Negotiations between landowner U.S. Steel and the State of Minnesota for the purchase of what would be the first new State Park in 30 years stalled when the parties disagreed on the value of the property. Is there still hope for a new park on the shore of Lake Vermilion?
The Cook County Board of Commissioners recently voiced its opposition to the establishment of a buffer zone near the limits of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The statement comes as the U.S. Forest Service considers the impact of snowmobile noise in the siting of a new trail to South Fowl Lake.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Poly Met Mining’s proposed copper-nickel mine near Babbitt will be released the week of October 19. A public comment period on the project will commence on November 2, which will include public meetings in Hoyt Lakes and the Twin Cities.
Voters in Cook County will decide on a sales tax in November that would support the construction of a fiber optic network and the expansion of high speed internet to the North Shore. Proponents argue that Internet connection is vital to economic sustainability.
Timber put up for sale by public landowners is often going unsold to loggers who find themselves with reduced opportunities to sell cut wood due to the depressed market for new homes and the closure of some northern Minnesota wood mills.
Prescribed burns planned for the Gunflint Ranger District in September were canceled due to budget short falls, but continued fuel reduction in the blowdown is planned – weather permitting.
With National Parks getting a lot of attention these days, Minnesota Public Radio took a close look at the past, present, and future of Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota’s only National Park.
Grey wolves in Minnesota were recently put back on the federal endangered species list. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a notice last week formally re-establishing the animals’ protected status.
The Bell Museum of Natural History hosts the premier of Twin Cities Public Television’s “Minnesota’s National Park Legacy” this Thursday, September 24th. Join the film’s producer and National Park Superintendents to be among the first to view the film.
A colony of non-native mussels has been found in Isle Royale National Park’s Washington Harbor, park officials revealed yesterday. The discovery raises concern over the island park’s large native mussel populations.
Join Superior National Forest staff and friends this Thursday at St. Paul’s Wellstone Community Center for a celebration of the Forest’s 100th anniversary.
Volunteers met at Voyageurs National Park last weekend, September 11 – 13, to plant native trees and wildflowers and restore disturbed shoreline within the Park. Part of the Fall 2009 Volunteer Rendezvous, they are part of a growing effort by Voyageurs National Park Association and friends and supporters of the park to contribute to a healthy and vital park and community.
A forum yesterday previewed the discussion that’s likely to take place in more official precincts when the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for northeastern Minnesota’s first non-ferrous mining project is released later this fall.
University of Minnesota forestry experts recently published findings predicting the transformation of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to Oak Savanna.
In 1964, Fred Winston received an inquiry following Wilderness News’ inaugural publication: “I can see that there are many sides to Minnesota’s wilderness problem. But which side are you on? What are you trying to prove?” In his reply, Fred Winston set the tone for the Quetico Superior Foundation’s role in the ever changing wilderness debate and set an example of activism.
A northern Minnesota resident writes about her concerns over the declineing moose population in northeastern Minnesota. She outlines the steps moose experts believe are needed to support one of the Quetico-Superior’s signature species.
In a city-park partnership that would have been unthinkable a decade ago, plans are set for the city of International Falls to construct a headquarters building for Voyageurs National Park. The city intends the building to be the starting point for a multifaceted recreational development.
Last week several environmental groups asked federal agencies and the state of Minnesota to take a more active role in preventing air pollution that contributes to haze over Voyageurs and Isle Royale National Parks and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Non-ferrous mining in Minnesota will be the topic of an afternoon-long discussion hosted by the Minnesota Environmental Initiative on September 15. Registration for the program is open until September 8, as space allows.
Despite 100th anniversary activities, the number of people visiting Quetico Provincial Park is down some 10% this year. It’s the second straight year that Quetico visitor numbers have declined.