Boundary Waters Canoe Area Board
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- Hiking & Canoeing Combo
Author: PortageKeeper
Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 3:54 am
hpraska wrote: What trails and lakes would you recommend if one wanted a nice hiking and canoeing combination trip?
Along the Sioux-Hustler Trail. Enter @ Little Indian Sioux North and camp @ Devils Cascade, Shell Lake, Hustler or Agawato. Choose fall for best hiking.
Sat Apr 28, 2007 3:54 am - John and Stu Osthoff taking Crab Lake trip next week!
Author: VoyageurNorth
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:31 pm
Stu asked John to join him on a trip next week. They are starting at Crab Lake & ending up at Little Indian Sioux South, a 3-4 day trip.
Can't wait to see the pictures & hear about how it went.
I'll post about it soon afterwards.
Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:31 pm - We need rain!
Author: VoyageurNorth
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:26 pm
So everyone pray for rain for the next few weeks!
Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:26 pm - Ice Out
Author: VoyageurNorth
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:26 pm
Kawishiwi River & Gabbro area are out.
John & I took a hike there last Sunday to the Little Gabbro area & all that water was open.
Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:26 pm - How are the portages from Entry 14 to Entry 16?
Author: VoyageurNorth
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:24 pm
I agree with Moosegut, no portages that are too bad.
Exception; the one from Ramshead going towards Nina Moose. If it is muddy at all, that one is nasty.
Not many people do that one, so...
Also, if you are thinking of shortening the portages between Oyster & Agnes by doing the small creek, make sure you ask about the area & water levels before you try it. Sometimes it is clear enough to see & paddle, but sometimes not.
Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:24 pm - Investors wanted: BW brewing company
Author: geyenner
Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:19 pm
Maybe you could do custom brews for some of the bigger resorts.
Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:19 pm - Fishing Guides
Author: geyenner
Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:17 pm
Who can recommend some good fishing guides?
Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:17 pm - RV Camping
Author: geyenner
Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:16 pm
Any comments about Timber Trail or Silver Lake?
How about on the Gunflint side? Trails End, Gunflint Pines, Okontoe, Grand Marais, etc?
Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:16 pm - Tower adopts climate agreement
Author: PaddlerJimmy
Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:10 pm
Tuesday, April 24, 2001907 Volume 18, Issue 15
Tower adopts climate agreement
By Marshall Helmberger
Towers city council joined several other Iron Range cities on Monday by unanimously endorsing the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, committing the city to reducing its emissions of greenhouse gases. The council was responding to the request of the Blue-Green Coalition, a partnership between the United Steelworkers and the Sierra Club, that is working together on issues of mutual concern.
The council adopted the climate protection measure with little discussion, and the approval came despite some mixed feelings on the council about the threats posed by climate change. But Councilor Richard Hanson summed up the view of most on the council. Its not going to do any harm to do these things, he said.
The agreement, which was first adopted in Seattle in 2005, has now been joined by more than 440 cities across the country. It calls for cities to reduce their carbon emissions by seven percent from 1990 levels, essentially matching the commitments approved by more than 140 countries under the Kyoto Protocol. It also calls on cities to lobby for similar efforts at the state and national levels.
The agreement has no enforcement mechanism and there are no penalties for failure to achieve the established goals, but most cities have used the agreement as the framework for progress on the issue. Signatory cities commit to reducing energy use in city buildings and in other city activities, as well as working to educate residents about ways they can save energy.
Its a win-win situation, said Jerry Fallos with the Blue-Green Coalition. Even for skeptics who dont believe in global warming, youre still saving energy and reducing your costs.
But city officials in Tower arent just thinking about dollars and cents. With the city set to begin this year on a major riverfront renovation project, city officials are hoping to use a variety of green technologies, such as solar power and innovative roofing systems, to reduce the environmental impact of the project. The city is also contemplating the use of electric vehicles to move people from the new harbor to other parts of town.
The climate change agreement is just one more way, said Hanson, that Tower can begin to build its reputation as a green city. I encourage you to sign it, he said, referring to Mayor Steve Abrahamson.
Tower now joins Virginia, Hibbing, Chisholm, Aurora, and Buhl among Iron Range cities that have adopted the climate agreement.
http://www.timberjay.com/current.php?article=3217
Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:10 pm - Moose Mystery
Author: PaddlerJimmy
Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:08 pm
The Moose Mystery
Apr 19, 2007 10:45 pm US/Central
Bill Hudson
Reporting
(WCCO) With a toot of his horn, Orvis Lunke mimics a moose's bellow. He's trying his best to call one into view but on Minnesota's Gunflint Trail, deep into the Superior National Forest, he's having little luck.
Orvis trudges across a freshly logged plot of land and points to some birch browse.
"They've been way up here, nipping the tops off," said Lunke.
Despite the signs of recent moose activity in the area, actual sightings of the giant woodland animals are becoming rare. In years past, the retired Minnesota Department of Natural Resources forester has seen more than his share of moose. The Gunflint Trail, a long popular route that cuts a swath through the state's most rugged wilderness, has long been a haven for moose.
"Not this year," Orvis said, "Not a lot of moose in this area by the way it looks."
His observation is alarming because it reflects what's becoming a statewide trend: Minnesota's moose population is in serious decline. Aerial surveys by the DNR have been counting moose for over 40 years.
In 2006, that survey estimated the moose population in the northeastern part of the state at 8,400. The same area surveyed this winter counted nearly 2,000 fewer moose. That's a drop of 23 percent.
Mark Lenarz is the DNR's lead moose researcher. While understandably concerned over the numbers, Lenarz is also confused.
He said what's most baffling is that "there's any single cause for this mortality we're seeing in a number of different places."
For instance, the state's northwestern region was also once a haven for moose and had somewhere near 4,000 animals in the 1980s. This year's aerial survey found just 84.
Lenarz said tissue samples from some of the moose carcasses are being tested to determine cause of death, but are often times inconclusive.
Referring to the necropsies performed at the University of Minnesota, Lenarz said, "they found the approximate cause of death was parasites or malnutrition moose are starving to death or suffering the side effects from the parasites."
Certainly, the state's growing timberwolf population accounts for some of the moose mortality but nowhere near the number that's being seen. Moose are also plagued by such parasites as brainworm, liver flukes and winter ticks, but they too aren't found in all the moose carcasses being tested.
"Perhaps it's some other parasite or disease we haven't identified yet," said Lenarz.
However, what's really raising eyebrows among wildlife biologists is an apparent correlation between the rapid moose decline and northern Minnesota's warming climate.
Weather data shows that the region's summer temperatures have increased along with higher humidity, dew points and overnight lows. That is a concern because moose are a "cold climate" animal, surviving best in Canada, Alaska and Northern Scandinavia.
Lenarz said the evidence seems to suggest that global warming may be a contributing factor in the moose's decline. When winter temperatures rise above 23 degrees Fahrenheit, moose breathe faster. In the summer when it gets above 67 degrees, they begin panting like a dog and will only find relief from the heat by spending most of their day in swamps, rivers and lakes.
He compares it to a human wearing a snowmobile suit all summer long. Lenarz said in hot weather, moose tend to feed less and put on less fat that is vital for their winter survival.
"Basically, they don't do well in hot conditions," he adds.
A higher respiration rate and less time feeding puts an added stress on the animals that can make them more prone to parasites and disease.
The DNR is working with the 1854 Treaty Authority, its Native American counterpart, to conduct more research into moose mortality. In a quest to find a culprit, biologist Andy Edwards continues to track what remains of the original 116 radio-collared moose. Already, two-thirds of the collared moose in the study have died.
"When a pilot is up doing his weekly tests over the area hears a difference in the beeping signal, we'll know that that animal is likely dead," said Edwards.
That's when crews locate the carcass on the ground and send tissue samples to the U of M lab.
Over the past five years, mortality among radio collared moose averaged about 22 percent per year. Last year, that soared to 34 percent.
On top of that the survival rate of moose calves is dropping to an all time low. In a normal year, 50 to 60 calves in 100 will survive the first year. The most recent data show a survival rate of just 29.
In a recent flight over the remote Superior National Forest near Isabella, Edwards spotted two moose from the WCCO Sky 4 helicopter. The first was so tick-infested most of its hair was rubbed off. The other was a fresh moose carcass that becomes more data for him and more food for hungry wolves.
However, it's not just data that shows the decline. Each spring Lunke, the moose caller, scours the woods, looking for those huge antlers that all bull moose shed before growing them new ones.
"Now they're just harder to find , because there's just fewer of them," said Lunke.
In the heyday of Northern Minnesota's moose population, it was nothing for Lunke to find 80 of these sheds, in a single spring in the woods. Last year he found only 15.
It's troubling news along the main streets and backwoods taverns stretching from Ely to Grand Marais. Moose have always been a huge attraction for summer tourists.
Larry Schanno is the owner of Our Place on Highway One in Finland.
"There are more people that come in here and asking me where they can see a moose than where to fish," said Schanno.
He said the locals are referring to the mystery as "drop dead disease."
"Research tells you what, they don't know, they can't tell you," said Schanno.
That's why more research into climate change and mortality will be needed, if biologists are to solve this, "moose mystery."
http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_109223634.html
Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:08 pm - Good Outfitters?
Author: moosegut
Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 12:20 pm
I have always used Canoe Country Outfitters in Ely and have never had a bad trip. Go to http://www.canoecountryoutfitters.com. Mark, Bob and the whole staff are always very friendly and helpful. They also have a lodge and campground on Moose Lake and offer tows. I'm sure the other outfitters are also good as they couldn't stay in business for long if they aren't. [/b]
Sat Apr 21, 2007 12:20 pm - Global Warming Day of Action - April 14th, 2007
Author: PaddlerJimmy
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 7:09 pm
Global Warming Day of Action
Saturday, April 14, 2007, Noon - 4 p.m.
Minnesota State Capitol Mall, Saint Paul
This is your chance to be a part of moving Minnesota on to a clean energy path! Join us on April 14 at the Minnesota State Capitol Mall as we gather to learn about positive solutions we can take as individuals and as a state that will reduce global warming pollution, create jobs, strengthen our state's economy, and improve our shared environment.
Be a part of the solution! We can curb global warming if we take bold, comprehensive actions now that add up to an 80 percent cut in carbon emissions by 2050. Thats a do-able 2 percent cut a year for each of the next 40 years.
http://www.globalwarmingdayofaction.org/
Sun Apr 08, 2007 7:09 pm - ATV Legislation
Author: PaddlerJimmy
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 7:06 pm
Boundary Waters Action Alert
March 19, 2007
Act today! Contact Minnesota State Senator Chaudhary about his proposed all-terrain vehicle (ATV) legislation making progress in the Minnesota Senate.
Right on the border of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness lay many of Minnesotas 58 state forests encompassing nearly 4 million acres. Visit the link below to see a map. ATVs can run over most of it.
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/map.html
Problem
Today there are 274,310 registered ATVs in Minnesota. Compare that to 130,000 in 2000 and to 70,000 in 1995. The University of Minnesota Tourism Center predicts ATV registrations will increase 244% in the next 10 years! The growing and seldom enforced use of ATVs on public lands results in habitat degradation, air and noise pollution, soil compaction and erosion, the spread of non-native invasive species, and growing conflicts with traditional, quiet, non-motorized recreationists.
Of greatest concern to us is the impairment to the wilderness character of the BWCAW and the surrounding Quetico-Superior ecosystem. Under a Minnesota law passed in 2005, all off-highway vehicles like ATVs, dirt-bike motorcycles, and 4x4 mudder trucks are allowed to run through 74% of our state forest lands, those lands lying north of U.S. Highway 2. This boundary, which runs from Duluth to the North Dakota border, allows such vehicles to ride on all state forest trails except those posted as closed. In other words, if someone created a new trail today it would be perfectly legal for someone tomorrow to ride on that trail. This is what turns Minnesota state forest land into a spider web of trails, and prevents the majority of anglers, hunters, hikers, campers and other recreationists from enjoying a traditional, quiet, non-motorized outdoor experience. According to a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) 2002 study, 78% of deer hunters do not use an ATV in any way. Today, only 5.6% of Minnesotans own an ATV. Yet, the Minnesota DNR has classified most state forest land open for ATV use.
Solution
The short term solution would be encompassed in Sen. Chaudharys legislation if it includes the following guidelines:
1. All ATV trails on Minnesota state forest land must be designated, i.e., closed to ATV riding unless specifically posted open.
2. Enforcement funding must be increased to meet the growth of ATV use.
3. 50% of Minnesota state forest land should be designated for traditional, non-motorized uses only.
Action
Call or email Sen. Chaudhary. He is an avid angler and hunter, so if you are an angler or hunter, let him know.
First, thank Sen. Chaudhary for taking on this difficult issue.
Then, ask Sen. Chaudhary to include in his legislation the three solutions above.
Finally, remind Sen. Chaudhary that the growing and seldom enforced use of ATVs on public lands results social conflict, habitat degradation, air and noise pollution, soil compaction and erosion, the spread of non-native invasive species, and the impairment of a traditional non-motorized experience.
This week Sen. Chaudharys legislation will move through the senate. Please contact him immediately, whether or not you are a Minnesota citizen, so he knows you appreciate his effort to move towards a solution, and so he knows that you want Minnesota state forest land, especially land near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, to be designed closed to ATV riding unless posted open.
Here is his contact information:
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Capitol Building, Room 205
St. Paul, MN 55155-1606
651.296.4334
Email Address: sen.satveer.chaudhary@senate.mn
Sun Apr 08, 2007 7:06 pm - Challenges interpretation of protected roadless area"
Author: PaddlerJimmy
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 6:38 pm
Friends Appeals Echo Trail Project
Appeal challenges Forest Service interpretation of protected roadless areas
MINNEAPOLIS, MNLast week, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness joined The Sierra Club North Star Chapter (Lead Appellant), Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, Defenders of Wildlife, The Wilderness Society, and Audubon Minnesota in filing an administrative appeal with the USDA Forest Service formally objecting to the Agencys January 29, 2007 decision to adopt the Echo Trail Area Forest Management Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
The Echo Trail Area Forest Management Project (the Project) area borders the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) on the north and south sides of the Echo Trail and completely surrounds the Trout Lake Unit of the wilderness. Some timber stands identified in the Project could be cut right to the wilderness boundary.
Objecting primarily to the Projects potential impact on the BWCAW and surrounding inventoried roadless areas, the appeal claims: The Forest Service failed to consider direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of the Project on the BWCAW; The Forest Service failed to preserve wilderness character pursuant to section 4(b) of the Wilderness Act of 1964; and the Project violates the 2001 Roadless Rule by allowing temporary roads and timber harvest in inventoried roadless areas (IRAs).
The courts have previously addressed the impacts of forest management projects on wilderness areas. Betsy Schmiesing, Vice Chair of the Board and Policy Chair, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, stated: The agency is not free to ignore impacts on wilderness areas, even if those impacts flow from actions outside the wilderness. Schmiesing notes that in the lawsuit against the Forest Services Big Grass timber sale in 2005, the court determined that the agency has a duty to take into account impacts such as illegal entry into the BWCAW on logging roads leading right to the wilderness edge, which can also serve as passageways for invasive species. And the agency also has a duty to take into account the audible and visible effects inside the wilderness caused by activity outside.
Preservation of wilderness character is clearly defined in the Wilderness Act, says Lois Norrgard, Co-Chair, Forest Committee, Sierra Club North Star Chapter. Section 4(b) charges the Forest Service with preserving wilderness character, and nowhere does the language provide an exception for management activities undertaken just outside a wilderness boundary.
IRAs just outside the wilderness would be impacted by the Project. We interpret the 2001 Roadless Rule to protect roadless areas inventoried since 2001, says Brad Sagen, Board Chair, Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness. The Rule defines IRAs as areas identified in a set of IRA maps in the 2001 Roadless Rule Environmental Impact Statement and including any subsequent update or revision of those maps. Post 2001 IRAsPicket Lake, Urho Creek, Agassa Lake and Big Lakewould be impacted by clearcuts, partial cuts, and temporary roads. In the Projects FEIS, the Forest Service acknowledges these areas are IRAs but concludes they are not protected by the Rule because they are not listed on the 2001 official map.
Thats like the Forest Service acknowledging your house exists but not protecting it from a forest fire because it is not on an official map! We define protected roadless areas as roadless areas acknowledged by the Forest Service, map or no map, Sagen says.
The appellants have also made claims regarding effects on lynx, the need for additional Management Indicator Species (MIS) and the Forest Services improper substitution of Management Indicator Habitats for MIS, forest composition objectives, zone and forest-wide spatial objectives and requirements for public involvement in the monitoring program.
Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness is a non-profit organization founded in 1976. Our mission is to protect, preserve and restore the wilderness character of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Quetico-Superior ecosystem. The organization has nearly 4,000 members and subscribers nationwide.
For Immediate Release
March 28, 2007 Contact:
Lois Norrgard, Sierra Club, 952-881-7282
Betsy Schmiesing, Friends, 612-766-8307
Brad Sagen, NMW, 218-365-6461
Sun Apr 08, 2007 6:38 pm - Echo Trail Area Forest Management Project
Author: PaddlerJimmy
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 6:37 pm
Friends Appeals Echo Trail Project
Appeal challenges Forest Service interpretation of protected roadless areas
MINNEAPOLIS, MNLast week, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness joined The Sierra Club North Star Chapter (Lead Appellant), Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, Defenders of Wildlife, The Wilderness Society, and Audubon Minnesota in filing an administrative appeal with the USDA Forest Service formally objecting to the Agencys January 29, 2007 decision to adopt the Echo Trail Area Forest Management Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
The Echo Trail Area Forest Management Project (the Project) area borders the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) on the north and south sides of the Echo Trail and completely surrounds the Trout Lake Unit of the wilderness. Some timber stands identified in the Project could be cut right to the wilderness boundary.
Objecting primarily to the Projects potential impact on the BWCAW and surrounding inventoried roadless areas, the appeal claims: The Forest Service failed to consider direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of the Project on the BWCAW; The Forest Service failed to preserve wilderness character pursuant to section 4(b) of the Wilderness Act of 1964; and the Project violates the 2001 Roadless Rule by allowing temporary roads and timber harvest in inventoried roadless areas (IRAs).
The courts have previously addressed the impacts of forest management projects on wilderness areas. Betsy Schmiesing, Vice Chair of the Board and Policy Chair, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, stated: The agency is not free to ignore impacts on wilderness areas, even if those impacts flow from actions outside the wilderness. Schmiesing notes that in the lawsuit against the Forest Services Big Grass timber sale in 2005, the court determined that the agency has a duty to take into account impacts such as illegal entry into the BWCAW on logging roads leading right to the wilderness edge, which can also serve as passageways for invasive species. And the agency also has a duty to take into account the audible and visible effects inside the wilderness caused by activity outside.
Preservation of wilderness character is clearly defined in the Wilderness Act, says Lois Norrgard, Co-Chair, Forest Committee, Sierra Club North Star Chapter. Section 4(b) charges the Forest Service with preserving wilderness character, and nowhere does the language provide an exception for management activities undertaken just outside a wilderness boundary.
IRAs just outside the wilderness would be impacted by the Project. We interpret the 2001 Roadless Rule to protect roadless areas inventoried since 2001, says Brad Sagen, Board Chair, Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness. The Rule defines IRAs as areas identified in a set of IRA maps in the 2001 Roadless Rule Environmental Impact Statement and including any subsequent update or revision of those maps. Post 2001 IRAsPicket Lake, Urho Creek, Agassa Lake and Big Lakewould be impacted by clearcuts, partial cuts, and temporary roads. In the Projects FEIS, the Forest Service acknowledges these areas are IRAs but concludes they are not protected by the Rule because they are not listed on the 2001 official map.
Thats like the Forest Service acknowledging your house exists but not protecting it from a forest fire because it is not on an official map! We define protected roadless areas as roadless areas acknowledged by the Forest Service, map or no map, Sagen says.
The appellants have also made claims regarding effects on lynx, the need for additional Management Indicator Species (MIS) and the Forest Services improper substitution of Management Indicator Habitats for MIS, forest composition objectives, zone and forest-wide spatial objectives and requirements for public involvement in the monitoring program.
Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness is a non-profit organization founded in 1976. Our mission is to protect, preserve and restore the wilderness character of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Quetico-Superior ecosystem. The organization has nearly 4,000 members and subscribers nationwide.
For Immediate Release
March 28, 2007 Contact:
Lois Norrgard, Sierra Club, 952-881-7282
Betsy Schmiesing, Friends, 612-766-8307
Brad Sagen, NMW, 218-365-6461
Sun Apr 08, 2007 6:37 pm
