delegation of authority from the City Council to the Planning Commission, the final decision on the need for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) rests with the City Council.Judge Sweetland has not yet given her decision.
September 9, 2000 - Harvest Fest
Thanks to Tim Larson, Nancy Nelson, Ed Kale, the guy I work with whose name eludes me, and Terry Brown, for staffing the WSPPA table at Harvest Fest (Bayfront). We handed out fact sheets and sold greeting cards - cards with prints of photos taken at Spirit Mt. Money was raised for the legal defense fund. We also sold an original water color generously donated by Tim Larson for WSPPA.September 2, 2000 - hike
Rainy foggy weather kept the number attending the guided hike low, but Jan Green gave an interesting run-down on Duluth's position as a focal point for migrating birds. Rather than heading to the fog enshrouded heights, the group spent some time on the Western Waterfront Trail (near Indian Point Campground). There was a suprising diversity of songbirds.August 15, 2000 - meeting
Over 20 people attended ex-city-planner Jerry Kimball's informative talk about the Duluth green-belt and the role of city planning. With the comprohensive plan on the horizon this is a good time to be aware of these issues. Skyline Parkway is an integral part of the green-belt.August 5, 2000 - hike
Last Saturday, August 5, about a dozen people enjoyed a hike on the old DWP railroad grade on Duluth's western hillside. Despite the gray, threatening clouds, we started our hike near the Ulland Bros. quarry on Beck's Road and walked as far as Bardon's Peak before returning. The tunnel at Ely's Peak--blasted through massive basaltic bedrock--was fascinating and just long enough and dark enough to be a little scary. Thanks to local botanist Deb Pomroy Petry who accompanied us, we learned the names of many plants and sampled ripe Juneberries.Built in 1912 by the Duluth, Winnipeg, and Pacific Railroad (DWP), a subsidiary of Canadian National Railroad, this section of track was abandoned in 1984 when the construction of Highway 35 forced the railroad to relocate its interchange yard from West Duluth to Superior, Wisconsin. After the yard was relocated, the Ely's Peak/Bardon's Peak section of track was no longer needed. The new track still carries plenty of freight traffic from Canada to Superior, where it is transferred to other trains bound for Chicago.
We found the old railroad grade to be a wonderful hiking trail, and many questions were raised about the current ownership and status of the trail. Since Saturday's hike, I have confirmed that the City of Duluth does own the abandoned right-of-way (approximately 100 feet wide). The trail extends from above Fairmont Park (the zoo area), through Spirit Mountain, to Beck's Road/Midway Road near I-35 south of Nopeming. I'm still working on finding out the ownership of land above and below the trail and whether the city has any future plans for the trail. The Superior Hiking Trail Association (SHTA) hopes to extend the Superior Hiking Trail through Duluth, and they have considered using at least a portion of the DWP trail for this purpose. The SHTA has not made any final decisions about the exact route of their trail extension, and they have not yet secured funding for this venture, so it won't happen any time soon.
So--feel free to go out and use the DWP trail for hiking, biking, and just plain enjoying the beauty of the western hillside!
July 18, 2000 - meeting
Monthly meeting not held this month.July 1, 2000 - hike
Mark Ryan (historian) and Tim Larson (trail user) led a hike on the mission creek trail, the part of Skyline Parkway that is no longer a road, starting at Becks Road and finishing on 210. Mark's information on Mayor Snively was very interesting, see his web site here.Tuesday, June 20, 6:30 p.m.
Bill Majewski and Kyle Deming from the City explained "Who owns Skyline Parkway". Do you really know who owns the undeveloped parts of the Parkway? The land in the "Greenbelt" is divided into private, County-Tax-Forfeit, and city owned. There is no specific zoning for parks though.June 3 - hike
Parkway area geology with John Green. A fascinating look at the geology of Duluth, starting with an internationally renown geological feature south of the Parkway, where ancient lava can be seen at the point where it ran into a lake, creating a contact point between igneous and sedimentary rock. The group (20+) then moved on to Bardon's Peak, to look at rock forms there and an interpretation of the landscape visible from the overlook.May 20 - clean up
Clean up around Bardon's Peak. A small group collected 8-10 bags of garbage and 6-8 old tires before a potluck lunch.May 15 - meeting
Tuesday meeting at the Munger Inn. Fund raising was the main topic, an event with the NorShor theatre, and a spagetti or pancake event were the top choices. Nancy Nelso was successful in a grant application to the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund (GLANF) - WSPPA was awarded $2000 for its legal expenses and $500 for fund raising in the on going development law suit. That's great, but we need more, please see the legal expenses page or email info@SkylinePPA.org to help with fundraising.May 13 - hike
Wildflowers and nature photography - hike in Spirit Mt. forest led by staff from Hartley Nature Center. About a dozen people turned out for a pleasant morning with the trilliums, marsh marigolds, wild leaks and numerous other emerging forest floor flowers.April 22, 2000, Earth Day
City wide cleanup day - WSPPA worked on our adopted peice of Skyline. There was a good turn out and a lot of garbage, old tires etc. was collected, particularly from around the Bardon Peak area.WSPPA also had a table at the WFC Earth Day Fair, with petition signings and information distribution.
Mar. 21, 2000, meeting
Not held.Mar. 12, 2000, BBQ
A pleasant BBQ on a sunny but cold Spirit Mt. Major conclusion was that signage is a priority for the improvement of the Parkway, which is currently hard to follow in some places.Feb. 15, 2000, meeting
Primarily a discussion of WSPPA events to be held each month during the year.Jan. 19, 2000, meeting
There was some discussion of the $77000 grant the City has to develop a Corridor Management Plan for the Parkway. Ultimately a consultant should be hired to develop the CRM and include public input. The CRM will involved signage, a maintenance plan, historic interpretation etc.WSPPA will adopt part of the Parkway, and work on that for the April 1999 cleanup. Adoption requires activity three times a year for a three year period. Signage will be supplied.
Representatives from Duluth's Native American Leadership Center expressed deep regret at the disruption of the spiritual values of the mountain by development. They also offered to provide workers for the April cleanup, pending arrangement of transport.
Dec. 21, 1999
City forester spoke about trees on Skyline Parkway7 pm, Dec. 1, 1999 - Learn about the unique forest
At the end of the Environmental Advisory Council meeting Carol Reschke, from the DNR County Biological Survey, gave a presentation on the unique forest ecosystem at Spirit Mountain. She outlined the forest features she noted in her recently completed old growth evaluation that determined the forest at Spirit Mt. is a high quality old growth stand. Wednesday, Dec. 1, 7pm, DeWitt Seitz Building, 3rd floor conference room.Third WSPPA meeting
6 pm, Monday, Nov. 29 1999Willard Munger Inn, 7408 Grand Ave
This meeting discussed WSPPA's response to the EAW (Environmental Assessment Worksheet) for the Spirit Mt. golf course. The comment period for this EAW is Nov. 1 - Nov. 30, you can get a copy from room 409, City Hall.
Other items discussed:
- Tentative setting of permanent meeting date as the 3rd Tuesday of each month.
- Talk of the need for maps of the area, both the Spirit Mountain trails and the area as a whole, from the Western Water Front Trail through the Zoo and Stowe Environmental School to Spirit Mountain. Hartley Nature Center has considered running a series of informational meetings / brochures on city greenspaces, Spirit Mt. etc. would be a good candidate.
- Suggestion that getting local youth involved in cleanup may help reduce littering by same during parties etc.
Second WSPPA meeting
Sunday, Nov. 14 1999Willard Munger Inn, 7408 Grand Ave
Initial outlining of WSPPA's response to the Spirit Mt. golf course EAW.
First WSPPA meeting
7 pm Wednesday Nov 3 1999Country Inn and Suites
9220 West Skyline Parkway (I-35 exit 249).
"If you live in the West Skyline area, please attend this first meeting. Speakers will talk about West Skyline's history and unique forest landscape. Express your concerns about community services, litter, development, etc."
This meeting had an excellent turnout. A speaker from County Biological Survey explained how unique and valuable the Spirit Mt. forest really is. A local amateur historian led a discussion of the history and recollections of Skyline Drive.
A article with large photo in the Duluth News Tribune a few days before, highlighting the litter at Bardon Peak, got this meeting off to a good start.