Residents Oppose DNR Land Swap Near Hungry Jack Lake

Hungry Jack Lake residents are up in arms over a proposed Minnesota DNR land trade with land developer Larry DeWester. The proposed land deal would swap 440 areas of logged over land in the Hovland area for 106 acres south of Hungry Jack Lake along with, what looks to be, an additional 280 acres of land along the Caribou Trail and the County Landfill Road.

According area resident the valuation of the proposed land to be traded to DeWester is way out of balance. Residents claim that even without including the Hungry Jack parcel DeWester would be getting a great deal. The Hungry Jack land according to the resident is valuable because it has easy assess through the South Hungry Jack Road on the north and Bunn Road on the South and ready access to electrical and phone services. But they argue it should remain in State hands and not be develop.

The Hungry Jack land proposed in the trade is located on a hill-side slanting down towards the lake. Any more develop here, according to the residents, would only add more stress on lake's fragile eco-system.

The lake residents expressed their concerns about this proposed swap to Minnesota DNR representative Doug Rowlett at a meeting of the Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway Committee meeting at old Swanson's Lodge on Hungry Jack Lake on Monday, September 10. Rowlett took note of their concerns.

DeWester land is the same land he previously proposed to trade to the DNR for State land located on the hillside and Gunflint Trail above Grand Marais. This proposed trade was "shot-down" by local opposition last December.