TOP STORY:

Highway 1 Fire 100% Contained

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A wildfire that threatened Ely, Minnesota on Thursday is 90% contained according to officials fighting the 175-acre blaze.

Ely Threatened by Wildfire

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A wildfire apparently caused by a downed power-line threatened Ely, Minnesota on Thursday, prompting the voluntary evacuation of more than 200 residents.

Court Upholds State’s Sulfate Rules

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A Ramsey County Court judge upheld Minnesota’s restrictions on sulfate pollution in waters that host wild rice plants, denying a Minnesota Chamber of Commerce challenge that the rules were vague and arbitrarily applied.

Ernest C. Oberholtzer: Lifetime Advocate

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“Destroy the beauty of the visible shores and islands of these lakes and rivers and you destroy the whole charm and pleasurable utility of the region for the public,” Ober wrote to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Cravaack Introduces BWCAW Land-swap Bill

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Representative Chip Cravaack has introduced federal legislation to authorize an exchange of state lands within the Boundary Waters for federal land outside.

Pagami Fire Area Reopening in BWCAW

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Most areas in the Boundary Waters burned in last fall’s Pagami Creek fire will reopen to the public starting today, the U.S. Forest Service has announced.

Routes, Campsites Feeling Storm Damage

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A number of secondary roads, trails, Boundary Waters portages, and campsites in the Superior National Forest remain blocked due to winter storm damage in mid-April.

MPCA Board Approves Haze Rules

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The citizens’ board of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency approved a controversial set of rules intended to reduce the amount of haze over northern Minnesota.

MPCA Board to Revisit Haze Rules

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After delaying a decision on a plan to reduce haze over northern Minnesota, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s citizen’s board will attempt to approve the plan today.

Loons Returning North Ahead of Schedule

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Thanks to an unseasonably warm spring in the Upper Midwest, common loons are returning to nesting areas some three weeks ahead of schedule, the Minnesota DNR recently noted.

Judge Approves Superior ATV Routes

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Superior National Forest administrators can move forward with plans to designate routes for use by ATVs and other off-road vehicles, District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson has ruled.

Appeals Court Hears Cell Tower Case

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An appeals court heard arguments on Tuesday over AT&T’s proposed 450-foot cell-phone tower at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness near Ely.