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Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership
Earlier this month, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) filed suit against Lake County’s planning commission to halt a resort expansion that could have serious environmental consequences for a Boundary Waters lake near Ely.
Silver Rapids Resort is a longtime cabin, motel, and restaurant complex on the shores of Farm Lake, which straddles the edge of the Boundary Waters. Its owners hope to expand the number of residences and amenities and add a dozen new boat docks.
Nearby residents, however, recognized that this expansion would require destruction of much of Farm Lake’s natural shoreline and impact the vulnerable aquatic ecosystem. They banded together into a group called Community Advocates for Responsible Development to oppose the expansion. They also got in touch with MEP member organization CURE, which helped circulate a petition for Lake County to require an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW).
Lake County balked at requiring an EAW, but the DNR took notice, and warned planners that the expansion would violate the county’s own shoreland protection rules, which are stricter than the state minimum standards. Its lawsuit has put a stop to any construction work on the new expansion at least until November 27, when two lawsuits related to the expansion will be heard.
The DNR stepping in is a big deal, and it makes good sense. Lake County specifically requested the ability to set tougher rules than the rest of the state because they were worried about shoreline decades ago. Area residents and the DNR agree that Lake County can’t simply set them aside when it becomes inconvenient for developers.
I spoke with Hudson Kingston, a CURE staffer and Ely resident, about the effort. He said that the community advocates efforts’ to shine a spotlight on the development’s consequences were an important factor in the DNR acting so decisively. Now, he said, Community Advocates for Responsible Development is forming a 501(c)(3) and seeking board members so that they can help promote developments in the area that have a lighter impact on local lands and waters.
It’s refreshing to see a state agency standing firmly on the side of community advocates to halt an environmental violation. We find that all too often, state agencies allow polluters to bend or ignore rules put in place to protect people and the natural resources we depend on.
That’s not to say that we, or the resident advocates near Farm Lake, oppose any sort of economic development. But we have environmental protections for a reason. More and more of Minnesota’s waters have become impaired over time. Half of our natural shorelines have been harmed by human activity. If we allow endless carve outs to the rules put in place to protect them we’ll soon see the days of Minnesota’s high quality natural lakes as nothing but a memory. We’re glad the DNR acted correctly in this case, and we’re glad that residents stepped up to defend the waters they call home.
Read More:
MPR: Lake Minnetonka in the North Woods? Ely cabin owners push back against resort plan
Timberjay: Court issues restraining order in Silver Rapids case
Star Tribune: Minnesota DNR sues Lake County to stop resort expansion near the Boundary Waters