Carson Schell and other volunteers at the meeting introduced some proposed rules that would govern everything from the size of bike tires used to the leashing requirements for pets. Schell cited the time and effort put into making the Bison Plant Trail the experience that it is, as the reason for clearer trail rules and a settled jurisdiction for who to call when issues arise.

“People I run into usually just don’t know what they’re not supposed to do. It is great that they want to be there, but it’s about helping everyone who uses the trail to have fun and stay on the same page.” Schell said. “It’s all about preserving the trail system.”

The Bison Plant Trail, which began life as a mountain bike course for the Prairie Rose Games, has continued on as a passion project for locals in the years since. After the flood of 2011, a series of grants were issued leading to repair the main trail. All other trails were paid for by volunteers.

These expansions opened the door for additional activities, making cross-country skiing and even snow shoeing an option depending on the season. Schell is one of the current batch of volunteers maintaining the trail year round, with the recent investment in trail grooming equipment making the variety of uses for it possible. While there are some homemade signs directing visitors on the trail explaining which routes are designated for specific uses, they are often ignored, or even stolen.

Submitted Photo This map, provided by Val’s Cyclery, shows the current routes of the Bison Plant Trail.

“I usually groom the trails on average at least once a week, sometimes twice a week if we get more snow.” Schell said at the meeting, “Doing all that and coming back the next day and there’s four sets of footprints going down the entire thing. It’s just very frustrating.”

The trail volunteers were emphatic that these rules were not intended to prevent or dissuade anyone from using the trail, but were hopeful that changes as simple as additional signage at the entrance and throughout the trail would be enough to remedy the situation. Currently, horseback riding is prohibited on the trail all year round, but the sign informing anyone trotting in is located a distance from the entrance.

The proposed rules would prohibit all motorized vehicles, horseback riding, and Class 2 electric bikes, but would allow hiking, biking and pets if they are on a leash 6 feet or shorter on the main road, the main Bison Trail, and the Challenge Trails. During the winter, hikers would be limited to using only the main road, with the trail itself and the challenge trail reserved for snowshoeing, fat tire bikes, and cross-country skiing. The right of way for the trail changes based on the season, the location, and the use. A final general rule would also disallow any use of the trail if the ground is wet or muddy.

“People just need to understand that they need to be sure to use correct equipment on certain trails at certain times of the year.” Schell said in a phone call after the meeting with The Minot Daily News.

All of the volunteers at the meeting highlighted pets as major area of concern, with hundreds of piles of messes along the trail despite there being a baggie station at the entrance. There was discussion about possibly allowing electronic leashes, but Schell demurred citing multiple incidences where he and others were bitten by unleashed dogs.

“I’ve been bitten three times on the Bison Plant Trail. I’ve been chased numerous times. Each scenario is different, but all it just takes is one kid being bit.” said Schell.

A trail pass system was also discussed, where the public would pay an annual fee to gain access to the entire Minot Trail System year round. This was determined to be the more common and viable option compared to employing a full-time trail attendant or ranger to be present during the day to enforce rules and settle disputes. In the end all were in agreement that simply having a sign letting a hiker know they were in the wrong place, or a notice at the entrance reminding pet owners to stop by the baggie station before heading on in, could be enough to address these concerns.

Ultimately the question put to the committee was who would actually be enforcing these rules, a situation that is decidedly unsettled. Due to ambiguity created by the trail being located more than two miles outside Minot city limits, the trail is technically under Ward County jurisdiction. Parks Director Ron Merrit said at the meeting that there has been difficulty getting the Ward County sheriff involved in enforcing potential trail rules.

“We’ve been trying to get this resolved for a couple of years, we’re still not there. The County would have to agree to help us with this and they have not yet.” Merrit said.

Merrit indicated that the City of Minot was interested in working out a solution with Ward County to adopt ordinances or a joint powers agreement. However, Merrit said it could also be possible to simply deputize two current parks employees as park rangers empowering them to issue citations if trail rules are broken.

The committee eventually decided to settle the jurisdiction question at their next meeting in July, where they will vote on adopting the proposed rules. Committee Clerk Elly DesLauriers said that the July meeting will be attended by representatives from both the City of Minot and Ward County.