Preserve Lake Superior's Scenic North Shore
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McQuade Road
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   This area of the Scenic North Shore of Lake Superior near Duluth, Minnesota (map of proposed harbor), which has been protected in its natural state for more than eighty years by a City of Duluth Charitable Trust, is being threatened for the convenience of a small special interest group. 
Update: Funds were included in the 2002 MN Legislatures Bonding Bill. The Governor Vetoed funding for McQuade.  Thank you, Governor.
   The City of Duluth city council’s last rejection of a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources lease was vetoed by the City's mayor, allowing the DNR control of the property.  It has now been taken over by the Minnesota DNR, who plans to seek additional state money to complete the 8 to 10 million-dollar harbor.
   Not only is there no justification for committing state dollars for construction, in terms of need, even the McQuade Public Access Committee, as the principal supporter of the harbor, has declared the project as not a "need" but as a " legitimate desire!"
   Of no little importance is the fact that the DNR, as owner/operator of the harbor, would have to secure additional funding for maintenance totaling approximately $800,000 annually.
   As we are all painfully aware, Minnesota's financial constrictions will necessitate the elimination or severe curtailment of genuine needs. Surely there would be no sense of pain in denying a "legitimate desire."
   The Duluth City Council twice rejected the proposal to make its gift of land from the late Chester Congdon, on which the harbor would be built, available to the DNR. Only with a veto by Mayor Gary Doty of the Council action did the DNR succeed in its improper demand for the property. Also, this deal was made despite Mr. Congdon's terms of the 1915 gift acceptance that the designated use of the land be guaranteed " in perpetuity."
   Legislative action required for approval of funding did not receive unanimous support from northeastern Minnesota legislators; the LCMR turned down requests for funding, as did the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board, and St. Louis County. The McQuade project was relegated last year to a spot near the very bottom of a lengthy list of DNR priorities.


Proposed McQuade Site
Each dot represents one home or business.
  • The $8 - $10 Million McQuade Road small craft harbor site has no harbor features; 
  • Has never been used as a boat launch; has no hint of even a bay, much less a harbor, just straight shoreline; 
  • Would dynamite and destroy nine acres of shoreland and lakebed, including a fifth of a mile of shoreline; and 
  • Is less than ten minutes from an existing boat access and marina (Knife River Marina, also controlled by the DNR)

    •  
      Map Color Key: 
      • Yellow = Sand 
      • Red = Sand + Cobble 
      • Gold/Tan = Sand/Bedrock 
      • Green = Smooth Bedrock 
      • Blue = Rough Bedrock 
      • Lavender = Conglomerate 
      • Lavender/rose = Cobble 
      • Gray = Unknown

Why This Project Should NOT Be Funded

The DNR has never established a need for this harbor and even the McQuade Public Access Committee ( MPAC ), which had two employees paid by the DNR, formally stated that there is no need, only a "legitimate desire." The push for this harbor comes from the Western Lake Superior Trollers Association and local anglers who already have access to a DNR owned marina, Knife River, by merely driving another ten minutes beyond the McQuade site. There is no hardship keeping them from enjoying their sport. In spite of the MPAC committee claiming " there's only a handful of opponents" to the harbor, the following organizations signed on to a letter requesting a meeting with DNR Commissioner Alan Garber:  Sierra Club-North Star Chapter, Izaac Walton League, Audubon Society, Save Lake Superior Association, Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, and the Lake Superior Alliance.  Great Lakes United, representing dozens of environmental groups, also opposes the harbor. Garber flatly refused to meet with the groups. The DNR will be breaking the 1915 Ordinance 606 in which Duluth legally promised Chester Congdon it would honor his demand that the land he purchased for the city ( which included the McQuade site ) would be held to the terms " in perpetuity."

DNR'S Own Statistics Prove There Is NO Need!

A nine-year Minnesota Department of Natural Resources study clearly shows on average only 10% average occupancy during the summer months at area boat accesses, which clearly shows no need. The MN DNR's own nine-year study reveals gross under-use of existing area harbors and boat accesses. This means an average vacancy rate of almost 90% for the majority of the summer days.

The DNR study also noted a steady downturn in "fishing pressure" which indicates a declining use of available sites in the seven area public harbors: Park Point, Rice's Point, Knife River, Two Harbors, Silver Bay, Grand Marais, and Hovland. The continuing DNR study indicates that fish, when stocked in the lake, don't have an adequate forage base to survive.  As a result, Chinook salmon cost the Minnesota taxpayers $63.00 per fish; Kamloops rainbow trout - cost taxpayers $90.00 each; Steelhead trout cost taxpayers $720.00 per fish to stock.

All this for a project for which there is NO NEED, as required by Minnesota statutes, and as admitted by the DNR facilitated committee promoting the harbor.  Charged in 1992 with the task of determining if a need existed for a harbor, as required by Minnesota statutes, they early on admitted they could prove no need.  Furthermore, the Coast Guard has reported no weather related emergencies requiring Coast Guard assistance on the North Shore.
 
NOTABLE QUOTE
     "In view of newly acquired statistical data from a nine year Minnesota DNR study of the seven North Shore boat harbors' use, the proposed McQuade Road harbor project should be immediately scrapped."

      This is the joint conclusion of the Izaak Walton League, Audubon Society, Save Lake Superior Association, Northeastern Minnesotans for the Wilderness, Minnesota Sierra Club, and Friends of the North Shore. 

BACKGROUND:*City council comments. *MN House of Representatives Research Advice: "In conclusion, I do not see any way for the state to force the city to proceed with the [McQuade] project...." *Shrinking lake deters proposed boat launch at McQuade Road: Point of View by Mary Van Evera. *In reaching the decision (18/18/00) against allowing the use of the North Shore land purchased with funds from Chester Congdon for the proposed harbor at the McQuade Road, the Duluth City Council had virtually all of the pertinent information detailed in the report, Chronicle of Misinformation and Wrongdoing. It was on the knowledge of those facts that the Council turned down the proposed lease of Duluth-owned land, which would have been used for the harbor. *Duluth City Council's 6-3 Decision on July 24, 2000 ended McQuade Harbor plans until the 2001 legislative intervention of Senators Sam Solon and Doug Johnson. 
*Ordinance #606 creating the charitable trust:  "the City of Duluth shall never use the same for any purpose other than as a road, highway or boulevard, and shall never dispose of the same or any part thereof; ...and does so agree with said Congdon." *Map of proposed harbor; * Chronicle of Misinformation and Wrongdoing; * Army Corps of Engineers Project Report -- Section 107 Study; *Army Corps Environmental Assessment; *Background History and Documentation; *In Opposition; *VOTE HERE; *June 3 Message to 2001 Minnesota legislators: HOW WOULD YOUR HOME COMMUNITY FEEL IF THE STATE LEGISLATURE OVERTURNED ITS LOCAL DECISIONS?. *TAKE ACTION!  CLICK HERE. *Or read this open letter to Conference Committee members:  Senators Len Price, Jane Krentz, Linda Higgins, Dennis Frederickson, Steve Dille; Representatives Mark Holsten, Tom Osthoff, Dennis Ozment, Elaine Harder, and Tim Finseth. 

CALL OR WRITE TO THE FOLLOWING: *DFL House members: 651-296-4165; *GOP House members: 651-296-3949;*DFL Senate members: 651-296-6511; *GOP Senate members: 651-296-9441; The Governor's Aide for environmental matters: Phone: (651)296-0014; Governor's Office: phone: Voice (651) 296-3391 or (800)657-3717;  Fax: (651) 296-2089; Miscellaneous.GOV@state.mn.us ALSO CONTACT: * Your legislator, especially Senator Doug Johnson for securing condemnation  legislation and $500,000 in last year's 2001 Minnesota Legislative funding, and for seeking over a million dollars from this year's bonding bill. *Duluth City Council for rejecting the McQuade Lease.* US Representative Oberstar, of MN has sought Federal intervention and funding to move highway 61 (a county highway) and to construct the overpass / bridge which would allow the Army Corps of Engineers to begin blasting and breakwall construction this year.* WRITE TO YOUR NEWSPAPER-Write a letter to the editor.  Include phone # and address.   Use 250 words or less. E-Mail: newstrib@duluth.infini.net* TELL YOUR FRIENDS - Please forward information to like-minded friends.


MC QUADE ISSUES SUMMARY AND STATEMENT
by Ken Hogg, Duluth City Councilor

   In July, 2000, after years of discussion and debate, the Duluth City Council, by a 2-1 margin, denied a request by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to lease Congdon Charitable Trust land owned by the City of Duluth for a portion of the proposed McQuade Public Access boat launch facility project.  Voting against leasing the property were Councilors Eckenberg, Fena, Gilbert, Stover, Stewart and Hogg; only Councilors Edwards, Ness and Stenberg supported leasing the property for this purpose. 
   Last month [spring 2001], over the objections of all three of Duluth's members of the Minnesota House of Representatives, the two State Senators who represent Duluth caused a provision to be inserted in both the House and Senate omnibus environmental finance bills which would require the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to acquire needed lands for the McQuade Public Access Project.  While the proposed legislation does not specify the Congdon Charitable Trust land or the City of Duluth, the intent to force the City of Duluth to make the property available is clear and ominous. 
   While there are conceivable circumstances where it might truly be in the greater public interest for the State to overturn a local government decision, the creation of a boat launching facility is not one of them. 
   In addition to the McQuade issue itself, is the question of local autonomy and protection of the City of Duluth's rights under State Statutes and the Duluth City Charter granted by the State of Minnesota.  The City must defend its local authority to make this decision against "big brother" efforts by those who would try to use the power of the State to achieve what they were not able to accomplish locally. 
   In response to this legislative effort to circumvent the City's decision, a local member of the Minnesota House of Representatives was quoted as saying, "I'm just appalled that a legislator would try to usurp the duties and responsibilities of the City Council ... We might just as well disband all city governments and run everything from St. Paul" 

 May 12, 2001: Duluth prepared (Resolution01-0360R ) to take any legal steps necessary to prevent its land from being seized by the state of Minnesota. 

 June 20, 2001:  Irv Anderson, Minnesota House Representative and member of the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR), moved to take McQuade Harbor funding off the consent agenda until a special hearing is held this summer or fall.  McQuade will still need final approval from the LCMR after the funding appropriation is approved by Minnesota's 2001 Legislature. 


 
Updated:  December 15, 2002
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