Environmental groups sue to stop PolyMet, strengthen Minnesota mining regulations
Eight organizations file lawsuits to challenge permits for the state’s first copper mine and revise rules.
BWCA
The Banadad Ski Trail – from historic logging road to winter wilderness experience
Snow underfoot, dark pines above, a white path beckons cross-country skiers into the Boundary Waters and offers glimpses into its past.
Former Forest Service leader calls for continued protection of Boundary Waters
Retired leader of agency who took steps to prevent mining pollution from harming the wilderness says continued protection is important.
Canoeists test wilderness paddling and portaging stamina with Border Route Challenge
Paddlers chase 50-year-old record time for completing historic travel route through the Boundary Waters and beyond.
What is Wilderness? Examining tree rings, researchers reconsider the history of human influence in the Boundary Waters
“By examining annual growth rings in increment cores taken from tree trunks, we found that many pines at this site were more than 250 years old. Distinct injuries recorded within their rings denoted the passage of multiple low-severity surface fires that damaged but did not kill many of these trees…”
Report: Boundary Waters has greater long-term economic potential than mining
Harvard economist issue report comparing twenty years of wilderness protection to permitting the Twin Metals mine over the same span.
The State of the Boundary Waters Report
How healthy is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness really? Will the Boundary Waters survive climate change, mining, invasive species and the myriad of issues faced today? The Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness released an extensive and revealing report…
Twin Metals legislation passes House, Senate support seems elusive
A bill restoring mineral rights near the Boundary Waters squeaked through the House of Representatives last week, but doesn’t yet have a Senate author.
Plugged In
Dave and Amy Freeman spent a year in the Boundary Waters, using social media to inspire others to protect the wilderness.
Video: A Day in the BWCA with Dave and Amy Freeman
Watch the Freemans’ winter routines and explain why they are spending a year in the wilderness.
‘Before and After’ Leave No Trace
Researcher warns of increasing impacts and urges end of axe and saw culture in Boundary Waters camping.
State of the Boundary Waters and Paddling to DC – Wilderness News Fall Winter 2014 Issue
Cover Story: How will proposed mining, climate change, invasive species, nutrient loading, and algal blooms change the border lakes? The Quetico-Superior region of Minnesota and Canada bring to mind lake country—a landscape characterized by glacier carved lakes filled with clear, cold and clean water. Yet the list of possible impacts on northern Minnesota water quality is long: proposed mining, climate change, invasive species, nutrient loading, and algal blooms to name just a few…
State of the Boundary Waters
The Quetico-Superior region of Minnesota and Canada bring to mind lake country—a landscape characterized by glacier carved lakes filled with clear, cold and clean water. Yet the list of possible impacts on northern Minnesota water quality is long: proposed mining, climate change, invasive species, nutrient loading, and algal blooms to name just a few. In some places, like Lake of the Woods, evidence suggests that changes are already under way.
Paddle to D.C. Ely Adventurers’ Latest Expedition Carries Concerns About Mining
This epic expedition was inspired by what the Freemans see as an existential threat to a national treasure: mining. “The Boundary Waters is our nation’s most popular wilderness area, it receives a quarter million visitors per year. Every year I guide people in the Boundary Waters from Texas and California and all across the country. We need to make sure people all across the country understand how special the Boundary Waters is and understand the threats it faces.
Ely Mayor Sentenced in BWCAW Case
Ely mayor Roger Skarba was sentenced yesterday for riding his snowmobile in a federal wilderness area and entering the wilderness without a permit. Skarba received a $3630 fine, 40 hours of community service, and two years of probation.
A Deal for State Lands in the BWCAW?
Might a deal between the State of Minnesota and the federal government be in the making to transfer State-owned land within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to the feds?