TOP STORY:

State Regulators Delay Haze Decision

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s citizen’s board decided to delay a planned vote this week on measures to reduce haze in northeastern Minnesota.

Federal Agencies Pan State Haze Plan

U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service officials are critical of Minnesota’s plans to regulate pollutants causing haze over the Quetico-Superior region.

Isle Royale Considering Wolf Options

Officials at Isle Royale National Park are considering options to address the decline in the population of wolves on the Lake Superior island.

DNR Seeks Input on Ely Area Lakes

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is seeking public input on the management plans for 19 lakes and two streams near Ely.

Extinction for Isle Royale Wolves?

Researchers fear wolves could become extinct on Lake Superior’s Isle Royale in a matter of years now that their population numbers only nine animals.

Cravaack: PolyMet Review by October

Minnesota 8th District Representative Chip Cravaack expects the revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the PolyMet precious metal mine near Babbitt to be released by October.

76 BWCAW Campsites Likley Closed

As many as 76 campsites in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness could remain closed at the start of the paddling season due to the effects of last fall’s Pagami Creek Fire.

Dog Teams Carry Mining Petitions

Environmental advocates concerned about mining in northeastern Minnesota are using dog teams to carry petitions to the state capitol in St. Paul.

Friends Offers Advocacy Fellowship

The advocacy group Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness is offering a new fellowship named after the late canoe outfitter and wilderness advocate Bill Rom.

Bill Plans Concurrent Wolf, Deer Seasons

A bill to be introduced in the Minnesota House would open Minnesota’s first wolf hunting season at the same time as the state’s firearms deer hunting season.

Moose Population Continues Decline

The number of moose dwelling in Minnesota continues to decline according to the latest Minnesota Department of Natural Resources survey numbers, putting this fall’s moose hunt into question.

Northshore Mining Fined $240,175

Northshore Mining was fined $240,175 by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency after its taconite processing plant in Silver Bay was cited for 30 air quality violations in 2010 and 2011.

Quetico Superintendent Leaving Park

Robin Reilly, the superintendent at Quetico Provincial Park since 2001, is leaving his position to become the superintendent of Sandbanks Provincial Park on Lake Ontario.

Oberholtzer Foundation Wins Grant

The Ernest Oberholtzer Foundation recently received an Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant from the Minnesota Historical Society for restoration work at the late wilderness advocate’s Mallard Island residence.

Exemption Could Avoid Clear Air Retro-Fit

A proposed exemption in the Clean Air Act could allow Minnesota’s largest coal-fired power plant to avoid a costly retro-fit to reduce the haze over the Boundary Waters and Voyageurs National Park.

Snow Allows Moose Survey to Begin

Recent snowfall in the Quetico Superior region is finally allowing Minnesota Department of Natural Resources researchers to survey the moose population in northeastern Minnesota.