Fire Restrictions to be Tightened
Fire restrictions will be tightened on Friday in the Superior and Chippewa National Forests as continued dry weather raises the risk of wildfire. The Minnesota DNR is also tightening fire regulations.
Legislation/Policy
Klobuchar, Oberstar Pressing Coast Guard
Minnesota U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Eighth District Congressman Jim Oberstar are working to solve a licensing issue that has proved cumbersome for small-boat operators and fishing guides in northeastern Minnesota and elsewhere.
Voyageurs Invites Comments on Fees
Voyageurs National Park is inviting public comments on a reservation system and fee structure it is considering for the park’s interior campsites on the Kabetogama Peninsula. Park officials say a reservation system would guarantee campsite availability.
Minnesota DNR Announces Fishing Closures
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, in cooperation with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, has announced the locations along the U.S./Canada border in Northeastern Minnesota that will be closed to fishing in the early spring.
House Considers Financial Assurance
The Minnesota House of Representatives is considering a bill to tighten the financial assurances required by mining companies operating in the state, even though a companion bill in the state senate has been withdrawn.
Minnesota Wants Gray Wolf Delisted
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has filed the petition with the U.S. Department of the Interior arguing that the gray wolf should be immediately removed from the federal government’s endangered and threatened species list and returned to state management.
Private Development with State Park?
As bonding to purchase land for the proposed Vermilion State Park was signed by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, a St. Louis County official now wants the project to include private development.
Financial Assurance Bill Withdrawn
A bill in the Minnesota State Senate which could have raised the financial assurance requirements for non-ferrous mining companies in the state was withdrawn by its sponsor after lengthy hearings in St. Paul.
Vermilion Park Legislation Advances
A bill in the Minnesota State Senate which would raise the limitation on what the state can spend for the purchase of 3,000 acres of land for a new State Park on Lake Vermilion cleared a hurdle yesterday.
PolyMet Issues Come to State Capitol
Issues surrounding PolyMet Mining Company’s proposed copper-nickel and precious metals mining operation near Babbitt, reached the Minnesota state capitol yesterday at a hearing of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
Senate Committee to Consider PolyMet
Next week, the Minnesota Senate’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee will hear testimony on issues surrounding PolyMet Mining Company’s proposed NorthMet copper-nickel and precious metals mine.
Vermilion Park Development Money to Wait
Even if the $18-million sale of 3000 acres of U.S. Steel land to the State of Minnesota for a park on Lake Vermilion is made this year, funds to fully develop the park will likely have to wait for another two years.
National Park Firearms Law Changes Today
A change in Federal law effective today allows possession of firearms in Voyageurs National Park by people who can legally possess firearms under Federal, Minnesota, and local laws.
Chorus Grows for Wolf Delisting
A growing chorus in favor of removal of the eastern gray wolf from the federal Endangered Species List could culminate in a lawsuit to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to turn management of the species over to state agencies.
Vermilion Park Bill Passes First Test
A bill in the Minnesota State Senate authorizing the state to pay up to $18 million to U.S. Steel for 3000 acres of land to create Vermilion State Park cleared its first hurdle yesterday.
Could Land Swap Hamstring PolyMet?
Could restrictions on the Superior National Forest land where PolyMet Mining wants to establish Minnesota’s first copper-nickel mine stymie the company’s plans to open its project in a timely fashion?
A Deal for State Lands in the BWCAW?
Might a deal between the State of Minnesota and the federal government be in the making to transfer State-owned land within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to the feds?
Voyageurs Park to Get its Day in D.C.
In March, Voyageurs National Park will have a day to itself with Minnesota’s U.S. Senators and Representatives in Washington D.C., when a delegation heads to the nation’s capitol to lobby for Minnesota’s only National Park
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.
Feds Ask Minnesota to Tighten Haze Regulations
The heads of Voyageurs National Park and the Superior National Forest asked Minnesota Pollution Contol Agency board members to tighten restrictions on taconite and coal-burning power plants as the state impliments new haze reduction regulations.