Small Fire Burning in BWCAW 2011
A small wildfire is burning on a peninsula of Gaskin Lake in the eastern portion of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Hot Topics
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.
Forest Officials to Pay for Pine Cones
Superior National Forest officials will pay citizens to collect native jack pine cones to replenish seed banks used in reforestation efforts.
Minnesotans Asked to Collect Dead Loons
Minnesotans are being asked to gather dead loons to help biologists learn the bird’s main causes of death in a statewide study sponsored by the state’s Department of Natural Resources.
PolyMet Mining in Need of Cash
PolyMet Mining, which hopes to establish an open pit copper-nickel mine near Babbitt, is running low on funds according to an independent audit of the firm.
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.
Eagle Nests Prompt Voyageurs Restrictions
Voyageurs National Park announced the closure of four developed campsites and four undeveloped areas due to the presence of active bald eagle nests.
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.
Survey Seeks North Shore Impressions
Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program is surveying visitors and residents of Minnesota’s North Shore about the quality and quantity of public accesses along the coast.
Will Oil Spill Impact Loon Numbers?
With the ice now out on most Quetico-Superior area lakes, experts are wondering if the region’s common loon population will have been impacted last year’s Gulf of Mexico Oil spill.
Interior Secretary Announces Wolf Plan
U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar formally announced his department’s plan to remove the eastern gray wolf from federal protection under the Endangered Species Act and return management of the animal to state and tribal governments by the end of this year.
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.
Comments Sought on BWCAW Invasives Project
Managers of the Superior National Forest are seeking comments on a project that seeks to combat the spread of non-native invasive plants in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
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.
Old Photos Provide a Peek into BWCA History
By Alissa Johnson In our last issue, Wilderness News published photos from an album uncovered in an attic trunk. They once belonged to Big Bill Wenstrom, who was the last private …
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.
Workshop to Explore Commerce, Nature
An international workshop hosted by the Heart of the Continent Partnership will explore the balance between commerce and nature at the organization’s International Communities Conference this fall.
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.