NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CERTIFICATION OF COMPLETED SEGMENTS OF THE NORTH COUNTRY NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL Completed trail segments that (1) follow the route identified in the 1982 National Park Service (NPS) Comprehensive Plan for Management and Use of the North Country National Scenic Trail (NST) or subsequently prepared detailed trail corridor plans and (2) are developed and managed in accordance with the policies, practices, and responsibilities discussed in the comprehensive plan and in North Country National Scenic Trail - A Handbook for Trail Design, Construction, and Maintenance may be certified as official segments of the North Country NST. The certification process calls for a brief application that provides maps and information regarding the exact location of the trail, the agency or organization responsible for management and maintenance of the segment, the policies and practices relating to marking and maintaining the segment, and other information. The format and content of the application are given below. All or part of the information requested in the application can be furnished by the managing authority by submitting and referring to existing plans, maps, and documents relating to the trail. It must be emphasized that participation in the development and management of the North Country NST and certification of completed segments is highly encouraged but completely voluntary on the part of the managing authority. The NPS will not certify any trail as an official segment of the North Country NST without the consent of the managing authority. Submission and Processing of Applications Applications for certification of completed segments should be sent to: Superintendent, North Country National Scenic Trail National Park Service 700 Rayovac Drive, Suite 100 Madison, WI 53711 Questions about preparing and submitting an application should be directed to the "North Country Trail Manager" at the address above or by calling 608-441-5610. Applications will be evaluated according to the criteria given below. In most cases, if the NPS North Country Trail Manager is not personally familiar with the segment, an application will not be approved until there has been an opportunity to inspect the segment. Criteria for Certification The following criteria will be used by the NPS to evaluate segments of trail for which North Country NST certification is being sought: 1. Location A certified segment must coincide with the North Country NST route as shown in the 1982 comprehensive plan or in subsequent detailed corridor plans which supersede the comprehensive plan. It must also link with existing segments or the anticipated location of future segments. When another segment does not exist at one or both ends of the segment for which certification is being sought, the
managing authority should consult with NPS North Country Trail Manager prior to submitting the application. 2. Readiness A segment must exist and be ready* for public use prior to its certification and must have a relatively high degree of permanency to its existence. (Changes and relocations are permissible when land use, right of access, resource management, or other circumstances necessitate. The managing authority should consult with the NPS in advance of such changes.) * Readiness includes a self assessment of the degree to which the trail segment meets the guidelines suggested in North Country National Scenic Trail - A Handbook for Trail Design, Construction, and Maintenance. Ideally, a new segment of trail would meet all guidelines prior to application and an indication of this readiness would be indicated on the application. The following questions are examples of the kinds of things to ask yourself prior to applying for certification. A) Does the trail segment follow the trail design guidelines (tread width, clearing width and height, slope, etc.) shown in Chapter 4, Figure 1 of the Handbook? If not, what percent of the segment meets the guidelines? B) Are trail structures needed on the segment? If so, are they in place and do they follow the guidelines shown in Chapter 5, Figure 2 of the Handbook? C) Is the trail blazed as suggested in Chapter 7, Item G of the Handbook? Are Road Crossing Signs (Chapter 7, Item F) in place except for the official trail logo? If not, will you consider applying for a NPS grant to erect them in the future? How about other types of signs? 3. Availability A certified segment must be open and available for public use and can include areas restricted to day use only and trails subject to payment of a user fee or subject to other similar restrictions. 4. Length The length of a certified segment may vary, but certification of isolated segments shorter than 1 mile will not be encouraged. 5. Use A certified segment must be open to travel on foot, i.e. walking and hiking, by the general public. Segments may also be open to other nonmotorized uses permitted by the National Trails System Act, as amended, at the discretion of the managing authority if the segment is designed to safely accommodate such use(s) and the additional use(s) will not result in significant impacts to the trail resource or the user experience. For additional detail, see attached Management Statement regarding Bicycle and Horse Use of the North Country National Scenic Trail. Note: as of 1996, NPS is not approving applications for segments that propose to allow bicycle or horse use unless the segment meets the exceptions shown in the above mentioned Management Statement.
6. Management A certified segment must be managed in accordance with the policies and guidelines in the 1982 Comprehensive Plan, the North Country National Scenic Trail - A Handbook for Trail Design, Construction, and Maintenance, and any that may have been subsequently developed. Sufficient evidence of this should be provided by the managing authority in the application for certification. Application Content and Format The application is prepared, not by filling out a form, but by preparing a typewritten description of the trail segment and its management according to the format and instructions which follow. The title, numbered outline, and section headings should be used just as they are given. In Sections I through IV of the application, the information requested for that section (as described below) should be presented. Immediately after Section IV, the application should be completed by typing Sections V and VI just as they appear below. Section V should be signed and dated by the appropriate official before sending the application to the NPS. Brevity is welcomed. Elaborate descriptions and explanations are not necessary. Most applications can be adequately prepared in the space of 2 to 4 typewritten pages, plus accompanying maps. 3-17-97 3
NORTH COUNTRY NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL APPLICATION FOR TRAIL SEGMENT CERTIFICATION I. Name and Address of Managing Authority Responsible for the Segment Include the name and telephone number of the principal contact. II. III. IV. Location and Description of the Segment Enclose both general location and detailed (such as 15- or 7.5-minute topographical) maps showing the segment, campsites and other support facilities, and points of access and interest. Give the name of the segment, if it has a particular name (optional). Describe the length of the segment, its general environment including land use and any potential conflicts, the width of land secured for and/or managed for the trail and the type of jurisdiction (ownership, easement, lease, agreement, etc.) the managing authority has over it, and any plans for development of support facilities along the segment. Optional: enclose photographs showing the trail. Use of the Trail Name and describe the uses permitted on the segment. Management Policies and Practices Describe or enclose the management policies and/or regulations which apply to resource management and public use of the trail. Specify any fees or permits required for use of the segment or support facilities, such as campsites. Describe by whom and how maintenance is performed. Specify how the official North Country NST markers will be placed along the trail and what other supplemental markers, blazes, and signs will be used. Enclose copies of any applicable management plans. V. Affirmation (by Managing Authority) I hereby affirm that: (1) I am duly authorized to represent the managing authority named above, (2) the segment is in existence and available for public use, (3) the segment is managed in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan for Management and Use of the North Country NST, (4) I or another representative of the managing authority will notify the National Park Service if there is a change in the location or status of the segment, (5) the official NCT markers will be posted along the trail segment and they will be maintained (if it is a non-federal segment, the markers will be supplied by the National Park Service), and (6) the National Park Service will be informed concerning the status of this segment on at least an annual basis. Signed Date Title VI. Certification (by National Park Service) I hereby certify the trail described in this application as a segment of the North Country NST. If this segment is located on nonfederal lands, the National Park Service will provide a reasonable and sufficient quantity of the official North Country NST marker for the segment. Signed Date Title Superintendent, North Country National Scenic Trail, National Park Service
National Park Service Management Statement Regarding Bicycle and Horse Use Of The North Country National Scenic Trail The Comprehensive Plan for Management and Use of The North Country Trail - 1982 cautioned against permitting other uses which might physically damage trail resources or which the trail was not designed to safely accommodate. The following statements interpret and clarify the use policy found in the 1982 document. We believe that bicycling is best accommodated as a use on the North Country NST on railtrail segments and on other short sections of hardened surface (1) specifically designed for wheeled vehicles, where bikes will not damage natural or trail resources, (2) that are parts of previously established multiple use trails that become part of the North Country Trail route, (3) where bicycles can be physically restricted to the designated section, and (4) where bicycle use will not adversely affect the recreational experience of hikers. These conditions generally are not found on the typical, single-track, forested and rural segments of the North Country Trail. We believe that horse use is best accommodated on the North Country NST on those segments of trail which have been specifically designed and hardened to withstand such use. These conditions generally are not found on the typical, single-track, forested and rural segments of the North Country Trail. Additionally, horse use is perhaps an acceptable use on most trail segments within the prairies and grasslands of North Dakota and western Minnesota, where the character of the North Country NST changes from primarily a wooded experience to primarily a prairie (big sky) experience, passing through many miles of farms, ranches, and grasslands. Here, the flavor of the trail is more western than eastern and the dryer soils are more forgiving of horse traffic than in wetter, forested areas. In these areas, there may also be opportunities to establish parallel hiking and horse trails, such as along the McCluskey and New Rockford Canals--horses on the old access road and hikers on a foot trail within the boundary of the canal right-of-way. Excerpted from NPS letter to Trail Segment Managers dated March 22, 1996