TOP STORY:

Voyageurs Continues Collared Moose Study

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Nineteen adult moose will be captured and fitted with telemetry collars this month as part of a continuing project to investigate the potential effects of climate change and other factors on the long-term viability of moose in Voyageurs National Park.

McFarland Lake Shoreline Protected

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Nearly 1,200 feet of shoreline on McFarland Lake just outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has been protected via a conservation easement facilitated by the Minnesota Land Trust.

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park Grows

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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has acquired 19 acres of land adjoining Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, with which it will expand the popular North Shore of Lake Superior attraction.

Vermilion Comment Period Closes Today

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The public comment period on the proposed master plan for Lake Vermilion State Park closes today. Interested citizens can still chime in on plans for the new 3000-acre park on-line.

Lawsuit Aims to Loosen Wild Rice Water Standards

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A lawsuit filed Friday by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce seeks to loosen water quality standards in areas where wild rice is grown, saying current regulations are too restrictive and based on faulty science.

Copper Mining Firms to Merge

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Duluth Metals, Ltd. has agreed to buy Franconia Minerals Corp. in a merger of companies hoping to mine copper and nickel in Northeastern Minnesota.

Critics Concerned by Loan to PolyMet

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Environmental advocates are concerned with a $4-million loan granted by the state of Minnesota’s Iron Range Resources board to PolyMet mining which hopes to open a controversial copper-nickel mine near Babbitt.

PolyMet Seeks $4-Million Loan from State

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PolyMet Mining is asking for a $4-million loan from the State of Minnesota to help it buy land that it will swap with the U.S. Forest Service for land at its planned mining site near Babbitt.

2011 BWCAW Permit Lottery Now Open

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The lottery for 2011 permits for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is open until January 15, 2011 for BWCAW visitors who hope to assure themselves of permits for specific entry points on specific dates.

Klobuchar: Wolves Delisted in 2011

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Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will remove Minnesota’s gray wolves from the Endangered Species list by the end of next year.

Regional Deer Harvest Up 20%

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The number of deer harvested in northern St. Louis County during the recently concluded 16-day firearms deer season increased 20% from last year, according to Minnesota Deparment of Natural Resources statistics.

Easement Conserves 76,000 Forest Acres

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A conservation easement agreement will keep some 76,000 acres of northern Minnesota forest protected for sustainable forestry, wildlife habitat, and recreation, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced yesterday.

Book Gathers Boundary Waters Writing

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A new book — The Firegrate Review: A Canoe Country Chapbook — published by the wilderness advocacy group Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, gathers the BWCA experiences of 19 writers in a collection of stories, essays, and poems.

DNR to Host Vermilion Park Open Houses

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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will host two public open houses to solicit public comment on the draft master plan for the Vermilion and Soudan Underground Mine State Parks.

Endocrine Disruptors Found in Kabetogama

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Chemicals that cause endocrine system disruption in aquatic animals were found in Kabatogama Lake, one of the lakes that makes up Voyageurs National Park, according to a recent study.

Atikokan Looks Ahead to Gold Mine

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Atikokan, the northern gateway community to Quetico Provincial Park, is considering what steps to take to become gold mining town. Osisko Mining expects to have a gold mine in the Atikokan area, perhaps by 2015.

DNR Seeks Grand Marais Fishing Comments

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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is seeking public comments for its review of management plans for a number of Grand Marais-area lakes and streams.

Voyageurs Moose Study Seeks Answers

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A GPS-based research study on the moose that inhabit Voyageurs National Park seeks to unravel the knotty question of what exactly is causing the decline in the animal’s population in northeastern Minnesota.