Public Comment Form

Commenting open: June 30, 2025 12:00AM CT - July 10, 2025 11:59PM CT.

401 Water Quality Certification for DNR Forestry Pitt Grade Road Realignment Lake of the Wood County

We invite you to comment on the draft 401 Water Quality Certification for the DNR Forestry Pitt Grade Road Realignment in Lake of the Woods County. 


The DNR Forestry proposes to realign approximately two miles of unpaved forest road along Pitt Creek/unnamed ditch due to erosion of the road base from the ditch re-meandering. The road will move ten feet to the east, and the backslope will be removed to allow the stream a floodplain. 2:1 and 3:1 slopes will be utilized on both sides to reduce the impact footprint. There will be 2.63-acres of impacts replaced at a 1:1 ratio.


In addition to the proposed alignment, the DNR proposes to resurface a three-mile stretch of the road south of the realignment project. The resurfacing portion of the project will continue within the existing road alignment with no impact on the surrounding wetlands or stream.


A 401 Water Quality Certification is required when an individual, business, or property owner proposes construction-related activities near a navigable lake, river, stream, or adjacent wetland. The MPCA reviews projects to ensure they will not violate Minnesota's more protective water quality standards. The 401 certification becomes an enforceable component of the associated federal license or permits issued under the Clean Water Act.




Contact Information

*Indicates Required Fields

Submitted by Value

First Name *

Last Name *

Address (Required)

City (Required)

State

ZIP (Required)

Email (Required)

Your Comment


Thank you for providing feedback on this project.


We value your comments and will use them to assess this project further. In your comments, please state your interest in the draft 401 certification; the explicit actions you wish the MPCA to take, including specific references to the section of the draft permit you believe should be changed; and the reasons supporting your position, stated with sufficient specificity as to allow the MPCA to investigate the merits of the position.


If you want to submit a letter, you can upload the letter on this website or submit it via US Mail to the following address:


Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
c/o Kirsten Barta
520 Lafayette Road
Saint Paul, MN 55155

*Uploading a file is optional*

You may attach up to five 20 MB files to accompany your submission. Allowed formats are pdf, jpg, jpeg, png, txt, gif, doc, docx, xlsx, xls. If you experience technical difficulties submitting your comment please contact the person listed at the bottom of this page.


Thank you for subscribing to the 401 Water Quality Certification for DNR Forestry Pitt Grade Road Realignment Lake of the Wood County mailing list.