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Let me get this straight: Our legislators allocate $2.7 million for new ATV trail creation but pull language from the omnibus bill at the last minute that would protect public lands north of Hwy. 2? The "designated trails" provision removed was a small step that simply required off-road vehicles to use only posted and designated trails. It's not a stretch — this signage requirement has existed south of Hwy. 2 for decades. Our legislators and governor should listen to retired Department of Natural Resources staff ("We, as retired DNR staff members, support trail designation," Opinion Exchange, May 1), who spent their careers in the field, working to preserve and protect public lands. They make it clear that a designated-trails provision is urgently needed to keep riders on trails constructed for their use and out of sensitive areas. Illegally created trails further fragment wildlife habitat and increase the spread of invasive species.

Legislators, governor, DNR: Why bother creating things like a Climate Action Framework, which calls for conserving and enhancing biodiversity, if you won't support and implement even the most commonsense habitat protections?

Libby Bent, Duluth

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As a member of the public and taxpayer who quietly recreates on public lands and has seen the damage wreaked by off-highway vehicles such as ATV, I was heartened to learn of legislation that would better manage this type of "wreckcreation" ("We, as retired DNR staff members, support trail designation"). What Tuesday's commentary did not mention are the greenhouse gas emissions associated with off highway vehicles (OHVs) and the cost to the public in terms of conservation officer time trying to manage OHV riders.

According to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency data, individual OHV greenhouse gas emissions are far greater than that of a passenger car. OHVs emit four times as many nitrogen oxides and seven times the methane emissions of a passenger car. This is significant because nitrogen oxides have 300 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide and methane has 30 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. Transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions are the largest source in Minnesota and with almost 1 million OHV registered with the DNR, their contributions to the climate crisis are significant. And, OHV riding is generally a discretionary activity.

Regarding enforcement, DNR data shows the average number of hours conservation officers expended enforcing OHV management for the years 2013-2023 is equal to 19,813 hours. That's the equivalent of 10 staff years, 265 warnings or citations per month, or nine per day. The DNR staff time comes out of the DNR's general fund and, of course, precludes the conservation officers from doing other important work.

HF 3911 was developed and championed by citizens concerned about the destruction of public lands, noise and the climate and extinction crises. Sadly, the trail signage provision of HF 3911, a commonsense measure to ensure OHV stay on designated trails constructed for their use, similar to hiking trail signage in state parks or other public lands, was stripped out of the omnibus bill. Apparently Rep. Dave Lislegard and Sen. Grant Hauschild care little for protecting public lands or quiet recreationists or ameliorating the climate and extinction crises.

Catherine Zimmer, St. Paul

The writer is an environmental scientist.

CHURCH AND STATE

It's basic constitutional literacy

I just found out about the display of the Ten Commandments on the wall of the new Itasca County jail in Grand Rapids and am absolutely appalled that a public building is being used to do something that is so inappropriate and, I believe, unconstitutional ("Religious slogans on new jail draw ire," May 2). Using a public building to support a religious faith is the issue, whether with public or private funds. If the people behind this think this is appropriate, then they should step back and include not only Islam, Hinduism, Bahá'í, Buddhism, Shintoism, Sikhism, Taoism, Confucianism and the faiths of Native Americans and many, many more. But the point is not to include all, it is to not include or support any.

Rick Sewall, Grand Rapids, Minn.

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I have never before seen the Ten Commandments referred to as "slogans" as the Star Tribune headline did on May 2. By the way, do you know of an image of the crucified Christ used as a logo?

Leonard Powell, St. Louis Park

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Reading "Religious slogans on new jail draw ire" caused me to let out a chuckle yet feel sad at the same time. I'm not a particularly religious person myself, but the thought of entering a jail and feeling I was "not in a safe place" due to reading the Ten Commandments is both shocking and a sad statement of where our country is at. It's not the criminals housed at the facility who scare this person, but rather a list of commandments that is frightening? As I said, I'm not very religious, but I think most people, regardless of what their beliefs are, would agree that the Ten Commandments are a pretty good list of virtues you should live your life by in order to be a good person. Actually, if the people incarcerated in Itasca's jail had heeded them, they probably wouldn't be there in the first place.

Jeff Schneider, Otsego

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Our founding fathers (who, yes, were white men) were not a group of atheists, and neither are those who are helping to ensure the First Amendment's separation of church and state, despite the Grand Rapids Solid Rock Church of God pastor's characterizations. Our founders' intimate connections to British and European history generated their choice with that first of amendments. Current events in Gaza/Israel and beyond further underline the far-reaching wisdom of those framers of our Constitution. The good intentions of those who put the massive, two-story display of the Ten Commandments' "thou shalt not"s reminds me of the good-intentioned simplicities of Nancy Reagan's "Just say no" to the horrific problems of drug abuse. Our country, like Itasca County, needs to get off the dime on preachy, negative simplicities and really invest in actual rehabilitation in its jails and prisons. The behaviors those two-story commands from an angry God are meant to bring about cannot be shouted into being. They must be fostered throughout society by the variety of religious traditions that make our country so rich, and by its secular institutions, those we all support by our tax dollars.

Jim McKenzie, St. Paul

STUDENT PROTESTS AT THE U

So much for leadership

In commenting on the deal reached between the University of Minnesota and the students of the encampment, interim President Jeff Ettinger was quoted as saying, "While there is more work to do, and conversations are still planned with other student groups affected by the painful situation in Palestine, I am heartened by today's progress" ("Tents come down after protesters and U meet," May 3). Ettinger, did you use the word "Palestine" to refer to what is now the state of Israel? That would suggest your agreeing with the delegitimization of Israel that protesters and those active in the encampment at the U are asserting. Maybe you meant to refer to the West Bank and Gaza — where the vast majority of Palestinians live. Either way, the critical question is: Is there pain also in Israel because, unprovoked, Hamas fighters invaded the country and murdered, burned and beheaded 1,200 Israeli Jews, gang-raped women and took over 200 citizens as hostage, so many of whom are still being held? Is there pain in Jewish communities across the country, including ours, where calls for the deaths of Jews and the eradication of the Jewish state ("From the river to the sea") are loudly advocated and go unchallenged on campuses across the country?

Your intellectual dishonesty and unbelievable insensitivity are on full view. Shame on you.

Beth Friend, St. Paul