Wilderness News Online

Ballast Treatment Strategy Advances

A technique to kill invasive aquatic species found in the ballast water of Great Lakes ships made its real-world debut on a vessel traveling from Gary, Indiana to Duluth, Minnesota recently.

Comments Sought on BWCAW Invasives Project

Managers of the Superior National Forest are seeking comments on a project that seeks to combat the spread of non-native invasive plants in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

North Shore to be Gypsy Moth Battle Zone

This summer, Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior will again be the front-line in the battle between agriculture officials and the exotic invasive insect known as the gypsy moth.

“Savannification” Still Expected in North Woods

University of Minnesota forest ecologist Lee Frelich continues to foresee a transition from forest to savanna taking place at the margins of Minnesota’s north woods. Newly published research suggests that within the century, the climate and ancillary factors will make significant changes to the state’s prairie/forest border.

Invasive Spiny Waterfleas Discovered Near Boundary Waters

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirmed that spiny waterfleas were discovered by anglers in Burntside Lake near Ely last week. Burntside Lake is a popular entry point into motorless area of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Water fleas are tiny, but pose threats to lake life. The animals can collect in masses [...]

Gypsy Moth Caterpillar Found in Minnesota

Minnesota’s first gypsy moth in caterpillar form was found recently in Duluth, confirming that the exotic pest which can defoliate wide swaths of forest is reproducing in Minnesota.

Gypsy Moth Fight Begins Anew

Minnesota’s battle against the gypsy moth is ready to resume. The state’s Department of Agriculture is about to set 23,000 traps for the moths across the eastern border of Minnesota to note where new outbreaks of the invasive pest are occurring.

Gypsy Moth Numbers Increasing

The number of gypsy moths in northern Minnesota continues to rise, despite successful efforts to eradicate established populations of the exotic insect.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture reported recently that it trapped 28,000 gypsy moths in the state in 2009, more than double the 2008 count.

PolyMet Public Comment Meetings Set

Two public meetings to hear comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for PolyMet Mining’s proposed copper-nickel mine near Babbitt have been scheduled, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced.

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.