The purpose of this website is to raise awareness of how invasive species are taking over many areas along the Root River Bike Trail. The focus is on the 6.7 mile Houston extension from Money Creek Woods to Houston. The extension was completed in 1999 making 2024 its 25th anniversary. Since its completion, sections have been completely destroyed by floods or made impassable by fallen trees. The MN DNR has always responded by rebuilding or clearing the trail.

Over the past several years the invasive species listed above have become the new challenge. The concern is not the paved part of the trail but the bike trail right of way. Pages 12 and 13 of the original Master Plan at https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/input/mgmtplans/trails/rootriver/houston_extension.pdf describe how MN DNR would work with adjoining landowners to improve the resource base through sustainable management of this artificial narrow corridor. It also lists in detail the different seed mixes of grasses and forbs used in wooded vs open areas. Unfortunately, most of those open areas have been overrun by honeysuckle and buckthorn. Remaining open areas are being invaded by Wild Parsnip. Old growth hardwood trees are being killed by aggressive Riverbank Grape vines.

During the spring of 2023 my wife Anita and I started cutting and treating honeysuckle and buckthorn to reclaim some sections of the trail overrun with these invaders. The response from trail manager Louise Thompson and Regional Manager Paul Kurvers was to send conservation officer Mitch Boyum to our home to threaten us with enforcement action if we continued our “unsanctioned activity” and “interference”.

It is now clear the only hope for the trail and hundreds of trees under attack by vines is action by legislators to encourage the MN DNR to follow through with it’s original Master Plan at https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/input/mgmtplans/trails/rootriver/houston_extension.pdf. Please contact your legislators and encourage them to ask the MN DNR to live up to it’s state appointed role of being stewards of the Root River Bike Trail by working with adjoining landowners and volunteers to control invasive species.