TOP STORY:

New Boy Scout Headquarters to be Built

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The Charles L. Sommers Canoe Base on Moose Lake near Ely is set to begin construction on a new 12,880 square foot headquarters to be called the Sandy Bridges Base Center.

Vermilion Park Comment Period Ending

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The initial opportunity for public input for Lake Vermilion State Park’s master plan will end on September 30, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is reminding citizens.

Presentation to Discuss BWCAW Archaeology

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A presentation sponsored by the advocacy group Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness will discuss the discovery of several siltstone quarries on the BWCAW’s Knife Lake which are believed to date to paleolithic times. The event will take place on Tuesday, October 19 in St. Paul.

Grand Portage Visitor Center Hosts Grand Opening

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Amid a splash of fall colors, the new visitor center at Grand Portage State Park will host its grand opening on Saturday, September 25. The facility will serve as a highway rest area, a state travel information center, and park visitor center.

New Quetico Plan in Review Stage

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Proposals for changes to Ontario’s Quetico Provincial Park’s management plan — possibly including designated campsites and defined travel routes — are in the public comment stage until mid-October. Park managers are also considering development of a long-distance hiking trail in the park as well as authorizing commercial dog-sledding operations.

Feds Will Try Again to Delist Wolves

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will try again to remove gray wolves from the endangered species list in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The USFWS has tried three other times return wolves to state and tribal management, only to be stymied in court.

Bear Head Lake State Park Ranks #1

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Minnesota’s Bear Head Lake State near Ely has won a $100,000 contest naming it “America’s Favorite Park.” The park garnered 28% of the 5.7 million votes cast by the public in the America is Your Park campaign sponsored by Coca-Cola.

Last Chance to Take our Survey

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There’s still time to share your opinion! In the recent Summer 2010 issue of Wilderness News, we published the results of our reader survey sent by mail – but if you …

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Minnesota DNR Seeks Vermilion Park Input

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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is seeking public input as part of its Lake Vermilion State Park planning process. The DNR is asking citizens to respond to a short questionnaire on its web-site this month.

Wilderness News Print Edition Summer 2010

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The Summer 2010 Issue of Wilderness News Print Edition is now online! Download the full pdf, read the feature stories – from wilderness research on Fall Lake to the impact of climate change on the BWCAW, updates on mining controversy and a new hiking trail through the Arrowhead, find out what’s going on in the Quetico Superior region.

Hub’s Place – The Wilderness Research Center

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The landscape of northeast Minnesota would look different today if not for the efforts of a Harvard educated, Chicago lawyer by the name of Frank Hubachek. Born in 1894 to parents of means and influence, Hubachek spent his boyhood holidays in northern Minnesota and learned at a young age the need to experience nature in unspoiled, unfenced settings. It may be tempting to assume that rich people don’t get their hands dirty, that Hubachek’s support was purely financial or legal and that the real firebrands of the wilderness preservation effort were the likes of Ernest Oberholtzer and Sigurd Olson, but you would be wrong.

“Savannification” Still Expected in North Woods

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University of Minnesota forest ecologist Lee Frelich continues to foresee a transition from forest to savanna taking place at the margins of Minnesota’s north woods. Newly published research suggests that within the century, the climate and ancillary factors will make significant changes to the state’s prairie/forest border.

Freshwater Jellyfish Appear in Namakan Lake

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Tiny freshwater jellyfish have recently made a rare appearance in Namakan Lake along the Ontario border. The creature — Craspedacusta sowerbii — is the size of a small coin and typical shows itself toward the end of warm summers.

Small Fire Burning in BWCAW

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A small forest fire is burning south of the Gunflint Trail in a remote section of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the general vicinity of Long Island Lake.

Parks Movie Nominated for Regional Emmy

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Minnesota’s National Park Legacy, a film made in collaboration with Voyageurs National Park Association and the state’s seven National Park units and produced in partnership with Twin Cities Public Television has been nominated for an Midwest Regional Emmy Award.

Voyageurs Seeks Volunteers for Native Plant Garden

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Voyageurs National Park is seeking volunteers to join Park staff on Friday and Saturday, September 10 and 11 to plant native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers that have cultural and medicinal significance in Ojibwe tradition.