More Spraying for Gypsy Moths
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is continuing it’s aerial spraying efforts to stop the spread of invasive gypsy moths in northeastern Minnesota.
Hot Topics
Guns in Voyageurs: Not Yet
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
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.
Hopes for New State Park Fading
In his weekly radio address, Governor Tim Pawlenty spoke to his belief that hopes for a new State Park on the shores of Lake Vermillion are slim.
Remembering the Blowdown of 1999
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.
Wolves Back on the Endangered Species List
Two weeks ago, five wildlife protection groups filed a complaint against the removal of Great Lakes Wolves from the Endangered Species List. Today, wolves are back under federal protection as the …
National Forests Tighten Firewood Restrictions
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.
Cross-Border Study Examines Cormorants
An on-going study of cormorants on Rainy Lake will include increased attention on birds dwelling on the Canadian side of the international water-body this summer. Cormorants have been a lightening-rod species among some anglers who fear the birds are impacting game-fish populations
Island Life Author to Speak at Voyageurs
Ted Gostomski, the co-author of Island Life: An Isle Royale Nature Guide and a Biologist/Science Writer at the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Program of the National Park Service, will speak on Friday at Voyaguers National Park in International Falls.
Mineral Search Reaches BWCAW Border
Exploration for copper and nickel resources in Northeastern Minnesota has reached the borders of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of the Superior National Forest. While prospectors hope to find useful and valuable minerals, environmental advocates worry about impacts on the wilderness.
Minnesota Ruffed Grouse Numbers Rising
The annual drum count of the ruffed grouse indicates that the population is increasing steadily. This is good news for the state’s most popular game bird.
Gypsy Moths Sprayed on North Shore
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has sprayed pesticide this week along the North Shore to slow the spread of invasive gypsy moths. The agency applied BTK via aircraft near Tofte and Lutsen.
Groups Sue Over Wolf Decision
Five wildlife protection groups have filed a complaint in Federal District Court challenging the removal of federal Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in the Upper Midwest.
Stimulus to Rehab Voyageurs Campsites
Voyageurs National Park will use $230,000 in federal stimulus funding to rehabilitate campsites over the next two years. The money appropriated through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will support work on some 38 campsites in the park.
Friends Spotlight Carbon Impact of PolyMet
The wilderness and environmental advocacy group Friends’ of the Boundary Waters Wilderness is concerned with the climate-change impact that destruction of 1000 acres of peat bog for the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine in Northeastern Minnesota will have.
Quetico Provincial Park Sturgeon Study Receives Funding
Canada’s Ministry of Natural Resources is funding a new study of the sturgeon population in Quetico Provincial Park. Once abundant, the sturgeon is now considered a “species at risk.”
Mining Projects Back in the News
Copper-nickel mining projects in northern Minnesota continue to move forward as environmentalists question the impact of the proposed mines and proponents hail the economic benefits. Meanwhile, the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness notes that the land for the proposed PolyMet mine was once identified for its ecological significance.
Report: State Sweetened Vermilion Park Deal
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune is reporting that the State of Minnesota looked for ways to sweeten the deal for U.S. Steel to sell land to the state for a state park on Lake Vermilion. The paper questions whether laws were skirted to procure land for the park strongly supported by Governor Tim Pawlenty.
Nature Rocks: Getting Kids Outside
A new program co-sponsored by author Richard Louv (Last Child in the Woods, reviewed in the Spring 2009 print edition of Wilderness News) and the Children & Nature Network inspires families to get outdoors.
Weather Hampers Voyageurs Burn Efforts
Rainy weather has confounded Voyageurs National Park’s efforts to conduct four prescribed burns this spring to further pine and oak regeneration in the International Falls-area park. While the window for spring burning may have passed, burning during the summer months is still a possibility.