Big Bill Wenstrom – Last Man Standing
Sig Olson’s readers were introduced to Big Bill Wenstrom in Open Horizons (p. 97). Sig wrote: “It was Big Bill Wenstrom who taught me how to throw on a canoe. He …
Parks & Regions
Voyageurs Program Will Discuss Ojibwe Traditions
A program sponsored by the Friends of Voyageurs National Park will discusses Ojibwe traditions and life growing up in the north country. Presenter Ida Mainville will explain how the voyageurs and the Ojibwe people interacted and influenced each other.
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.
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.
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?
Do Voyageurs and a Garbage Vaporizer Mix?
Plans by Koochiching County to build a gasification facility which would use a plasma arc torch to vaporize garbage and other waste in order to produce energy is being scrutinized by environmental advocates since the facility would be a neighbor to Voyageurs National Park.
Voyageurs Park Seeking Public Input on New Fees, Reservation System
The public is invited to attend one of two forums to learn about and comment on the Park’s proposed fee and reservation system for interior lake campsites and boat rentals on the Kabetogama Peninsula as well as fees for tour boat programs. Voyageurs National Park Superintendent Mike Ward will host a presentation about the proposed changes, and will open the floor to public comments and questions…
Voyageurs National Park Turns 35
Voyageurs National Park will celebrate its 35th birthday on Thursday, commemorating the April 8, 1975 date of its authorization by Congress as the country’s 36th national park. The northern Minnesota park will remember the anniversary on its birthday and throughout 2010.
Voyageurs Invites Comments on Fees
Voyageurs National Park is inviting public comments on a reservation system and fee structure it is considering for the park’s interior campsites on the Kabetogama Peninsula. Park officials say a reservation system would guarantee campsite availability.
Vermilion Park Legislation Advances
A bill in the Minnesota State Senate which would raise the limitation on what the state can spend for the purchase of 3,000 acres of land for a new State Park on Lake Vermilion cleared a hurdle yesterday.
Vermilion Park Development Money to Wait
Even if the $18-million sale of 3000 acres of U.S. Steel land to the State of Minnesota for a park on Lake Vermilion is made this year, funds to fully develop the park will likely have to wait for another two years.
National Park Firearms Law Changes Today
A change in Federal law effective today allows possession of firearms in Voyageurs National Park by people who can legally possess firearms under Federal, Minnesota, and local laws.
Vermilion Park Bill Passes First Test
A bill in the Minnesota State Senate authorizing the state to pay up to $18 million to U.S. Steel for 3000 acres of land to create Vermilion State Park cleared its first hurdle yesterday.
Voyageurs to Study Declining Moose
Voyageurs National Park officials plan to radio-collar 14 moose this month to investigate the potential effects of climate change and other factors on the long-term viability of moose in the park.
Locals Largely Favor Vermilion Park
A recent story in the Timberjay found that local officials are largely positive about plans by the State of Minnesota to purchase 3000 acres of land on Lake Vermilion from U.S. Steel Corporation for a new State Park.
Peruniak Honored, Featured in Ontario
Retired Quetico Provincial Park naturalist and author Shirley Peruniak, who was named to the Order of Ontario yesterday, was recently profiled by the Canadian newspaper the Kingston Whig-Standard.
Shirley Peruniak Named to Order of Ontario
Shirley Peruniak, a park naturalist known as “the heart and soul” of Quetico Provincial Park, is being named to the Order of Ontario, the most prestigious honor awarded by the province.
Voyageurs Park to Get its Day in D.C.
In March, Voyageurs National Park will have a day to itself with Minnesota’s U.S. Senators and Representatives in Washington D.C., when a delegation heads to the nation’s capitol to lobby for Minnesota’s only National Park
Deal Struck for Lake Vermilion Park
A deal to purchase 3000 acres of land abutting Lake Vermilion has been struck between the State of Minnesota and U.S. Steel Corporation, paving the way for what would be the state’s first new State Park in 30 years.
Painting History
In 2006, Quetico Provincial Park’s French River proved impassable by kayak—so Ken Lister crawled upriver through the slippery, overgrown underbrush. His destination? French River Rapids. Lister suspected that an oil painting by Canadian artist Paul Kane portrayed the rapids. If correct, he would disprove widely held notions about the painting’s origins, and possibly discover a new understanding of the fur trade.