April 21, 2006                                     Contact:  Ellen Quinn

    Public Information Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                           1-218-726-2621

NEWS RELEASE

St. Louis County Recognizes Range Trail Committee

     As part of St. Louis County’s Sesquicentennial year, the County is presenting a Volunteer Recognition Award Tuesday, April 25, 2006 at 9:30 AM at the Gilbert City Hall, Gilbert, MN as part of their regular County Board meeting.

     County Auditor Don Dicklich will recognize the Range Trail Committee, who, since incorporating as a non-profit in 1975, have developed and maintained the Laurentian Trail.  The Volunteer Recognition Award is in honor of the many hours of volunteer service that the Range Trail Committee members have devoted to creating and maintaining recreational snowmobile trails in order that both local residents and tourists may have opportunities for recreation in the Quad Cities area of St. Louis County.

     The Laurentian Trail was one of the first trails to be recognized by St. Louis County, in August of 1974.  Since then, 52 miles of trail have been developed, with volunteers coordinating signage, brushing, grooming, and working with local businesses for donations. A core group of 20 volunteers, including 3 charter members, has been coordinated by Robert Detloff since he became President of the Range Trail Committee in 1988.  Last year, the volunteer group groomed a total of 4,169 miles of trail.

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