A conservation easement created in partnership between Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center and The Nature Conservancy now protects 928 acres of forested land forever. The center offers camps and activities to help people learn about forest ecology, sustainability, and land stewardship.
The USFS announced that the ban on campfires in the BWCAW would be lifted as of June 12. The restriction was announced due to dry conditions and elevated wildfire risk.
North Shore adventurers have a new basecamp. Silver Bay’s new downtown trail center sits at the crossroads of major hiking, biking, and snowmobiling routes, offering the perfect spot to relax, use the restroom, or shower after a day on the trails.
Three new wildfires ignited in the BWCA due to storms that passed through the area on Thursday, June 4. The Superior National Forest said that crews have been working on management and suppression techniques. The wilderness campfire ban will remain in effect through June 30.
A wildfire broke out on the afternoon of June 1 near Burntside Lake. Driven by hot, dry conditions and light southeast winds, it spread quickly to an estimated 30 acres by evening.
Starting June 8, the Cache Bay and Prairie Portage ranger stations are expected to implement a new telephone reporting system for paddlers entering Quetico Provincial Park in Canada. Visitors will be able to use the stations’ Wi-Fi to report their entry.
A local company is using trees damaged by wildfire on state and federal lands to make lumber, pallets, and other products. As crews open areas, the Forest Service will restore some of the fire-impacted land with new tree seedlings and seeds.
In an effort to restore state land affected by wildfires or windstorms, crews with the Minnesota DNR will plant almost 2 million tree seedlings on state-owned land this spring. This will include over 2,000 acres in the northeastern part of the state.Â
There is now evidence that cougars, which used to be native to Minnesota, are reproducing in the state again. A recent video shared by the Voyageurs Wolf Project caught a female cougar and three kittens on one of their trail cams.
The Forest Service has published its latest permit and visitor-use report for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). While visitor numbers remain about the same, cancellations and no-shows continue to rise.
In a narrow 50-49 vote, the U.S. Senate passed H.J. Res. 140, effectively overturning a 20-year moratorium on mineral leasing in the Superior National Forest. The move clears a major federal hurdle for the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine.
Each spring, the Forest Service plans prescribed burns throughout the Superior National Forest. The work is expected to begin this month and, depending on conditions, will go through June. This is done annually to help safeguard communities from wildfires and reduce fuel loads. See which areas are scheduled for burning.
Experience Minnesota’s dark skies during International Dark Sky Week, April 13-20. Minnesota is home to two certified dark-sky sanctuaries – the BWCAW and Voyageurs National Park.
The U.S. Forest Service recently announced that it will move its headquarters to Salt Lake City, Utah. The move is part of a broader restructuring of the agency. Closer to home, two research and development facilities in Ely and Grand Rapids are slated for closure. We reached out to the Superior National Forest to learn what this may mean for the national forest.
When the ice will be out on Boundary Waters lakes? Using scientific and historical data, an online thaw tracker provided by the Minnesota Sea Grant helps estimate when ice will disappear from Minnesota lakes.
The fight to protect the Boundary Waters has reached a critical turning point. Following a Day of Action at the Minnesota State Capitol, all eyes are now on the U.S. Senate…
For decades, wildlife biologists assumed that because the snowshoe hare population was down in Voyageurs National Park, it was unlikely any lynx were reproducing in the area, until now. In trail cam footage, researchers spotted two lynx kittens being trailed by their mother. This sighting is encouraging as it means that the rarely seen animals are finding prey in the southernmost areas of their range.Â
A recent analysis of lake trout and walleye from the EPA’s Duluth laboratory reveals a rare environmental bright spot: PFAS levels in Great Lakes fish have declined significantly since the late 2000s. While Lake Superior can take almost two centuries to ‘flush,’ this study suggests the biological food web is responding much faster to industrial phase-outs than previously thought.
The Trump administration and Rep. Pete Stauber are using the Congressional Review Act in an unprecedented effort to undo a 20-year mineral leasing withdrawal in the Superior National Forest. Critics warn the move sets a dangerous precedent and threatens the Boundary Waters watershed.
The USFS has updated the regulations concerning food storage in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Hanging items in a tree or using approved bear-resistant containers has been a part of the regulations and rules, and now violations can bring penalties. Learn how to hang a food pack from a tree and travel safely through bear habitat.