The StarTribune has the story HERE.

Minnesota soil and plant moisture levels are currently very low, and the long-range forecast calls for continued dry conditions. The dearth of snow-cover across most of the state means the spring thaw likely won’t add much moisture to the mix. In light of the parched situation, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is already requiring burning permits in all but the northern quarter of the state.

Even in the north — where the largest Minnesota wildfire in a century raged across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness last September — snow-cover is well below normal. Without timely snow or rain in the Superior National Forest, Kawishiwi District Forest District Ranger, Mark Van Every, predicts an early and active fire season.

The International Falls Journal has the full story HERE.

The $48,822 grant, one of 59 made by the Minnesota Historical Society, will support the restoration of Oberholtzer’s drum room fireplace and chimney. The grants’ funding came from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund of Minnesota’s Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, appropriated to the Minnesota Historical Society for its Statewide Historical and Cultural Grants program.

The Oberholtzer Foundation is dedicated to the preservation of Oberholtzer’s “North Woods legacy, as a source of inspiration, renewal, and connection to the natural world.” The foundation makes the Mallard Island site available for workshops, retreats, and other activities.

Oberholtzer, one of the founding members of the Wilderness Society, was an important advocate for the preservation of the Quetico-Superior region including what became the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Quetico Provincial Park.

The Pioneer Press has the full story HERE.

Xcel Energy’s Sherco power plant in Becker, MN burns 30,000 tons of coal a day, which environmental advocates claim is the main cause of haze over the BWCAW and Voyageurs National Park. A retro-fit to bring the plant into strict compliance could cost between $50-million and several hundred million dollars, according to plant officials.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency is proposing an exemption for roughly 150 coal-fired plants in 28 states in the eastern United States. The rule would allow the plants, including Sherco, to get credit for pollution reduction measures already taken. Those credits would be enough to keep Xcel Energy from being required to make  further improvements, environmental groups say.

Xcel Energy has not yet taken a position on the EPA exemption.

Minnesota Public Radio has the story HERE.

The aerial survey was to begin three weeks ago, but researchers needed to wait for an eight-inch snow cover to allow them to count moose in dense vegetation.  The survey, conducted annually since 1960, provides important information on the status of the animal.

The northeastern Minnesota moose population, which was estimated at 8,000 just six years ago, was thought to number just 4,900 animals in 2011.  Last year, the Minnesota DNR announced a plan, HERE, aimed at staunching the decline in the moose population.

They’re taking part in the Arrowhead 135, one of Minnesota’s most extreme silent sport races. Participants ski, bike or run through the middle of the night and subzero temperatures for 135 miles. Last year, temps reached minus 25, and the year before that, minus 35. Add the isolation, frost bite and sleep deprivation (some racers sleep only a couple of hours a night), and it’s an event only Minnesotans could pull off (or want to pull off).

This year’s race drew racers from 9 countries and 25 states, but a Duluth News Tribune article says that nearly half of them won’t reach the finish line.

Read the Duluth News Tribune article HERE, and coverage in the International Falls Journal HERE.

To live vicariously through the racers and celebrate the north country from the comfort of your home, visit the Arrowhead 135 web site for live updates HERE.

“There is consensus among the PolyMet advisory panel I assembled: Mining without harm is the only way to build a sustainable, responsible minerals-exploration industry in northern Minnesota,” he writes.

Read his full article on the Duluth News Tribune, HERE.

Read more about DNR proposals HERE, on Wilderness News.

According to the Star Tribune, the bill introduced by Dill would give the DNR authority to set the number of wolves to be taken, but Dill believes that allowing a hunt to take place during the firearms deer season would give hunters a better chance of taking a wolf. He said that wolves are not easy to hunt, and most will be “taken by happenstance.”

Dill also says his bill represents what the constituents of northeastern Minnesota want, where he claims the wolf population has “exploded,” endangering livestock and pets.

Read the full Star Tribune article HERE.

The first hearing on the bill will be held on Thursday in the House Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy and Finance committee–one day before the DNR assumes management of the wolf.

Minnesota is not alone as it tackles how to handle wolf hunting. On Monday, the Wisconsin state Department of Natural Resources sent a letter to about 100 landowners who have had problems with wolves, allowing them to hunt wolves as early as Friday. Read a Brainerd Dispatch article on the move HERE.

“The DNR is well-prepared to manage gray wolves and ensure the long-term survival of the species,” said Ed Boggess, DNR Fish and Wildlife Division director in a media release. “The state’s Wolf Management Plan will allow Minnesotans more flexibility to address the real conflicts that occur between wolves and humans.”

The primary difference between federal and state protection will be provisions for predator control when livestock and domestic pets are at risk. Minnesota’s Wolf Management Plan divides the state into two zones, with varying levels of protective measures.

In Zone A–the top third of the state, identified as the wolf’s “core range”–owners of livestock, guard animals and domestic animals may shoot a wolf on property they own or lease if it poses an “immediate threat” to their animals. That means the owner must observe the wolf in the act of stalking, attacking or killing for this provision to apply. Pet owners may shoot or destroy a wolf on any property as long as they are supervising their pet.

In the southern two thirds of the state (zone B), the “immediate threat” clause does not apply. A person may shoot a gray wolf at any time to protect livestock, domestic animals or pets on land they own, lease or manage. And throughout the state anyone can take a wolf when a human life is at risk.

When a wolf is shot or destroyed anywhere in the state, the DNR must be notified within 48 hours, and the carcass must be turned over unaltered to the DNR.

The complete wolf management plan, including zone maps and a wolf population survey, may be read HERE.

As the DNR prepares to take over management of the gray wolf, the agency has begun planning a limited gray wolf hunting and trapping season for late 2012. The plan manages the wolf as a “high-value fur species.” The season will be established during the time of year that pelts are most valuable. However, the take will be limited through a lottery and all animals will be registered to prevent hunters from taking wolves through “incidental take” while hunting other species.

“Without a history of regulated wolf seasons, we don’t know what kind of hunter and trapper interest and success rate to expect,” said Dan Stark, DNR large carnivore specialist, in a media release. Stark will be responsible for coordinating all wolf management activities within Minnesota, including the hunting season, and took the plan before the Legislature in early January.

“The wolf population has been fully recovered in Minnesota for many years,” Stark added. “Our hunting and trapping season approach will be designed to keep it that way. No one wants to see this species needing federal protection again.”

According to Stark, additional authorization will be sought, and there will also be a public comment period before implementing a wolf season. Stark is one of several DNR staff implementing the state management plan. Dr. John Erb, DNR wolf research biologist, will oversee wolf population monitoring and research. Three additional conservation officers will lead enforcement of the management plan’s provisions.

Minnesota has an estimated 3,000 wolves, and the population has been steady for the last 10 years. The wolf management plan estimates that a population of 1,600 must be maintained to ensure the wolf’s survival in the state. On January 27, the wolf will also be removed from federal protection in Wisconsin and Michigan.

Read Minnesota DNR press releases on the management plan HERE, and the hunting and trapping plan HERE.

The database lists 6,157 greenhouse gas emitters across the country, including 132 major emitters in Minnesota. The Duluth News Tribune reported that four facilities in Northeastern Minnesota are among the state’s top ten polluters: Minnesota Power’s Clay Boswell Plant in Cohasset, Taconite Harbor Plant in Schroeder, U.S. Steele’s Minntac Plant in Mountain Iron and Cliff’s Natural Resources Northshore Mining in Silver Bay.

Read the full article HERE.

The database does not include emissions sources for agriculture, forestry, cars or other modes of transportation, but the EPA does see the database as a major milestone in its efforts to address climate change. It will allow states to identify their most significant contributors to climate change and prioritize changes to address them.

The database itself is a user-friendly resource where users can sort lists by state and view maps of emitters’ locations. Explore the database HERE.

Aftermath of the Pagami Creek Fire. Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service.

According to information released by the Forest Service last week, 114 of the Boundary Water’s approximately 2,100 campsites were affected by the fire. Concerns include safety hazards and high potential for erosion, but approximately 63 of those campsites will reopen this spring after light to moderate restoration work.

The remaining campsites and some trails will require more extensive rehabilitation, and some may remain closed for up to a few years for vegetation to return.

Lake One, Island River, Isabella Lake, Bog Lake, Little Isabella and the Pow Wow Trail all have reduced quotas. Snake River entry point will remain open, but travel will not be allowed east of Bald Eagle Lake on Isabella River until the route has been cleared.

Overall, 13 daily permits were removed, but 2 were added to a new entry point on Lake One until the original can be restored. Specific details are available on the Forest Service web site HERE (PDF).

According to a PRWEB article by Sue Prom of Voyageur Canoe Outfitters, a reduction of 10 permits per day does not sound like a lot, but it can represent a significant loss for visitors and outfitters alike. Read Prom’s story HERE.

The Forest Service plans to readjust the quotas as campsites and portages are rehabilitated. They say volunteer help will play a critical role in how quickly areas affected by the Pagami Creek Wildfire can be reopened. Interested volunteers can contact the Forest Service HERE.