Thank you for your opportunity to review and comment on the Spirit Mountain EAW. I strongly support the proposed plans because I feel like the community benefits of the plans outweigh the potential environmental risks. A huge part of Duluth is the amount of outdoor recreational activities that one can do here. Spirit mountain is a tremendous recreational area and I believe that by expanding and creating more opportunities for outdoor activity, the community of Duluth will become happier and healthier.
The environmental issues that are presented with the expansion have been addressed and I believe they are going to do everything they can to make these changes with minimal harm to the environment. There are “green” ways of doing things and Spirit mountain will take all things into consideration. For example, when creating the mountain bike courses, to lessen the occurrence of erosion, Spirit Mountain will properly follow the guidelines of the International Mountain Bike Association and the Minnesota DNR (Duluth planning, 3). The disc golf course does require the removal of some trees, but all the removal will be monitored by a “qualified City staff or its agent such as a forester, landscape architect or certified arborist” to make sure that they are “minimizing the tree loss” (4). Spirit mountain also …show more content…
“Stress reduction through recreation also comes from group activities that strengthen social ties and the calming effects of desirable outdoor settings” (20). The more people who participate in these activities, the less stressed the community will be. In addition, people who come to Duluth on vacation will benefit from the amount of outdoor recreational activities Duluth has to offer. Exercise is also associated with decreased risk of depression (19). By Spirit Mountain expanding the outdoor activities available to the public, Duluth will become a mentally healthier
The environmental issues that are presented with the expansion have been addressed and I believe they are going to do everything they can to make these changes with minimal harm to the environment. There are “green” ways of doing things and Spirit mountain will take all things into consideration. For example, when creating the mountain bike courses, to lessen the occurrence of erosion, Spirit Mountain will properly follow the guidelines of the International Mountain Bike Association and the Minnesota DNR (Duluth planning, 3). The disc golf course does require the removal of some trees, but all the removal will be monitored by a “qualified City staff or its agent such as a forester, landscape architect or certified arborist” to make sure that they are “minimizing the tree loss” (4). Spirit mountain also …show more content…
“Stress reduction through recreation also comes from group activities that strengthen social ties and the calming effects of desirable outdoor settings” (20). The more people who participate in these activities, the less stressed the community will be. In addition, people who come to Duluth on vacation will benefit from the amount of outdoor recreational activities Duluth has to offer. Exercise is also associated with decreased risk of depression (19). By Spirit Mountain expanding the outdoor activities available to the public, Duluth will become a mentally healthier