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No Impacts Yet from Spiny Water Flea

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Invasive spiny water fleas have been present in northern Minnesota waters since 2006, but scientists have yet to see negative impacts from the plankton of European origin.

July Adds Up to Cold, Dry

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Temperatures in the Quetico Superior region were colder than normal in July, with International Falls breaking a record for lowest average temperature for the month. July was also a dry month across the region.

Fire Danger Low, but Area Firefighters Active

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Forest fire danger in northern Minnesota and western Ontario is low, but that doesn’t mean area firefighters are keeping busy. Wild-land fire fighters from the Quetico-Superior region are helping fight fires currently burning in British Columbia.

Sturgeon the Subject of Voyageurs Talk

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Lake sturgeon, a fish species that has lived in its present form for some 100 million years, will be the topic of tomorrow evening’s program at Voyageurs National Park.

Friends of the Quetico Celebrates 25 Years

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It’s the 100th aniversary of Quetico Provincial Park this year, but 2009 is also the 25th birthday for the Friends of Quetico Park, an organization whose objective is “the preservation of Quetico Provincial Park as a unique wilderness area.”

Hummel Named New Deputy Supervisor

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Mark Hummel has been named the Superior National Forest’s new Deputy Forest Supervisor. Hummel comes to the Superior National Forest after working in Alaska and Nevada.

Wildflowers of the Boundary Waters Reviewed

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Betty vos Hemstad’s new book “Wildflowers of the Boundary Waters: Hking Through the Seasons” is more than just a lovely coffee table book, according to one reviewer who found the book to be “an invaluable resource.”

Emerald Ash Borer Reaches Minnesota

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What the insect could mean for the Quetico Superior Region By Charlie Mahler When emerald ash borers, the bright green invasive insects that have decimated ash trees across the southern Great …

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Grand Portage State Park Closed Weekdays

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Grand Portage State Park will only be open on weekends until mid-August, due to site preparation work for a new 5800 square foot visitor center. The park will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, but parking will be limited.

Update: Namakan River Dam Project

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The Spring 2008 issue of Wilderness News covered a proposed dam at High Falls on the Namakan River west of Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario. A project with environmental impacts on both sides of the border, the Ojibway Power and Energy Group (OPEG) is preparing to release its Environmental Assessment as part of a proponent-led approval process.

More Spraying for Gypsy Moths

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The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is continuing it’s aerial spraying efforts to stop the spread of invasive gypsy moths in northeastern Minnesota.

Guns in Voyageurs: Not Yet

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A law passed in May that will allow loaded firearms in Voyageurs and other national parks is not in effect yet. That’s the message Voyaguers officials are spreading, noting that the law doesn’t take effect until February 22, 2010.

Mayflies Inundate Lake Vermillion

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This year’s mayfly hatch on Lake Vermillion was one of epic proportions. Hatches of the short-lived native species are normal in mid-summer, but this year’s hatch of the insects called for extra measures to remove the piles of dead creatures.

Remembering the Blowdown of 1999

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Tomorrow marks the 10th anniversary of the famed Boundary Waters Blowdown. On July 4, 1999 a huge storm packing 90-mile-per-hour winds ripped through the BWCA, uprooting trees, blocking portages, and stranding campers. In all 370,000 acres in the BWCA were affected by the storm.

National Forests Tighten Firewood Restrictions

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In an effort to slow the spread of emerald ash borers in the state, National Forest officials on Friday announced tightened restrictions on firewood use and transportation in Minnesota’s Superior and Chippewa National Forests.