New Trends in Visits to Quetico-Superior Wilderness
Fewer visitors are spending the night in the Quetico-Superior region’s wilderness areas compared to 15 years ago, but visits by day-trippers may be on the rise.
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Wilderness News Spring 2010 is Online
Featured in this issue:
Big Bill Wenstrom — Last Man Standing by Barbara Wenstrom Shank and William P. Wenstrom. Special Report: New Trends in Visits to Quetico-Superior Wilderness by Charlie Mahler. Book Review: A Modern-Day Voyageur Family; Paddling the 3,000 Mile Fur Trade Canoe Route Across the U.S. and Canada, by Timothy J. Kent. Wilderness Essay: Moments of Clarity by Andy Wright. The Heart of the Continent Partnership Comes of Age, by Rob Kesselring.
Friends of the BWCAW Sues Over Cell Tower
The wilderness advocacy group Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness filed suit on Tuesday to halt construction of a 45-story cell-phone tower on a ridge close to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness near Ely. The group says the AT&T tower, which will be lighted, will be visible from within the BWCA.
Moose Symposium Set for Thursday
A symposium aimed a getting a better understanding of moose population dynamics in a world affected by climate change is set to take place this Thursday in International Falls. The “Moose in a Warming World” symposium, co-sponsored by Voyageurs National Park Association and the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, is open to the public.
PolyMet Impact Statement May Be Redone
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may redo their Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the PolyMet copper-nickel mining operation proposed near Babbitt. The original Draft EIS was declared “environmentally unsatisfactory-inadequate” by the federal Environmental Protection Agency earlier this year.
Ely-Area Bears Apart, But Doing Well
Lily and Hope the celebrity bears being observed by researchers at the North American Bear Center continue to live separate lives, although both appear to be doing well. Lily, the mother bear, and Hope, her cub who’s birth was web-cast earlier this year, have been apart since May 31.
Lake Vermilion Park Deal Finalized
The dream of a Lake Vermilion State Park is now a reality after the State of Minnesota and U.S. Steel Corporation signed a deal yesterday that put 3,000 acres of company land along the picturesque lake under state ownership.
Loons Could be Gulf Spill Victims
Common Loons, birds emblematic of the Quetico-Superior region, could face survival problems due to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Many of the loons that nest on Minnesota and Ontario lakes in summer, winter along the Gulf Coast.
Bear Cub Abandoned Again
Hope, the most famous black bear cub in North America, has been abandoned again by her equally famous mother Lily. The latest separation comes just a week after the pair first became separated but were dramatically reunited.
Forest Advisory Committee to Convene
An advisory committee intended to to enhance local community collaboration with federal officials who manage the Superior National Forest will convene for the first time on June 11, the U.S. Forest Service announced recently.
Lost Bear Cub Found, Reunited with Mother
The bear cub known as Hope, which was separated from its mother over the weekend and feared dead, was found yesterday, hiding in a tree in Eagles Nest township west of Ely. Researchers were able to successfully reunite the cub with its mother.
Well-Known Bear Cub Lost
An Ely area bear cub whose birth last winter was shown world-wide by a remote web-camera focused on its mother’s den is missing. The North American Bear Center, which has been following the cub and its mother since the birth, reported that mother and cub had separated on Saturday.
Ely Mayor Sentenced in BWCAW Case
Ely mayor Roger Skarba was sentenced yesterday for riding his snowmobile in a federal wilderness area and entering the wilderness without a permit. Skarba received a $3630 fine, 40 hours of community service, and two years of probation.
Eagle Nests Prompt Voyageurs Restrictions
Voyageurs National Park announced the closure of three developed campsites and three undeveloped areas due to the presence of active bald eagle nests. The restrictions come under the auspices of the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Management Act.
Gypsy Moth Fight Begins Anew
Minnesota’s battle against the gypsy moth is ready to resume. The state’s Department of Agriculture is about to set 23,000 traps for the moths across the eastern border of Minnesota to note where new outbreaks of the invasive pest are occurring.
2010 Warmest Early-Spring on Record
The early-spring of 2010 was the warmest on record in the Quetico-Superior region according to data from the International Falls weather station, which has observed conditions longer than any other station in the area.
Campfire Restrictions Relaxed
While continuing to deem the fire danger in northeastern Minnesota “high,” the U.S. Forest Service has relaxed some of the restrictions put in place earlier to reduce the likelihood of wildfire starting Superior National Forest.
The Future of Moose in a Warming World
A combination of challenges threaten Minnesota’s sensitive moose populations – warming temperatures, changes in precipitation, increased varieties of diseases and parasites, and changes in predator populations. Are we watching the end of moose in Minnesota?
Bracing for an Historic Fire Year
Although weekend rains may have lessened the immediate fire danger in the Quetico-Superior region, wildland fire experts say this year could shape up to be one of the worst fire years in a generation.
Gubernatorial Debate to Highlight Green Expo
A debate among the state’s candidates for governor will highlight the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy’s Living Green Expo tomorrow and Sunday at the State Fair Grandstand in St. Paul.