Wilderness News Online

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.