Park Board approves camping policies

The Stutsman County Park Board Tuesday approved new policies written by the campground committee. Stutsman County will use the state’s interagency senior pass that allows seniors a 50 percent discount on camping fees and allow the concessionaires to keep 100 percent of the fee. Laura Freutel, concessionaire at Pelican Point, said she only had two senior campers in 2007.

Pelican Point will post written policies, including a minimal rental of two nights which the concessionaire can waive at her discretion, check in time of 4 p.m. and checkout at 11 a.m., no smoking or sun seeds in cabins, four-wheelers and golf carts must be licensed and driven by licensed drivers and camping fees of $10 per night for primitive camping and cabins fees of $20 per night, $112 for seven days or $224 for 14 days.

Parks Superintendent Dennis Lorenz told the board that North Dakota Game and Fish agreed to pay $12,000 for a new floating fishing pier on the reservoir but turned down a request to help pay the $25,000 to $30,000 for a handicap accessible ramp to the pier. Lorenz asked Game and Fish for an opinion on locating the pier someplace more accessible, but with the water level dropping, no more accessible spot was identified.

Lorenz said the county was also turned down for a $400,000 grant applied for in 2007 to rebuild the concession stand at Pelican Point, apparently because the North Dakota State Parks and Recreation Department is short on funds. He will reapply this year.

Jack Uehran, lease holder for the Spiritwood Lake campgrounds, approached the commission about an ongoing disagreement with Spiritwood Lake City. Two of his three campers were evicted by the city, and he is appealing that decision.

“Yes, the city does have an ordinance, written 10 years after I built the campsite where the cabins used to be,” he said. “In 30 years I think it should be grandfathered in.”

Noel Johnson, chief operating officer for Stutsman County, said zoning on the commercial land around Spiritwood Lake is a city issue, not a county issue.

“Whatever the legal opinion is, we’ll abide by it,” said board member Mark Klose. “We’re not above the city.”

In other business, the board:

* approved a transfer of Lot 14, west side of Jamestown Reservoir, from Dan Wilhelm to Deb Wilhelm.

* authorized Lorenz to accept a free government surplus backhoe.

Sun reporter Jackie Hyra can be reached at (701) 952-8455 or by e-mail at jackieh@jamestownsun.com

Tags: parks, camping, tourism