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.
Legislation/Policy
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.
Wild Rice Rally to Greet Governor
Environmental advocates will greet Minnesota governor Mark Dayton with a rally in support of wild rice protection when he visits northern Minnesota for the walleye fishing opening this weekend.
Cell Tower Near Voyageurs Rejected
While a court ruling on an AT&T cellphone tower near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness awaits a judge’s decision, the Koochiching County Board rejected a request by the company to build a 350-foot tower near Voyageurs National Park.
Chain of Lakes: No Quota Change
In the latest chapter of an on-going saga rankling local residents and outfitters, the U.S. Forest Service will not adjust permit quotas for motorboats on the Moose Lake to Prairie Portage chain of lakes leading into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness near Ely.
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.
Open Houses Set for Prospecting Impact
The U.S. Forest Service will host three open houses next week for review and comment on its draft Environmental Impact Statement for mineral prospecting in the Superior National Forest.
Late Spring Prompts Fishing Closures
Due to anticipated late ice-out on several lakes and rivers along the Minnesota-Ontario border, some waters will be closed to fishing at the start of this year’s season to protect concentrations of spawning walleye from potential over-harvest, the Minnesota DNR has announced.