TROUT RIVER — The Mogul Road Trail Committee wants to construct an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) trail outside the boundary of Gros Morne National Park to give the people of Trout River access to the backcountry.
The committee has submitted a proposal to the Department of Environment and Conservation for the construction of a nearly two-kilometre trail along an existing cutline that borders the pre-1984 boundary for Gros Morne National Park.
The proposed trail would be three-and-one half-metres wide and located approximately 5-km southwest of Trout River.
Blaine Crocker is the president of the Mogul Road Trail Committee. He said the group was formed this past fall with the sole purpose of re-establishing access from Adams Road to the existing Mogul Road.
Mogul Road is an old mining road that was opened up in the 1940s.
“That’s the only road we got to actually get access to the country,” said Crocker.
The only problem is get to it you have to go through park land and people aren’t allowed to use ATVs within the park.
“So right now we’ve got no access to get to the backcountry,” said Crocker.
“We’re looking to get a road so people can access their cabins and for hunting and fishing.”
To do that, the committee wants to bypass the area of the park and go through Crown land to make the connection from Adams Road to Mogul Road.
He said the distance needed is really only about a half-kilometre, but the committee would have to go about 1.5 km to avoid the park and bogs in the area.
This site is currently designated as a community pasture and the road work will include grubbing, ditching, some leveling and the placement of several culverts and one small bridge.
Crocker said getting permission to put the trail in would be win for the people of Trout River.
“For the people of Trout River it gives us access to travel with Ski-Doos and bikes.”
He said getting to Mogul Road would open up the backcountry to people and allow for easy access to hunting Area 5.
He also sees the road as benefiting users of the International Appalachian Trail Newfoundland and Labrador. Those hiking in the area of Chimney Cove Pond would be able to use the road to make a roundtrip back to Trout River.
The undertaking was registered with the Department of Environment and Conservation on Feb. 9.
The public has until March 21 to comment on the proposal and the minister’s decision on it is due by March 25.
For further information on the environmental assessment process, contact the director of environmental assessment at (709) 729-4211 or toll-free at 1-800-563-6181, or by mail at Director, Environmental Assessment Division, Department of Environment and Conservation, West Block, Confederation Building, P.O. Box 8700, St. John’s, NL A1B 4J6.
Environmental assessment information can be found on the department’s website at: www.gov.nl.ca/env.
read the story mogul road not adams road