1854 Treaty Authority News

Superior National Forest to close camping outside of developed campgrounds 

Day use and most developed campgrounds open to visitors  

Duluth, Minn., August 27, 2021 — Effective August 27, camping on Superior National Forest lands outside of developed campgrounds will be closed. Day use is allowed on the forest and most developed campgrounds (fee and non-fee) remain open to public use. Please review the Forest Closure Order for a list of open campgrounds. 

Forest officials made the decision to enact this closure in the interest of public safety as the forest continues to experience severe to extreme drought, high fire risk and multiple active fires.  

Closing camping outside of developed campgrounds reduces the possibility of the following: 

• Search and rescue resources being diverted from firefighting operations. 
• The need for emergency evacuations should additional wildfires occur.  
• The chance of illegal campfires. Despite the current fire restrictions, there have been multiple reports of illegal campfires on the forest and several of those illegal campfires have caused small fires on the forest which divert resources away from priority fires.  

This closure will be in place until it is safe to lift, forest resources are freed up from firefighting, and likely until the Arrowhead receives a season-ending rain or snow event.  

The Superior National Forest is coordinating with the State of Minnesota, who will be implementing similar closures across the Arrowhead Region due to the challenging natural resource conditions. 

In addition to this camping closure order, the Forest has several other closures in place for the Greenwood and John Ek fires. Developed campgrounds in those closure areas include McDougal Lake, Little Isabella, Iron Lake and Trails End campgrounds. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is also closed at this time and permits have been refunded through September 3. 

Please visit the forest website for more information or call your local district office.

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Superior National Forest closes National Forest lands along upper Gunflint Trail due to fires 

Trails End and Iron Lakes campgrounds in the closure area  

Duluth, Minn., August 25, 2021 — The Forest Service is closing Superior National Forest lands along the upper portion of the Gunflint Trail due to fires in the vicinity and limited availability of firefighting resources. This closure includes all forest lands along Cook County 12/Gunflint Trail beginning at the Cook County 92 Intersection to the end of the Gunflint Trail at Trails End Campground. Campground reservations have been cancelled and refunded for the next seven days, through August 31. The Forest will reevaluate this closure and determine whether or not it needs to be extended due to active fires. This closure area also includes Iron Lake Campground. 

Gunflint Trail Closure Area, August 25, 2021. Map by USDA Forest Service 

This closure is consistent with the Cook County Sheriff’s pre-evacuation area for the upper Gunflint Trail area due to the John Ek Fire. 

Although National Forest System lands will be temporarily closed, the Gunflint Trail will remain open to vehicles and visitors may recreate on private land and enjoy resorts. There are additional day-use opportunities outside of the closure area on the Forest. Please call the district or visit the forest’s website for more information. 

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YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP – APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Great Lakes NAFWS plans to award 3 scholarships, one each to a college student in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The students must be enrolled members of a tribe, and currently a student in college, whose course of studies is natural resources, environmental, or conservation enforcement related. The scholarship recipients will be selected by the membership at the Great Lakes NAFWS Business Meeting. To be considered, students must complete the one-page application form (page 5). A Society member must also sign the application as 'Nominator', and must bring it to the business meeting at the 2021 Regional Conference for consideration.

Forest Service News Release 

Media contact: Joanna Gilkeson 

(218) 349-5137 

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

www.fs.usda.gov/superior 

Superior National Forest closes McDougal Lake Recreation Area due to Greenwood Fire  

Duluth, Minn., August 15, 2021 — The Superior National Forest is closing the McDougal Lake recreation area due to the Greenwood Fire. The Greenwood Fire was first detected on August 15, 2021 around 3 pm. It is located near Greenwood Lake and approximately 15 miles southwest of Isabella, Minn. It is rapidly growing and spreading due to high winds and dry vegetation and has the potential to impact structures and recreation assets. 

To ensure public safety of our visitors and employees, the forest is preemptively closing all developed recreation around McDougal Lake on the Tofte Ranger District. The area was cleared of all visitors today.  

Current sites impacted include: 

• McDougal Lake Campground 
• McDougal Lake Boat Ramp  
• McDougal Lake Picnic Area 
• McDougal Lake Trailhead and Trail (trail 71078) 

Reservations for McDougal Lake Campground have been cancelled and fully refunded through August 30. The affected areas will be shown as closed in recreation.gov. The forest will lift the closure when it is safe to do.  

This is a developing fire situation and this order may change as the fire grows or changes direction. 

A copy of the official closure order will be added to the forest’s alerts and warnings page. Please check the Superior National Forest website for closure information and Inciweb for the latest fire updates. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @SuperiorNF for the latest updates. 

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1854 Rice Biologist, Darren Vogt, speaks about climate change effects on wild rice in Northern Minnesota:

1854 Treaty Authority’s 2021 Dagwaagin (fall) newsletter is now available!

It features 2021 moose hunt information, the 2021 hunting/trapping seasons, 2021waterfowl seasons, and 2021 ricing season information. Check out the various opportunities for youth hunters, including 1854 Ceded Territory Apprentice Hunter Designation, youth waterfowl days, and congratulate the 14 Bois Forte youth and staff that became certified in the last firearm safety training.

Applications are due by 4:00pm, August 20th, 2021. Must be postmarked no later than midnight August 20th, 2021 or delivered to 1854 Treaty Authority at 4428 Haines Road, Duluth, MN 55811 by 4:00 pm, August 20th, 2021. Completed applications can also be scanned and submitted by email to Morgan Swingen (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by 4:00 pm, August 20th, 2021. Late applications will not be included in drawing, NO EXCEPTIONS.

Lottery Drawing will be held August 27th, 2021 (if needed).

1854 Ceded Territory Moose season opens on October 2nd, 2021.

1854 Ceded Territory Moose Hunt Application and Information Booklet

Spring and summer fish die-offs happen occasionally, and we are getting widespread reports of dead fish following the recent prolonged stretch of hot weather. 

In mid-spring and summer, fish die-offs are often the result of warming water and opportunistic infections that spread in fish populations that are already stressed after the spawning season. Species commonly observed in these die-offs include sunfish, crappies and bullheads, and, occasionally, largemouth bass and northern pike.

If you encounter a large group of dead fish in a lake or a stream, please report them. Calling in a report provides a single point of contact for the incident. An early report also allows timely water sampling or other response actions, if needed. It’s especially helpful to know what fish types and sizes people see in a fish die-off.

More details: DNR fish die off page

1854 is offering firearm safety training for Bois Forte in July. Get registered today!

Ann Arbor, Michigan – Hundreds of organizations across the Great Lakes region will be coming together to educate boaters and the public about the risks of spreading aquatic invasive species (AIS) during the third annual Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz, to be held June 26 to July 4. The event is coordinated annually among state and provincial agencies with the support of the Great Lakes Commission and partner organizations.

As part of the Landing Blitz, volunteers will join paid inspectors at boat launches to educate boaters on how to prevent the spread of AIS, ways to identify AIS, and how to report an AIS discovery. Properly inspecting and cleaning boats, trailers and other equipment helps prevent the spread of AIS, which are recognized as one of the most significant threats to the ecological and economic health of the Great Lakes.

“More than 185 nonnative species are already established in the Great Lakes, many of which are invasive and cause harm,” said Sharon M. Jackson, chair of the Great Lakes Commission and deputy general counsel for Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. “Progress is being made, but we must continue to work together through successful partnerships like the AIS Landing Blitz to prevent new invasions and reduce the damage from species already here.” 

1854 Treaty Authority Invasive Species staff will be staffed at Rice's Point, on the St. Louis River Estuary on Saturday June 26th. Stop by and get your boat cleaned, see some aquatic invasive species 'up close and personal', and pick up some FREE give-aways!!

Last year’s Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz reached 128,000 people at over 1,000 public and private boat landings across the region, and an additional 830,000 people engaged with online virtual content and social media about the event. This year, agencies leading the effort will host a hybrid event, continuing to reinstate in-person inspections and outreach in accordance with relevant COVID-19 public health procedures while maintaining an online presence. 

For more information on the Great Lakes AIS Landing Blitz, including educational materials, location, and volunteer opportunities, visit www.glc.org/blitz

Tuesday June 15th, 2021, 12:00pm-1:00pm

Laurel Wilson, wetlands specialist for the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, will give an overview of current waterfowl and herptile monitoring in the 1854 Ceded Territory. In 2020 the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and partners began an effort to establish baseline data on waterfowl and herptile populations in wetlands of the 1854 Ceded Territory. The data collected in this project will inform resource managers and improve understanding of population fluctuations happening within changing environmental conditions. Laurel will present preliminary results of one year of data collection and analysis of the survey methods used.

Kyle Magyera, local government outreach specialist for the Wisconsin Wetlands Association, will share information about a unique partnership effort to adapt to the changing climate in northwest Wisconsin. This presentation will highlight reestablishment of the landscape's natural capacity to store and manage water in the Marengo River Watershed of Ashland County, Wisconsin. Kyle will discuss an interdisciplinary, community-driven partnership project developing integrated assessment protocols and strategies to facilitate restoration, reduce flood risks, protect infrastructure and build resilience.

This event is a product of Minnesota Sea Grant's Twin Ports Climate Conversations project and supports our Community Resilience Program.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: REGISTER HERE

Image credit: Dave Hoefler. Unsplash.com

BBQ and Boating Safety, 5-7pm 

1854 Treaty Authority's 2021 Niibin (summer) newsletter is NOW AVAILABLE.

It features an update on 1854-Duluth office COVID-19 policy. Check out seasonal reminders, such as how to access treaty camping opportunities in the Superior National Forest, what ‘treaty access’ to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness entails, and tips on boating safely. Meet our seasonal Resource Management staff, and learn how 1854 is doing our part to educate the 117^th congress and the new administration of their trust responsibilities.

Need a refresher on the 1854 Treaty and what it means for you? Join the Iron Range 'We Are Water' speaker series Zoom Webinar this Thursday May 27th at 6pm! 1854 Treaty Authority Education/Outreach staff break down some of the misconceptions and interpret the case law that gave rise to our organization and snapshots of how we work to protect the culturally significant resources on ceded lands.