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Building Wooden Canoes for a Rite of Passage

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Picture yourself venturing out for the first time into the wilderness of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Imagine the combination of serenity and wonderment you experience as you ply these pristine lakes and rivers, knowing that you are carrying all you need to survive in a sleek, seventeen-foot, skin-on-frame canoe. Now imagine that you just built that canoe with your own hands over the course of eight days. For six teenage apprentices with Urban Boatbuilders, this was the culminating event in the summer of 2010.

On the Scent of Adventure

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By Rob Kesselring It’s the smell more than anything, whether you are varnishing paddle blades in preparation for the upcoming canoe season, or spring cleaning and deliberating on whether to put …

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Wilderness News Print Edition – Spring 2011

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The Spring 2011 Issue of Wilderness News Print Edition is now online! Experience Lake Superior from a kayak, travel back in time with an early voice for the Boundary Waters, and follow urban teens-at-risk into the wilderness in canoes they built by hand.

Klobuchar Calls for Wolf Delisting

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Minnesota U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar wants gray wolves removed from the federal Endangered Species List, calling for the state, environmental groups, and others to work together on management of the predator.

Workshop to Explore Commerce, Nature

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An international workshop hosted by the Heart of the Continent Partnership will explore the balance between commerce and nature at the organization’s International Communities Conference this fall.

Feds Again Propose Wolf Delisting

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Federal officials will once again try to remove the gray wolf from protection under the Endangered Species Act, saying populations of the animal have recovered in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

Sturgeon Research Headlines VNPA Event

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Voyageurs National Park ecologist Steve Windels will offer insights into research on Lake Sturgeon at the Voyageurs National Park Association members and friends event on April 19 in Minneapolis.

Wolf Control Threatened by Funding Cut

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Due to a cut in federal funding, a program that controls wolves preying on livestock and pets in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan could be in its final days of operation.

Cell Tower Trial Opens Today

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A suit seeking to block construction of a 450-foot cellular phone tower at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness near Ely opens today in Minneapolis.

Open Houses Set for Prospecting Impact

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The U.S. Forest Service will host three open houses next week for review and comment on its draft Environmental Impact Statement for mineral prospecting in the Superior National Forest.

It’s Gunflint Green Up Time Again!

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Help restore the Ham Lake Fire Area to a cedar, white, red, and jack pine forest. Join together with Gunflint Trail community members to plant tree seedlings and help rejuvenate this great place.

Late Spring Prompts Fishing Closures

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Due to anticipated late ice-out on several lakes and rivers along the Minnesota-Ontario border, some waters will be closed to fishing at the start of this year’s season to protect concentrations of spawning walleye from potential over-harvest, the Minnesota DNR has announced.

Voyageurs Moving to New Headquarters

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In a move that reflects the warmed relations between Voyageurs National Park and its gateway community, park officials are set to move their headquarters to a new complex leased from the city of International Falls.

Voyageurs Association Earns Presidential Award

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The Voyageurs National Park Association was recently awarded a 2010 President’s Volunteer Service Award, a national award recognizing volunteer service by groups, families, and individuals in their communities.

Sulfates Standard Change Proposed in House

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Legislation to markedly roll back the allowable amount of sulfate in wild rice waters in Minnesota is being proposed in the Minnesota House where proponents say current standards are too strict and not based on solid science.

Officials Call Voyageurs Day a Success

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Community officials from the International Falls area called this month’s Voyageurs National Park Day in Washinton, D.C. a success for raising awareness of the park and region among Minnesota’s federal lawmakers.

Deer Herd Feeling Winter’s Impact

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The northeastern Minnesota deer herd is showing the impact of a harsh winter, according to Department of Natural Resources officialswho are finding dead deer around the region.