Funding Found for Wolf-Control Program
Days after funding for a federal program used to control wolves that prey on livestock was set to end, the Department of Agriculture has pledged money to keep the effort running through the end of the year.
Endanged Species
Weather Keeps BWCAW Fire From Growing
Wet weather in northeastern Minnesota over the weekend helped firefighters in their battle with the Pagami Creek fire which raced across the Boundary Waters last week and continues to threaten the area.
Moose Researchers Issue Dire Warning
Researchers have issued a dire warning that moose could be largely absent from northeastern Minnesota after 2020 without stronger measures to address problems facing the iconic animal.
Wolf Commnet Period Re-Opened
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is re-opening the comment period on its proposal to remove endangered species protection from gray wolves in the western Great Lakes states.
Minnesota DNR Releases Moose Plan
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources released its Moose Research and Management Plan yesterday, in hopes of maintaining the animal’s presence in Minnesota.
Voyageurs Eagle Nesting Areas Re-Opened
Four developed campsites and four undeveloped areas in Voyageurs National Park that were off-limits due to bald eagles nesting have been re-opened, the Park announced recently.
Minnesota Changes Wolf Hunting Plans
The state environmental bill signed into law this morning by Minnesota governor Mark Dayton changed the the state’s wolf management plan by allowing establishment of a hunting season as soon as the gray wolf is removed from the federal Endangered Species List.
USFWS Concerned About Stricken Bats
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced yesterday that bats stricken with white nose syndrome may warrant federal protection as threatened or endangered species. One of the species, the northern long-eared bat, is a northeastern Minnesota resident.
Wolf Meeting Scheduled for Tonight
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold a public information meeting tonight on its plan to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list.
Eagle Nests Prompt Voyageurs Restrictions
Voyageurs National Park announced the closure of four developed campsites and four undeveloped areas due to the presence of active bald eagle nests.
Interior Secretary Announces Wolf Plan
U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar formally announced his department’s plan to remove the eastern gray wolf from federal protection under the Endangered Species Act and return management of the animal to state and tribal governments by the end of this year.
Klobuchar Calls for Wolf Delisting
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.
Feds Again Propose Wolf Delisting
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.
Wolf Control Threatened by Funding Cut
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.
Cut in Moose Hunting Permits Likely
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources officials are likely to cut the number of moose hunting permits in half next fall due to the continued decline in the population of moose in northeastern Minnesota.
Moose Decline Continues in NE Minnesota
The number of moose in northeastern Minnesota continues to fall, according to aerial survey results released by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The current population is now estimated at 4900 animals, down from the 5500 estimated last year.
GPS-Collar Moose Study Underway
In an on-going effort to understand the reasons behind decline in Minnesota’s moose population, a study using global positioning system technology to track the massive ungulates in underway.
Wolf Lawsuit Stayed Until June
A lawsuit brought by two Minnesotans and joined by the state’s Department of Natural Resources calling of removal of Upper Midwest wolves from the federal Endangered Species List has been stayed until June.
Klobuchar: Wolves Delisted in 2011
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.
Feds Will Try Again to Delist Wolves
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.