We are aware of the recent Star Tribune article, and just wanted everyone to know that we are in a good spot with the DNR. As the Lease Coordinator for the Minnesota Federation of Field Trial Clubs for Keystone, I can tell you that we are actively working on the 2026 and beyond lease arrangements with the DNR. We are very thankful for our partnership with the Minnesota DNR on the lease agreements we have at Keystone and Four Brooks.
The DNR issued a statement this week in response to a petition from the Izaak Walton League seeking to ban dog training or events in a WMA. They dismissed the complaint and included this language in their response:
“The DNR has no evidence, through the petition or otherwise, that there has been damage to wildlife and wildlife habitat at Keystone Woods WMA due to dog trialing and training activities. There is a decades-long history of these activities at Keystone Woods, long before the land became a WMA in October of 2024, and claims of damage are not supported by the nearly 50-year history of dog trialing on the property. The current agreement with Minnesota Federation of Field Trial Clubs restricts activities to 19 percent of the 1,833-acre WMA and away from known locations of vulnerable species. Dog trialing has also been allowed for 23 years on the Four Brooks WMA in Mille Lacs County and the use has not been inconsistent with the WMAs core conservation goals.”