Letter to the Editor - What Would Decorah Do?

My name is Danielle Dotzenrod. I am the privileged one. Or at least that's what Thomas Johnson of Decorah Human Powered Trails (DHPT) called me when addressing City Council on Monday, April 7, 2025. He called me that because I have been allowed to speak at Parks and Rec meetings even though I am a noncity taxpayer. Under Iowa Open Meetings Law (Chapter 21), public meetings are required to allow all interested parties the chance to express their views. Johnson stated, "Decorah Human Powered Trails has put in thousands of hours over the past decades to maintain, promote, and enhance our trails." That is true. They have invested a lot of time and money. But that was their choice. They knew the Van Peenen family included horseback riding when they deeded the land to the City, and they knew adding mountain biking went against family wishes. But they continued investing anyway. Over the years, DHPT has created trails without City approval, made firepits decorated with broken TVs, bullied equestrians on and off the trails, and acted as if the parks are their own private playground. It wasn't until last fall the Saddle Club learned that in February of 2024, horses had been removed from all other City trails including Ice Cave and Dunning Springs Parks. The very trails we are responsible for creating at the request of then PNR Director, Bob Hunt. Why are we getting kicked off the very limited number of trails we have responsibly ridden for over 50 years, while DHPT's bad behavior not only continues to go unpunished, but gets rewarded with more and more trails including up and coming Carlson Park. Johnson argues that "allowing equestrian use on our trails comes at the request of a social club primarily comprised of non-city residents, and thus, noncity taxpayers" and that "allowing equestrian use puts our trails at great risk" and "the financial well-being of our businesses at great risk." Should an entire town be designed to appease one small interest group? Every business person knows that's a bad investment. And why should catering to their non-city residents, and thus, non-city taxpayers be more important than the interests of our surrounding community members who spend substantially more of their hard-earned money in Decorah week in and week out. No one group should have the right or power to eliminate any of the rest of us. Johnson states "Decorah will continue to be a mountain biking and trail running destination, and our city will continue to benefit socially, culturally, and of incredible importance to the here and now, financially". This is rural Iowa with a rich history of agriculture and equestrian use. Many of our families have been in the area a long time and helped build this community while some families are newer and help us grow. Interests and hobbies progress with time. But none of us should undeservingly have our history erased or replaced by progress. Progress should not come at the expense of history. The Winneshiek County Saddle Club remains committed to sharing the trails with fellow outdoor enthusiasts in a respectful and safe manner. We ask the City of Decorah to require we be treated fairly with the same standard set of rules and regulations you find on these types of shared trails across America to ensure our safety. We do not deserve to be treated differently than other equestrians due to DHPT's ambition of taking over the Decorah City trail system. I am "privileged" to be from NE Iowa. When I was 16, the Decorah newspaper asked me what my life's dream was. I responded, "to move back home one day," although I still had two years of high school at South Winn left to complete. After fulfilling that dream, I owned a restaurant in nearby Elgin for 5 years. Whenever city matters came up, I always asked myself, "What would Decorah do?" As the county seat, Decorah's responsibilities extend beyond city limits and include protecting its surrounding community members that heavily contribute to its success.