The Minnesota Supreme Court announced last week that it will not review a Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling allowing the construction of a 450-foot cell phone tower on Fall Lake, just outside of Ely, MN.
Wilderness Protection
Trust for Public Land: Protecting Gaul Island
How a collaborative effort is transferring private land to public stewardship. By Alissa Johnson In the summer of 2010, the Trust for Public Land (TPL) received an inquiry from the Listening …
Proposed Legislation Could Undermine the Wilderness Act and the Protection of Wilderness
On the surface, two proposed pieces of legislation appear unrelated to wilderness protection. The Sportsmen’s Heritage Act seeks “to protect and enhance opportunities for recreational hunting, fishing and shooting.” The National …
Supreme Court Ruling Sought for Cell Tower
The Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness has petitioned the Minnesota Supreme Court to review an appeals court ruling on a cell tower to be constructed near the BWCAW.
Border Security vs. Wilderness Protection
Another new bill raises concerns about potential development in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives waives environmental regulations on public land within 100 miles of international borders.
Review Backs Pagami Creek Fire Decisions
An internal U. S. Forest Service review of management of the Pagami Creek Fire supports the decision-making and actions of officials charged with fighting the 93,000-acre blaze.
Appeals Court Overturns Cell-Tower Ruling
The Minnesota Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling barring construction of a 450-foot cell-tower atop a 150-foot ridge at the edge of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.
BWCAW Campfire Ban Lifted
Superior National Forest officials lifted a ban on campfires in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness today.
Judge Approves Superior ATV Routes
Superior National Forest administrators can move forward with plans to designate routes for use by ATVs and other off-road vehicles, District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson has ruled.
Friends Offers Advocacy Fellowship
The advocacy group Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness is offering a new fellowship named after the late canoe outfitter and wilderness advocate Bill Rom.
Inside the Pagami Creek Fire
A couple of boundary waters paddlers found themselves on Lake Insula on Sept 12 when the Pagami Creek Fire took off – this video shows them caught off guard by the …
Judge Denies Cell Tower Near BWCAW
A Hennepin County judge ruled Wednesday against AT&T’s proposed 450-foot lighted cellular communications tower which would have been visible deep into 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.
Cell Tower Trial Opens Today
A suit seeking to block construction of a 450-foot cellular phone tower at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness near Ely opens today in Minneapolis.
North Country National Scenic Trail to Cross the BWCAW
By Matthew Davis The National Park Service and North Country Trail Association (NCTA) are trying to obtain passage of legislation in Congress that would enact the “Arrowhead Re-route”– a proposal to …
AT&T Suspends Tower Construction Until Trial
In an agreement hammered out in a Minneapolis courtroom, AT&T has agreed to suspend construction of a controversial cell phone tower at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness until a trial determines its ultimate fate.
Lake County Responds in Cell Tower Dispute
Lake County filed a “friend of the court” brief in Hennepin County District Court this week siding with AT&T Mobility in the cell tower suit brought against the company by Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. The advocacy organization objects to the 450-foot tower due to its impact on scenic beauty in the Boundary Waters.
AT&T Temporarily Halts Tower Construction
The communications company AT&T Mobility has agreed to temporarily halt construction of a 450-foot-high cellular communications tower near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness until a court hearing in early August.
$1 Trillion in Metals Buried Near BWCAW
With an estimated $1 trillion worth of copper and other precious metals buried beneath the surface along the South Kawishiwi River near the southern border of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the tangle over mineral development and natural resource protection appears likely to continue well beyond those surrounding the PolyMet copper-nickel mine in nearby Babbitt.
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.