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Big Bog State Park: The Vision
The Vision - Bog
History | Last
True Wilderness | Contributors
February 1, 2000 Prepared by the Upper Red Lake Area Association,
Inc. Introduction In recent years, the local economy of Waskish and surrounding communities have experienced extremely severe economic distress as a direct result of the collapse of the walleye fishery in the Red Lakes. In response, community leaders in cooperation with the Headwaters Regional Development Commission formed a strategic planning task force, which developed a vision for the future. * An expanded and diversified economy. * Improved recreational facilities and opportunities. * Improved public facilities and services throughout the area. Through the planning process, a list of fifteen potential projects was developed to help the community achieve its vision for the future. The creation of a Big Bog Interpretive Center was identified as the top priority project. During subsequent planning sessions, designation of a Big Bog State Recreation Area or State Park was identified as of primary importance to preserve a portion of this unique ecosystem. Community support was affirmed by unanimous vote at a public input meeting held in Waskish on August 23, 1999. County support was unanimously affirmed at a regular session of the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners through a resolution of support on September 21, 1999. As an active proponent of creating and sustaining a balance between environmental protection and the tourism industry, the Upper Red Lake Area Association has assumed the leadership role for this grassroots, community-wide effort. The Upper Red Lake Area Association is an incorporated nonprofit organization that has been in existence since 1977. Its stated mission is "To promote and enhance the Upper Red Lake Area and the economic, commercial, and social interests of its inhabitants." The proposed State Recreation Area or State Park would be administered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation. This project is intended to stimulate the economy, and provide enhanced public appreciation and long-term protection of the Big Bog.
History of the Big Bog Location The proposed Big Bog State Park or State Recreation Area is located in sparsely populated, north central Minnesota. The town of Waskish, the site of an existing campground, day use area, public boat access, public beach, and future bog interpretive center, lies on the east shore of Upper Red Lake at the confluence of the Tamarack River. The nearest service centers are Baudette 40 miles north, Kelliher 16 miles south, Northome 25 miles southeast, and Red Lake 45 miles southwest. General Description ~ Lands The Red Lake Peatlands, also known as the Big Bog are located within an extensive area of glacial lake bed north of Upper Red Lake in northern Minnesota. The Big Bog contains some of the best representative expanses of continuous, patterned peatlands in the contiguous United States. The site consists of vast and unbroken peatland that is the largest in the state. Here great expanses of treeless, open peat bog, containing unique and rare resources of high significance to the natural diversity of Minnesota, are broken by "islands" forested with black spruce and tamarack. In 1975, 137,920 acres of peatland in the southern half of the Red Lake Wildlife Management Area were placed on the National Registry of Natural Landmarks by the United States Department of the Interior. Designation as a national landmark has not affected state management activities of the area, nor does it confer any restrictions on land use. The proposed Big Bog State Park or State Recreation Area consists of two geographically separate units in Beltrami County totaling 9,160 acres of state owned lands. The north unit consists of 9,080 acres in the Consolidated Conservation Lands, bounded on three sides by judicial ditches, with State Highway 72 as its east boundary. The south unit is MN DNR land, bisected by State Highway 72 and bounded to the north and south by privately owned lands, with state land to the east and Upper Red Lake to the west. No other ownership’s are located within the proposed boundaries, nor will designation as a State Park or Recreation Area affect access or land use in nearby or surrounding lands. History of the Area Since shortly after Lake Agassiz receded at
the close of the last ice age, human beings have inhabited this vast lowland. All
successful inhabitants have been Prior to this time, Woodland Indians occupied the region. The campground at the mouth of the Tamarack River is the site of a prehistoric settlement and burial ground. Since prehistoric times, Indians have used the Tamarack River to reach the Sturgeon, Big Fork and Rainy Rivers, and points to the north. This area may also have been a site of refuge for the Dakota when they were pushed out of the region by the Ojibwe. It is thought that the Dakota camped here.
Minnesota’s Last True Wilderness. Recreation Area Concept Plan The concept envisions enhanced public appreciation of the Big Bog and provides long-term protection of the unique and little known ecosystem of this last great wilderness area, focusing on non-consumptive uses such as wildlife observation, environmental education, photography and research, but still allowing some of the traditional uses such as hunting.
No change in physical environment will occur in the bog proper except for the creation of five bog walks for recreation and educational purposes. The bog environment will be minimally impacted. Access within the Bog is very limited at present. That is not expected to change. No new roads or motorized trails will be constructed, but existing snowmobile trails will continue to be utilized and maintained as they provide vital links to surrounding communities. Visitors will be directed from the Interpretive Center to one of five boardwalks where they can follow an elevated walkway into the bog for viewing and interpretation. The recreation area resources will continue to provide hunting and trapping opportunities and interact with other parts of the environment as it has done for thousands of years. Forest management activities will be implemented to provide continuation of natural communities impacted by the cultural influence of fire suppression. The project increases the economic opportunities of a community and region through development of an Eco-tourism industry. Because of its expansive size and unique qualities, the Big Bog is considered as World Class, and as such, has potential to attract international tourism. A recreation area / park advisory council will be established to make management recommendations and address new issues. Resource Management and Protection The Big Bog is composed of 585 square miles of fen, sedge meadow and swamp forests. The unique watercourses and hydrologic landforms were not discovered until the 1940s, when the Soil Conservation Service first photographed the area from the air. Some of the unique features of the big bog include "ovoid islands," tree covered islands, "water tracks" where the surface water on top of the peat drains outward, "raised bogs," and "spring fen channels." There are many unique and interesting plants
in the bog including many species of orchid such as Grass Pink, and insectivorous plants
such as the pitcher The animals that inhabit the bog are also unique, with rare species such as the Great Gray Owl and the Connecticut Warbler (top species for birdwatchers) regularly seen here. Listed species found in the bog include the Northern Bog Lemming (sc), the Short-eared Owl (sc), and the Yellow Rail (sc). The bog’s various habitats each claim their own host of typical species of plants and animals, which are often species not commonly seen in other parts of the state. Protection of the bog and cultural heritage resources will be achieved through development and implementation of a stewardship-based resource management plan that acknowledges and reflects sustainable-use of the natural resources. The stewardship plan to be written will synthesize current information on the bog, gathered through natural, cultural and archaeological surveys, and will make recommendations on management practices to enhance and protect the natural ecosystems found within the boundaries of the Recreation Area or State Park. Of special concern is a known archaeological site located at the Waskish Campground, called Waskish Site #21BL2. Careful assessment will have to be made to determine if continued use of this campground can be accommodated without impacting the archaeological resources. During the Park Management Planning process, a full evaluation of campsite options will be addressed, including establishing another campground.
Beltrami County Additional financial support applied through: North Beltrami Development Corporation, NW
MN Foundation, Existing Recreation Facilities Within the North Unit, existing recreational facilities consist of two snowmobile trails within the bog that provide vital links between Grygla / Fourtown, Baudette and Waskish. Within the South Unit, there currently exists a state campground, public beach and day-use area, and several public boat accesses located on the Tamarack River which are administered by the MN DNR, Division of Forestry. The MN DNR, Division of Parks and Recreation has identified the Upper Red Lake Area as needing a State Park or Recreation Area unit, based on a recent State Park Lands study. Educational displays at the
Interpretive Center · The Red Lake Peatland is a World Class Bog. Compare the size, scope, and special features of this bog with other peatlands from around the world. · What is a peatland? What is a bog? How was the Big Bog formed? · Folklore and legends about bogs from around the world have helped create the aura of mystery about this fascinating ecosystem. · A history of man’s efforts to "tame" the Big Bog - dredging and ditching. · An explanation of the unique and rare landforms of the Big Bog (ovoid islands, the lost river, etc.) · The very special plants and animals of this unique ecosystem. · Great gray owls, moose, caribou history, northern bog lemming, sandhill crane, mink, frogs, black spruce and northern white cedar, and many orchid species. · Many plant species have very unique adaptations to allow them to survive in the bog. · Sphagnum moss, probably the most important plant of the bog, creates its own environment and acidic conditions which define the characteristics of the ecosystem. · Insect life, the primary pollinators, is very diverse and unique in the Big Bog. · American Indians used the bog plants and animals for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. · Many work projects were accomplished in the area with the establishment and operation of Civilian Conservation Corps camps. · Research in the Big Bog has been extensive through the years. · A portion of the Big Bog (outside of the park or recreation area) is designated a Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) and is the largest SNA in the state. Seventeen other patterned peatlands in the state are now protected as SNAs and as ecologically significant national landmarks. Interpretive Center Concepts The vision for the Big Bog Interpretive Center is to provide a premiere center of learning serving local and regional schools, tourists from Minnesota and adjacent states, and international visitors. Specifically, the center will provide: · A facility for continuing research into the unique big bog ecosystem. The flora, fauna, hydrology, and peat resources have potential to attract international interest in research. · Environmental education in a classroom and field setting to area and regional school children. The center will use displays to discuss important themes such as human history from the earliest American Indians to the present; geologically-unique physical aspects of the bog environment; and flora and fauna displays on animals and plants native to the bog. · A contact station where tourists throughout Minnesota and the Midwest can obtain information about regional attractions. The interpretive center lies at the center of a region where natural and cultural resources can be found nowhere else–the nation’s largest peat bog, Minnesota’s largest inland lakes, Red Lake Reservation, Northome Bear Center, Lake of the Woods and Voyagers National Park. · Provide rest stop facilities for the traveling public using Highway 72. Presently there are no public restrooms between Baudette and Kelliher, a distance of 56 miles. · A contact station for tourist camping in
the campground and day use area. · The interpretive building will be designed for four seasons considering efficiencies in heating including solar and wind. · Provide a presentation room. It should seat 90 - 100 people with a divider to separate the room into two classrooms. · Provide a large exhibit area. · Provide a sizable gift shop with additional gift storage. Some storage can occur below display areas. · Two offices plus a reception are needed
for supplies, records, and · "Fire tower" restoration at interpretive center site to provide observation point and serve multiple-use purpose for DNR Fisheries instantaneous boat counts to aid creel survey estimates on Upper Red Lake. · Traveling displays will be set up in the presentation room rather than providing a separate room for this purpose alone. · A dredge, recovered from the bog and restored, will be used as an outdoor display. · Catering area for food. · The private sector will offer lodging facilities.
· Boardwalks will be constructed into the bog where visitors can observe orchids and insect eating plants up close. · Construct one or more wayside towers with observation platforms to allow visitors to see the expanse of the Big Bog. Interpretive Center Exhibit Concepts · "Walking on the Bog" - An artificial walkway where kids and their parents can feel what it is like walking on the spongy and sinking mat of sphagnum moss. · A large floor model of the Big Bog identifies many special features and observation points. · A special exhibit on sphagnum moss with a pH testing hands-on exhibit. · A large cross section of the bog shows the special hydrology of the region. · Video presentation focusing on aerial views. · Animal and plant adaptation displays. · Historical displays of man’s efforts to drain the region. · Provide maps and guides for visitors seeking to explore areas of the Big Bog. · American Indian exhibits. Campground and Beach Improvements * Upgrade existing state campground located east of Highway 72 through modernization. * Restoration and enhancement of the abandoned primitive campsites located west of HWY 72 * Creation of a handicap accessible observation deck at the DNR fisheries grounds for viewing waterfowl, and the spectacular sunsets that Upper Red Lake offers. * Installation of several handicap accessible on-shore fishing structures along the shores of the Tamarack River. * Mechanical removal of bullrush encroachment at the public beach. * Beach enhancement/restoration through addition of beach sand in areas eroded by ice and storm damage. * Restoration of existing boat channel by excavation. * Removal of navigational hazards (rock pushed in from ice) from the mouth of the Tamarack River channel. * Installation of several footbridges to facilitate crossing existing drainage ditches. * Installation of boardwalks to provide foot traffic access across ash swales. * Enhanced environmental education through provision of guided tours at the MN DNR Fish Hatchery. * Creation and maintenance of walking trails within the South Unit. * Improve toilet facilities and changing room at the beach site. Surrounding Regional Improvements include: * Upgrade of Lost River to Gemmel forest road to provide wilderness drive access to Highway 71 and Northome Bear Center. (Includes sustainable forest resource management interpretive signs) * Upgrade of Fourtown to Waskish snowmobile trail (Includes several "railcar" bridges to facilitate judicial ditch crossings) Market Assessment It is anticipated that 100,000 to 150,000 people will visit the Big Bog State Park or State Recreation Area annually. Estimates are derived by adding portions of historic and projected use from the following sources. 1.) Historic use: The DNR Division of Forestry which presently manages the campground, picnic area and beach keeps visitor use records for the campground, but not for the day use areas. Nor does the Division of Trails and Waterways keep records of use at the boat launch next to the Highway 72 bridge on the north side of the Tamarack River. All three areas will be part of the proposed Big Bog State Recreation Area or State Park. The assumption is made that present fish stocking in Red Lake will be successful and the walleye fishery will recover to historic or near historic levels. For the year 1977, a year when walleye fishing was at its height on Upper Red Lake, 10,500 visitors stayed in the campground. State park records show that on average, camping accounts for about 10 percent of all visits, thus total attendance at the campground, picnic area, and beach, and at the boat launch would have been 105,000 visitors. 2.) Traffic on Highway 72: Traffic records indicate that present average daily traffic through Waskish is 600 vehicles a day of which 85% are cars. Projected 20-year average daily traffic is 900 vehicles per day. Assuming 8% of the total traffic will stop, an estimated 60,000 annual visitors would be expected to use restroom facilities at the interpretive center. A portion of these would be expected to seek visitor information and/or view visitor displays in the interpretive center and a smaller proportion would remain in the area to explore the bog further (approx. 10,000). 3.) Lake Bronson and Lake Bemidji State Parks are two northern parks with similarities to the proposed Big Bog State Park or State Recreation Area. In 1995, Lake Bronson received 102,000 visitors; while Lake Bemidji received 146,000. In 1998, Lake Bemidji State Park had 154,000 visitors, of whom 136,000 were day visitors, 16,500 were campers, 4,400 were skiers, and 1,300 were snowmobiles. ECONOMIC IMPACT ON AREA According to a DNR economic impact study done in 1998 showing the economic benefit of state parks on their local community, each day visitor to a state park contributes $18 per day to the local economy and each overnight visitor spends $22 in the community. Using the above projected attendance figures for day use and camping, the projected benefit to the area per year would be: Day visitors remaining in area: 10,000 x $18.00 = $180,000 Overnight visitors 10,500 x $22.00 = $231,000 TOTAL $411,000 Cost Summary Land Acquisition No cost associated with initial land acquisition, as the State of Minnesota currently owns all proposed land. The agency to be bonded is the MN DNR, Division of Parks and Recreation. Visitor Center Construct new visitor center with rest area facilities Building estimate $1,300,000 Interpretive displays $110,000 Associated landscape costs, roads & parking $460,000 Cultural resource assessment and mitigation $125,000 Total $1,995,000 Campground Realignment of existing campground $375,000 Vegetation Management $75,000 Cultural resource assessment $50,000 Cultural resource mitigation $50,000 Sanitation building $300,000 Total $850,000 Beach and Day-use Area Cultural and natural resource assessment $40,000 Landscaping $125,000 Vault toilets (2) $30,000 Total $195,000 Interpretive Way sides Roads and Parking area $380,000 Signs and displays $75,000 Boardwalks, bridges, and trails $550,000 Total $1,005,000 Total Development Costs $4,045,000 Projected Annual Operating Costs Staff Support One full-time park manager (Supervisor 1 level) $54,000 One seasonal naturalist (six months) $18,000 One seasonal building & grounds worker (six months) $17,500 One seasonal parks worker (five months) $9,800 One seasonal parks worker (four months) $7,900 Four Greenview staff, 32 hours/week each, year around $53,300 (Associated with highway rest stop concept) Total Support Staff $160,500 This would constitute a full staff after all the development is complete and operations commence. Other Operating Costs Maintenance Supplies $5,000 Utilities $5,000 Office supplies $1,500 Program supplies $3,000 Computer and other equip. replacement $4,000 Total $18,500 Vehicles and Equipment Two Pickups, tractor, fleet mower, JD Gator, snowmobile $13,000 Total Annual Operating Budget $192,000 Additional financial support applied through: North Beltrami Development Corporation, NW MN Foundation, Big Bear Country Inc. $12,500 (Business plan/marketing study/feasibility study) Beltrami County Consolidated Conservation Account $10,000 (Stewardship planning, research, advisory council) EPA Sustainable Development challenge or grant $162,329 (Vegetative management plan, cultural/historical assessments, planning administration/fiscal management services) In Kind contributions from Cooperators $64,782 Cooperators Contributions Total $249,611
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hunters and gatherers relying upon hunting, trapping, fishing, and most
recently, logging. The one attempt in 7000 years to remake the bog ended in failure. After
opening the area for homesteading, a massive drainage program was initiated in 1908 to
convert the bog to farmland. Ditching and drainage continued unabated for twenty years
until it was finally discontinued due to the inability of local taxpayers to support the
tremendous debt incurred, and the failure of the program to transform the land into an
arable commodity. Today, agricultural use of nearby lowland
areas is primarily wild rice farming.
Over 150 species
of plants were used as medicines by the Ojibwe people. The remedies were not known to
everyone, and the preparation of the plant depended upon the ailment it was to treat.
Peatland plants with medicinal value included cranberry, dogwood, yellow lady-slipper,
blue flag, labrador tea, and pitcher plants.
followed, voyageurs
used the Rainy River as their main route into mid-continent and built trading posts and
forts throughout the region. An early British fur trading post was located near the mouth
of the Tamarack River. Early records indicate the site as being south of the river. During
the summer of 1966 an historic sites archeologist from the Minnesota Historical Society
visited the area but found no evidence of the trading post site. The archeologist
concluded that the spot which seemed most appropriate for a post was on the north side of
the river where the state fish hatchery is now located.
Logging operation records from the Red Lake area outside of the bog give
an indication of the volume of timber cut near the turn of the century. In the peak year
of 1891, a total of fifty million board feet of lumber were produced, and this was just
one of many logging operations active at that time. Many earlier settlers worked the
logging camps to earn cash needed to support their families. A few women found employment
in the camps as cooks.
processing plant was erected in Redby providing jobs to local residents
and fresh fish to regional markets. Tourism and sport fishing followed as the walleye
fishery gained notoriety. Resorts sprang up along the lakeshore and Tamarack River. During
the "hey day," all private and public campgrounds were full to overflowing.
Walleyes were captured as they entered the Tamarack River and their eggs stripped and
hatched in the state fish hatchery near the mouth of the river. The offspring of Red Lake
walleye stocked many regional lakes. Due to a crash in the walleye population, commercial
fishing was suspended by the Red Lake Fisheries Board in April 1997 and walleye sport
fishing was suspended by the MN DNR in the spring of 1999.
Environmentally, public awareness of the Big Bog will
lead to protection of it as an atmospheric carbon sink (carbon stored as organic matter)
and a water reservoir. The bog contains more than 6 million-acre feet of water.
Maintaining the bog will protect rare, threatened and endangered plants and animals (three
new species of butterflies have been recently discovered in the area).
plant. At least 12 plants of the bog are on the state endangered,
threatened, and special concern species list. Yellow-eyed grass is a special concern plant
found in the Red Lake Peatland. Bog rush (special concern), the English Sundew (sc), and
the Linear-leaved sundew (sc) are also found here. There are many other rare plants found
here as well.