Honeysuckle thicket near Houston, MN before and after clearing.

Current bike trail to the right of service drive after honeysuckle and cedar trees were cleared .

2010 with wildflowers

The above pictures show how a pollinator plot that was maintained by MN DNR with prescribed burns was overrun by invasive honeysuckle when prescribed burns were discontinued. Tom Vix, the owner of the adjacent campground, continues to maintain his property across the line fence with prescribed burns every three years. His plot has no invasive honeysuckle and no wild parsnip. The MN DNR plot was not only overrun by honeysuckle but the open area was being overrun by wild parsnip. If the MN DNR does not have the resources to maintain this plot they should partner with Tom to allow his burn crew to do it for them. This kind of partnership is what is prescribed on page 12 of the Houston Extension of the Root River Trail Master Plan at https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/input/mgmtplans/trails/rootriver/houston_extension.pdf.

Below is a trailside section that used to be completely open to the river on the other side. Now it is just another brush thicket! One hour of work by a Forestry Bobcat would reclaim it. You can see a Forestry Bobcat in action at https://rootriverbiketrailinvaders.com/mybuckthorn. This contractor has cleared buckthorn from over 100 acres of DNR SNA land. (Scroll to the bottom of the linked page to find the two Forestry Bobcat videos.)