Grading of trail expected to be done by November 1

By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

Dry weather, following more-than-normal rainfall earlier this year, has allowed for progress regarding construction of the Maplewood State Park segment of the Heart of the Lakes Regional Trail from Pelican Rapids to Perham. 

“Grading of the trail is now being completed, and we can delay gravel work until 2025,” said County Parks and Trails Director Kevin Fellbaum to county commissioners on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Grading at Maplewood State Park should be completed by Nov. 1.

In recent weeks, due to the ongoing rains, silt fencing changes became necessary and a change order was approved Aug. 13 by the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners.

“With the recent dry weather those change orders were not needed,” Fellbaum said, “resulting in financial savings for county residents. Now, with completion of the grading in 2024, the trail should be in good shape for Mark Sand & Gravel to begin work in 2025.” 

County Board member Lee Rogness of Fergus Falls said it’s good to see that vegetation is also taking hold, along sloped areas of the Maplewood State Park trail segment.

Fellbaum previously said that, in some areas, certain procedures were needed in the Maplewood segment in order to protect some wetlands and other bodies of water. Construction taking place in Maplewood State Park is tied to the final design of the trail corridor through the state park.

What was once referred to as the Pelican Rapids to Perham Recreational Trail is now the Heart of the Lakes Regional Trail. There are plans in place in the coming years for the addition of connecting spur trail segments from the main trail to the communities of Dent and Vergas.

Four of the five major trail segments of the regional trail are built: the Pelican Rapids segment, Silent Lake segment, McDonald Lake segment and Perham segment.

Much of the funding needed for construction of the 10-foot-wide trail came from the state of Minnesota through allocated grants. Included is funding from the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) and the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission (GMRPTC).

Otter Tail County governmental employees, in previous months, were busy with easements, right of way talks, environmental meetings and other hurdles that needed to be met before the trail could become a reality.

Public input meetings were also held. The county board, which experienced some opposition to the trail, had support for the trail from county residents, the cities of Pelican Rapids and Perham as well as organizations such as West Central Initiative and PartnerSHIP4Health.