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.

Along the Trail: Zenolith on Crooked Lake

  When the Canoe the Heart Expedition stopped at the Crooked Lake Pictographs this summer, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness summer intern Kate Logan noticed a splotch of dark, black …

READ MORE

Hopes for Vermilion State Park Dimming

Time and money seem to be working against efforts to establish a new state park along the shores of Lake Vermilion. The State of Minnesota isn’t expected to renew efforts to buy land for the park from U.S. Steel until the spring of 2010.

Quetico, Atikokan Mull Downtown Park HQ

Officials from Quetico Provincial Park and the town of Atikokan are considering a plan to move the Ontario park’s headquarters to Atikokan’s Main Street. Currently, the park headquarters are located in the Ontario government offices on the edge of town.

Analyzing the Odds for a Vermilion State Park

Negotiations between landowner U.S. Steel and the State of Minnesota for the purchase of what would be the first new State Park in 30 years stalled when the parties disagreed on the value of the property. Is there still hope for a new park on the shore of Lake Vermilion?

National Parks and Voyageurs in the Spotlight

With National Parks getting a lot of attention these days, Minnesota Public Radio took a close look at the past, present, and future of Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota’s only National Park.

Invasive Mussels Found Near Isle Royale

A colony of non-native mussels has been found in Isle Royale National Park’s Washington Harbor, park officials revealed yesterday. The discovery raises concern over the island park’s large native mussel populations.

City to Build Voyageur’s Park Headquarters

In a city-park partnership that would have been unthinkable a decade ago, plans are set for the city of International Falls to construct a headquarters building for Voyageurs National Park. The city intends the building to be the starting point for a multifaceted recreational development.

Quetico Visitor Numbers Down Again

Despite 100th anniversary activities, the number of people visiting Quetico Provincial Park is down some 10% this year. It’s the second straight year that Quetico visitor numbers have declined.

Voyageurs Plans Burn for Thursday

Voyageurs National Park officials plan to burn an area on Tar Point near Blind Indian Narrows in Namakan Lake Thursday. The burn is intended to help determine what effect fire has on archeological artifacts and help determine the effects of fire on vegetation.