MN DNR accepting comments on new wolf management plan
Minnesota DNR requests feedback on first changes to wolf management in 22 years. Public can submit input about goals and strategies for state’s population of gray wolves.
Greg Seitz
Forest Service says copper-nickel mining threatens Boundary Waters
“The environmental assessment released today provides a strong scientific foundation for a 20-year ban on copper mining near the Boundary Waters…”
Forest Service studies motorized towboat use in Boundary Waters wilderness
Federal officials are reviewing how shuttles affect crowding and solitude, while advocates say it’s ignoring limits.
Northern Minnesota tribe buys back 28,000 acres of forest lands to help restore reservation
The Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, with reservations at Lake Vermilion, Nett Lake, and Deer Creek, purchased former timber company lands from national nonprofit The Conservation Fund.
Researchers say wolves have personalities
New research from the Voyageurs Wolf Project has found that wolves have drastically different personalities when it comes to hunting beaver.
Historic high water hits Rainy Lake region
Catastrophic floods are inundating parks, historic sites, resorts, homes, experts say water may rise another 10 inches this week.
Crews plant thousands of trees where Greenwood Fire burned
Public and private groups plant more than 100,000 trees in areas burned in last summer’s Greenwood Fire. The blaze, which burned about 26,000 acres near Isabella, was the worst in several years.
Congressional hearing on Boundary Waters mining ban
Legislation authored by Rep. Betty McCollum would block mining on federal lands in the watershed of the BWCAW, was the subject of a hearing in a House of Representatives subcommittee yesterday.
Mapping the 2021 Quetico fires: where blazes burned and where to paddle
As popular paddling destination Quetico Provincial Park reopens to Americans, maps show areas affected by major fires.
Authorities warn flooding is beginning along international border lakes
Water levels on Crane, Rainy, Namakan, and other border lakes are already high, and expected to keep climbing with late thaw, ice floes causing hazards.
EPA says PolyMet permit threatens waters with mercury pollution
Federal agency declares mine would cause pollution unacceptable to Fond du Lac Band.
All eyes on the ice: Canoe country still frozen as permit season starts
Spring has been slow to arrive in northern Minnesota this year, and it’s keeping the region cold.
Voyageurs National Park launches effort to contain zebra mussels
Portages out of infested Rainy Lake will require precautions to prevent spread of invasive species.
Reports say Rainy River Watersheds healthy, public comments invited
Rainy River drainages are in good shape, and officials want to keep it that way.
Minnesota Supreme Court to review proposed PolyMet mine water permit
The highest court in Minnesota announced this week that it will hear a challenge to a key permit for the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota. It will consider the mine’s water pollution permit, and controversy…
Adventurer Emily Ford faced slush, wind, ice in 200-mile Boundary Waters crossing
Ford says she’d cross a thousand miles of wilderness to help more kids experience the outdoors, and her fundraising will make sure some do.
Film about running across Boundary Waters nominated for international award
“Boundary Waters Traverse” follows Alex Falconer on long-distance run to raise awareness for wilderness.
Signs of hope for Minnesota’s moose population
Annual report says moose decline of past decade may have leveled off for now.
Report: Minnesota’s water under threat, new policies need to protect lakes and rivers
The Minnesota Water Report looks at six major challenges to clean water in the state, including proposed copper-nickel mines, agricultural runoff, discharges from wastewater treatment facilities, water availability, wildlife habitat, and inadequate environmental rules and laws.
Ten years after Pagami Creek Fire, groups share lessons learned
In just a few days, it burned 93,000 acres of wilderness, and threatened the lives of Forest Service personnel and visitors. A series of events based in Ely covers forest management, the fire’s aftermath, and wildland firefighting.