Environment

Duluth Fire Department Warns About Dry Conditions and Fireworks

DULUTH, Minn.– It will be a very hot and dry weekend for the holiday but the Duluth Fire Department reminds the community that even though we have had some rain, there is still a high fire danger warning. With fireworks, campfires, and grills expected to be in use all weekend, there is still high potential that if you don’t extinguish…

Bayfront Festival Park Preparing for a Busy Fourth Fest Weekend

Up to 30,000 people are expected to come through Bayfront Festival Park this weekend for three days of live music and celebratory events.

DULUTH, Minn.– Big preparations are underway for one jam-packed 4th of July weekend at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth. Bayfront Festival Park is expecting between 20,000-30,000 people for Fourth Fest Weekend. We stopped by to find out what they’re doing to prepare, and how they plan on getting these large crowds through the gates. “We’re very excited. By losing a…

Wilderness Experience Pioneer Camp

DULUTH, Minn.– A day camp through Wilderness Experience for kids kindergarten to 2nd grade, is teaching the youth this week about pioneering by getting them involved working with farm animals and preparing garden beds to plant seeds. The Director of Wilderness Experience explained why it’s so important to teach kids about the outdoors, “It’s important to the development of kids…

Rose Garden Park Maintenance Talks about Community Feedback

DULUTH, Minn.– The nearly five acres of the Rose Garden in Leif Erikson park, which features thousands of flowers, is now in full bloom. We caught up with the city’s maintenance team earlier today that’s working on maintaining the park’s beauty, who says it takes a lot of time and effort. “I feel the public really appreciates the garden, I…

Parks up North Shore Expecting Crowds for Holiday Weekend

TWO HARBORS, Minn.– The future looks bright as businesses and parks up the North Shore are anticipating a busy 4th of July weekend. Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse are two highly visited areas up the shore, it’s an exciting time with big crowds expected to come through this weekend. “Visitation is still up, as it was similar to last…

Minnesota Bracing for Extended Drought, Wildfire Conditions

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota authorities are bracing for an extended wildfire season, saying the typical summer reprieve is looking more and more unlikely. Wildfires are typically at their worst in the spring and fall, slowing down in the summer when trees and plants are fully green and rain increases. But more than half of the state is experiencing drought conditions…

Hayward Fly Fishing Company Offers Advice for Musky Fishing

HAYWARD, Wisc.– For those planning to take part in the fishing contest in Hayward this weekend, one shop has its doors open to answer any potential questions. The Hayward Fly Fishing Company is now operating under new ownership, and after being a fly fishing guide for 8 years prior, Stuart Neville offered a little advice on how to catch a…

Mushroom Madness in the Great North Woods

The Hobby of Mushrooming is Picking Up Across Many Parts of the Northland

DULUTH, Minn. – It’s a mushroom madness in the great north woods right now. With the foraging season kicking off in May, local mushroom masters say now is a great time to start the hunt. “It kind of started as a freak accident,” said Ariel Bonkoski, a forager from Duluth. It’s not a hobby that fits everyone’s forte. “When I…

NRRI Looks to Public to Measure Stream Height

DULUTH, Minn.– Since 2017, the Natural Resources Research Institute has placed measurement gauges in streams throughout Duluth and neighboring areas, and now they continue to need your help in tracking this important data. Those participating can text in the height of the water to a national database that uses the recording to study stream behavior and environmental impacts. Organizers says…

Time to Hunt! City of Duluth Hosting Event for ‘National Get Outdoors Day’

The Event is Happening Saturday, June 12 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

DULUTH, Minn. – If you’re itching to get outside and explore with your friends and family this weekend, the City of Duluth has the perfect opportunity with prizes attached. The Parks and Rec Dept. is teaming up with Leadership Duluth to host a citywide scavenger hunt. It’s happening Saturday, June 12, which marks National Get Outdoors Day. The hunt is…

Great Lakes Aquarium Educates Public on Harms of Using Lead Lures

DULUTH, Minn.– In light of fishing season, the Great Lakes Aquarium is raising awareness about the harmful consequences of using lead lures and their impact on the loon population in Minnesota. Lead poisoning is one of the main causes of death in loons and Great Lakes Aquarium is partnering with Get the Lead out Minnesota to raise awareness about the…

Duluth Fire Dept: Rip Currents ‘can quite easily develop’ While Swimming

There was not a red flag rip current warning in effect at the time, so officials advise caution when swimming.

DULUTH, Minn- The Duluth Fire Department is urging the public to be cautious and alert when swimming the beaches on Park Point this summer, after they rescued a teen from sudden and unforeseen rip currents Saturday. “It’s just a good reminder that Lake Superior can be very unpredictable. The weather here in Duluth is very unpredictable, these conditions can develop…

Lightning Strike Ignites 2-Acre Wildfire Within BWCAW

Smoke from the fire and aircraft activity could be noticeable in the area especially along Highway 169/Highway 1 between Tower and Ely.

DULUTH, Minn.- A lightning strike is believed to be the cause of a fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), estimated at roughly 2 acres. According to the U.S. Forest Service, late in the day on June 4th, a wildfire was detected southwest of Hassel Lake in BWCAW on the LaCroix Ranger District of the Superior National Forest. Hassel…

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Announces Plan to Remove Dredging Debris from Park Point

In the past nine months, surveyors have discovered a gallon of mostly rocks and wood but also taconite pellets, nails, and other man made fragments.

DULUTH, Minn.- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Duluth have announced a plan to cleanup aluminum and tin metal fragments from Park Point Beach. The Corps had spread dredged sediment the help rebuild the beach washing away on Minnesota Point — but it left shards of decades old aluminum cans mixed into the sand. Since then…

Water Emergency on BWCA Leaves One Dead

The victim had been underwater for two to three minutes according to his party. 

ST. LOUIS COUNTY.–  The St. Louis County sheriff’s deputies responded to a water emergency on trout lake in the BWCA Monday afternoon at 2:20 p.m. Due to poor cell phone service, it took authorities longer to find out a 51-year-old male had fallen out of a boat and into the water on the north arm of the lake. The victim…

Forest Service Offers Tips on How To Prevent Wildfires

DULUTH, Minn.– The Superior National Forest is reminding the public of the near-critical fire conditions in the Northland as the amount of rain we’ve seen is low, and showers have been spotty. As some areas experience droughts, the foliage is extra dry this spring. Wildfires are a huge concern this time of year, and prevention is a priority, “we just…

Superior Fire Department Warns Public About Dry Conditions Causing Wildfires

SUPERIOR, Wis.– With warmer weather on the way, that means people are going to start doing more outdoor activities especially having camp fires. But with those comes the dangers of a possible wildfire. This spring is drier than normal, and the Superior Fire Department is warning the public to be smart, as an increased amount of wildfires are happening in…

Wildwoods Sees More Orphaned Animals Coming In, Starts Amazon Registry For Supplies

Click here to buy items from Wildwoods’ Amazon registry, and click here to make a financial donation to the nonprofit.  DULUTH, Minn. — The Wildwoods Rehabilitation Center in Duluth is seeing more orphaned baby squirrels, bunnies, and other animals brought in as the weather warms up, and now the team there has launched an Amazon registry to help collect essential…

Learning Life Lessons During Nature Night in Gary New Duluth

Nature Nights Will Continue Through the Summer for Youth in the Duluth Area

GARY NEW DULUTH, Minn. – Getting kids off cell phones, and into the forest. It’s a goal of one teacher in the Gary New Duluth neighborhood as the community’s rec center continues to host Nature Nights. “In spring, kids should smell like dirt,” said Leslie Bucar, youth director at the Gary New Duluth Rec Center. You can practically smell the…

Dredging of ‘Football Field’s’ Worth of Contaminants Begins in Superior’s Howards Bay

The project aims to remove thousands of cubic yards of contaminants left there by fossil fuels like coal, gas, and oil over the years by previous industries.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- A dredging project in Howards Bay along Connor’s Point aims to remove thousands of cubic yards of contaminants left there by fossil fuels like coal, gas, and oil over the years by previous industries. “The main goal is to cleanup Howard’s Bay,” said Corey Weston, P.E., Chief of Construction and Survey Section with the U.S. Army Corps of…

Castle Danger Brewery in Two Harbors Ready to Operate for the Summer

TWO HARBORS, Minn.– Minnesota Governor Tim Walz yesterday announced the loosening of many restrictions beginning today including getting rid of mandatory closure times at bars and restaurants while eliminating outdoor dining limits. We caught up with leadership from Castle Danger Brewery in Two Harbors who says they’re eager to operate in a more normal capacity as they hope it’s a…

Bears Come A-Knockin’ At Home In Superior’s Billings Park

SUPERIOR, Wis. — We’re all coming out of hibernation with the nicer weather, including a  family of bears in Superior’s Billings Park neighborhood. Ken Kurtz captured five black bears on his security camera and tried to scare them off the property by yelling through the mic on the camera while at his winter home in Palm Springs, California. But he…

Friendly Reminders from Wildwoods as Spring Newborn Season Arrives

Wildwoods Would Like to Remind the Public to Contact Their Office Before Dealing with Wildlife, Especially Newborn Animals

DULUTH, Minn. – Spring is a time for new life, and new beginnings, especially in the animal kingdom. Come late May and early June, fawns will start to be born, and oftentimes people end up getting in between the newborns and their mother. Staff at Wildwoods Rehabilitation Center in Duluth are currently dealing with calls for baby birds, squirrels, and…

UPDATE: Crews Still Battling Wildfire North of Virginia, Homes No Longer in Danger

As of about 5:30 the fire was still not contained.

 UPDATE: The Northland FireWire reports that fire officials say the blaze has now burned 86 acres, but is close to being contained. _________________________________________________________________________ UPDATE: According to the Northland FireWire, A fire official said the blaze burned about 56 acres so far. Several homes in the immediate area were evacuated, however, the wind shifted and those homes are no longer in…

Enbridge Line 3 Halfway Done, on Pause Until May

Since April, work is currently on an environmentally mandated "Spring Break" pause.

DULUTH, Minn.- Enbridge’s Line-3 Pipeline Replacement Project is 50% complete. During a virtual open house Tuesday, construction officials said 200 miles of the pipeline is welded, coded, in the ground and back-filled — leaving roughly 140 more miles left. Since April, work is currently on an environmentally mandated “Spring Break” pause. “We are paused and the reason for that pause…

DNR: More Fishing Tournaments Using Immediate Release

  MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin fishery officials say more tournaments are abandoning their traditional catch-hold-release formats. The Department of Natural Resources says the number of bass and walleye tournaments that have eschewed the traditional catch-hold-release format for catch-photo-release rules has increased from an average of six annually between 2010 and 2015 to more than 30 per year from 2015…

Wisconsin DNR: More Fishing Tournaments Using Immediate Release

In catch-hold-release tournaments, anglers transport fish to weigh-in areas, where they're released but not in the areas where they're caught.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin fishery officials say more tournaments are abandoning their traditional catch-hold-release formats. The Department of Natural Resources says the number of bass and walleye tournaments that have eschewed the traditional catch-hold-release format for catch-photo-release rules has increased from an average of six annually between 2010 and 2015 to more than 30 per year from 2015 to…

Most of Duluth’s Natural Surface Trails Reopen After Closing Due to Wet Conditions

City staff ask trail users to observe proper trail etiquette and stewardship by respecting individual trail closures and avoiding any wet/muddy trails.

DULUTH, Minn.- The majority of natural surface trails in Duluth are now open and ready for public use, according to the City’s Parks and Recreation Division. City staff ask trail users to observe proper trail etiquette and stewardship by respecting individual trail closures and avoiding any wet/muddy trails. If you notice that you are leaving a footprint or bicycle tire…

St. Louis County Rescue Squad Responds to Man in Overturned Canoe in Elbow Lake

COOK, Minn.-. St. Louis County Rescue Squad and several other rescue agencies made a water rescue at Elbow Lake near Cook, where a Duluth man was found at an overturned canoe Thursday evening. At approximately 4:41 p.m. Thursday, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office along with the Cook Ambulance Service, St. Louis County Rescue Squad, U.S. Forest Service, and Virginia…

At ‘Moment of Peril,’ Biden Opens Global Summit on Climate

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden has convened a global climate summit – by livestream from around the world because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden started it out Thursday with an ambitious U.S. pledge to cut by at least one-half the climate-wrecking coal and petroleum fumes that America is pumping out. He is hoping the commitment, along with similar ones…

Minnesota Point Beach Nourishment Project Moves Forward

A Survey of the Project will Begin by Early May With Cleanup Finished by Sept., 2021

DULUTH, Minn.-Earlier today the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency gave an update on this year’s dredging project on Park Point. They talked about the risks involved with placing man made materials on Park Point after metal shards were found along the beach from a previous dredging. The MPCA says it is making sure this…

Duluth’s Sustainability Officer Ready To Tackle City Council’s ‘Climate Emergency’ Declaration

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth’s sustainability officer, Mindy Granley, is applauding the city council’s declaration of a “climate emergency” and says she’s ready to take Duluth to the next level to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the city. Granley says the city will be creating an initial five-year “climate action plan,” which will be presented to the council by the…

Volunteers Pick Up Dog Waste, Remind There’s No ‘Poop Fairy’ on Duluth Trails

City staff along with students from Harbor City International School picked up more than 50 pounds of doggie doo-doo

DULUTH, Minn.- Some Duluthians took advantage of Sunday’s stinky weather to do a crappy job — helping keep Duluth’s trials and waterways free of dog poop. City staff along with students from Harbor City International School picked up more than 50 pounds of doggie doo-doo in the first couple miles of the Hawk Ridge trail. Volunteers say they wanted to…

UPDATE: Firefighters Investigating Cause, Watching for Hotspots on Highway 61 After Multiple Fires Saturday

The multiple fires have burned an estimated 45 acres, according to the the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center. 

  GRAND RAPIDS, Minn.- Hotspots along Highway 61 North of Silver Bay are still being monitored Sunday by fire crews from six different area fire departments, Minnesota DNR Fire and Air assets, and Lake County Rescue squad, among other responders. The cause remains under investigation. The multiple fires have burned an estimated 45 acres, according to the the Minnesota Interagency…

Highway 61 Reopens After Numerous Grass Fires, Silver Bay Police Say

Authorities say "numerous grass fires" forced the closure of Highway 61 north of Silver Bay, which is an area near the Tettegouche State Park.

SILVER BAY, Minn.- A portion of Highway 61 has reopened in Silver Bay, Minnesota, after grass fires were burning near the road. According to a Facebook Post on the Silver Bay Police Department Page, “numerous grass fires” forced the closure of Highway 61 north of Silver Bay, which is an area near the Tettegouche State Park. Around 8:00 p.m. authorities…

Line 3 Pipeline Protesters March Through Downtown Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — A group of Line 3 pipeline protesters marched through the streets of downtown Duluth Sunday morning. The march was led by Indigenous water protectors, as they prefer to be called. The activists believe the pipeline is a threat to Native American waters and climate change. A Duluth police spokesperson said officers observed the protest from afar and…

Superior National Forest to Start Prescribed Fires

Officials say residents around Virginia, Ely and Grand Marais may notice some smoke and see flames.

DULUTH, Minn.- The Superior National Forest is set to start a series of prescribed fires across the forest as soon as this week. Officials say residents around Virginia, Ely and Grand Marais may notice some smoke and see flames. The planned fires protect not only plant and wildlife, but also nearby homes and buildings from hazardous fuels and even wildfires….

City of Duluth Urges Proper Road Sand, Salt Disposal at Collection Sites

According to officials, this allows them to properly dispose it, and keep it out of the area's waterways

DULUTH, Minn.- As winter slowly wraps up, people may notice a lot of road sand in their sidewalks and boulevards pushed there by snow plows. Instead of just throwing it in the trash the City of Duluth is asking people deposit it at one of their road sand collection sites. According to officials, this allows them to properly dispose it,…

$2.9 Million Proposal Would Better Prepare Minnesota Communities for Effects of Climate Change

The Proposal of $2.9 Million Would Provide Grants to Roughly 15 Communities in Central, Northeastern Minnesota

DULUTH, Minn. – Climate change is expensive, and now with a new proposal from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), funding for preventative planning and infrastructure repairs could become a reality. The proposal is for $2.9 million in grant money to be spent over the next two years. According to the MPCA, funding would help…

Planning Moves Forward For 2022 Seawall Reconstruction, Walkway Redesign Behind DECC 

Duluth Council gave the go-ahead to begin looking at designs for reconstructing the aging seawall and the surrounding greenspace from the Slip to Bayfront.

DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth City Council passed two resolutions for pre-design and pre-engineering work for Phase II  of seawall construction and rehabilitating the pedestrian walkway along Harbor Drive between Canal Park and Bayfront. Councilors say they expect construction to begin on the seawall in 2022. They plan to use some of the $13 million in state bonding bill money the city…

U.S. Rep. Stauber Hears Iron Rangers’ Hopes to Bring Critical Minerals Mining to Region

In what he called a community conversation in Aurora, MN, the Congressman heard feedback which he plans to bring back to Washington D.C.

AURORA, Minn.- 8th District Congressman Pete Stauber stopped by the Aurora Community Center Monday for a town hall style meeting with Iron Rangers, joining them in wanting to bring critical minerals mining to the Iron Range. “It’d be nice to see a new generation of people coming to the Iron Range to take on the next generation of mining,” said…

Looking Through the Lens of the Lighthouse Keeper

Split Rock Lighthouse Site Manager, Hayes Scriven, Has Passion for Capturing Nature's Beauty On The Job

TWO HARBORS, Minn. – They say a picture is worth a thousand words. The statement holds ever so true for one lucky photographer living along the North Shore of Lake Superior. “Photography and Split Rock go together like peanut butter and jelly, they’re just delicious together,” said Hayes Scriven, site manager at Split Rock Lighthouse. You could say the COVID-19…

Tree Clearing for Bats, Soil Processing Last Steps Before Mission Creek Restoration Work in August

Crews start tree clearing Wednesday, and expect soil processing to finish by the end of July.

DULUTH, Minn.- Reconstruction work is finally set to begin this summer on the Mission Creek burial site in Duluth’s Fond Du Lac neighborhood, three years after MnDOT crews accidentally tore it up working to replace the Highway 23 Bridge there. Before they can get started, they have to finish some prep work which includes a plan to keep the area’s…