DNR Seeks Comments on Split Rock
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is accepting public comments on plans to expand the Split Rock Lighthouse State Park Campground.
Legislation/Policy
Minnesota Seeks Sulfate Research
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is asking scientists to propose studies assessing the effects of sulfate pollution on the state’s wild rice.
Cravaack to Introduce Land Exchange Bill
Minnesota U.S. Representative Chip Cravaack said last week that he plans to introduce a bill in Congress to order exchange of state-owned land in the Boundary Waters for federal land in the Superior National Forest.
New BWCAW Permit System Finalized
Superior National Forest administrators have amended and finalized changes to the BWCAW permit reservations system announced in October.
Ruffed Grouse Comments Sought
The Minnesota DNR is accepting comments from citizens interested in ruffed grouse and the habitat that supports the popular woodland game bird.
Plan Would Buy, Swap State BWCAW Lands
A plan being hammered out between federal, state, and local lawmakers and interest groups could see the federal government swap 43,000 acres of land with the State of Minnesota and buy another 40,000 acres for $80 million.
DNR Seeks Grand Marais Fisheries Comments
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wants the public to ask questions or submit comments on its fisheries management plans for a number of Grand Marais area lakes and streams.
DNR Taking Comments on Lutsen Water Use
The Minnesota DNR is seeking public comments on a controversial proposal to temporarily permit the Lutsen Mountains ski resort to continue to draw water from the Poplar River despite low flow in the river.
BWCAW Drops Permit Lottery
Superior National Forest officials will no longer hold a lottery to distribute Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness permits for the most popular dates and entry points.
State Prospecting Leases Postponed Again
For the third time this year, Minnesota’s Executive Council has delayed the sale of a set of northeastern Minnesota mineral exploration leases on properties where the state holds mineral rights but private individuals own surface land.
Forest Service Explains Early Fire Strategy
With the Pagami Creek Fire currently 30% contained, Forest Service officials took time to explain why they let the lightening-caused fire burn prior to the day it blazed across 80,000 acres of forest in a matter of hours.
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.
Wild Rice Sulfate Rules Studied, Suspended
A $1.5-million study will decided whether Minnesota water quality standards for wild rice waters need to be amended, but current limits on sulfates in water where wild rice grows won’t be enforced in the meantime.
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.
MN State Parks Suffer during Shutdown
MN State Parks are losing $1 million a week in camping permits, trail fees, fishing licenses and concessions as the government shutdown drags on during the height of tourist season. How will the economies of northern Minnesota towns be affected?
PolyMet Gets Loan, Buying Land
PolyMet Mining closed a $4-million loan from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board and exercised its option to buy 5,375 acres of land it plans to swap with the U.S. Forest Service for its proposed mining operation.
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.
State Mineral Lease Sales Postponed
A council of top Minnesota government officials has postponed the sale of 77 northeastern Minnesota mineral exploration leases on properties where the state holds the mineral rights but private individuals own the surface land.
No New Rules for Hunting Collared Bears
A rule requiring the Department of Natural Resources to ask bear hunters not to shoot radio-collared bears was removed from the Minnesota Legislature’s recently passed omnibus game and fish bill.
International Task Force Issues Report
The International Lake of the Woods and Rainy River Watershed Task Force recently released its draft report addressing how Canada and the United States should work together to manage water quality and related issues in the watershed.