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Ely Guides Concerned with Regulations

Ely-area outfitters recently voiced concerns about U. S. Coast Guard regulations for businesses that guide clients on federally navigable waters. The agency requires that outfitters be licensed and that they and their employee know first aid and CPR as well have background checks and undergo drug testing.

Franconia Minerals Project Progressing

With the stated goal of becoming the second operating copper-nickel mine in the Duluth Complex of Northeastern Minnesota, Franconia Minerals Corporation announced today that it is initiating waste rock characterization studies on its the Birch Lake deposit.

Precious Waters Debuts Wednesday

“Precious Waters,” a film producers hope will help sway public sentiment against sulfide mining in Northeastern Minnesota, debuts Wednesday. The film will be shown at 7:00 p.m. at the John B. Davis Lecture Hall, Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center at Macalester College in St. Paul.

Activists Gearing Up for PolyMet Comment Period

Environmental organizations are pouring over the more than 1500-page Draft Environmental Impact Statement for PolyMet Mining’s proposed NorthMet copper-nickel operation. The groups are preparing for the start of the 45-day public comment period which opens on Monday, November 2.

PolyMet Draft Enviromental Impact Statement Released

The much-awaited Draft Environmental Impact Statement for PolyMet Mining’s proposed copper-nickel mining and processing operation near Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota has been released by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

PolyMet Impact Statement Delayed

The release of the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine near Babbitt has been delayed, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has announced.

Bracing for the PolyMet Fight

With the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for PolyMet Mining’s NorthMet mine due this week, observers are preparing for an argumentative comment period over what could be Northeatern Minnesota’s first non-ferrous mining operation.

Namakan Hydro Field Studies Completed

Field studies for the Namakan River Hydro Development Project proposed by the Ojibway Power and Energy Group have been competed, the organization announced recently. OPEG expects publication of its Draft Environmental Report on the project in November.

Cook County Board Opposes Buffer Zone

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.

PolyMet Impact Statement Due Shortly

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.

Bad Economy Slowing Timber Sales

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.

Forum Previews Sulfide Mining Debates

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.

Forum to Discuss Non-Ferrous Mining

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.

Friends of the Quetico Celebrates 25 Years

It’s the 100th aniversary of Quetico Provincial Park this year, but 2009 is also the 25th birthday for the Friends of Quetico Park, an organization whose objective is “the preservation of Quetico Provincial Park as a unique wilderness area.”

Update: Namakan River Dam Project

The Spring 2008 issue of Wilderness News covered a proposed dam at High Falls on the Namakan River west of Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario. A project with environmental impacts on both sides of the border, the Ojibway Power and Energy Group (OPEG) is preparing to release its Environmental Assessment as part of a proponent-led approval process.