DULUTH, Minn. — It’s that time of the year when the nights reach below freezing temperatures, and daytime stays above. Due to this annual freeze-thaw cycle, Duluth’s natural trails are closed until further notice. The mix of below and above freezing temps, can make the soil wet and vulnerable, ultimately damaging trails with continued use. Because of this, the Duluth…
DULUTH, Minn.–Not sure what to do with your Jack-O-Lantern after Halloween? Well instead of letting it turn to mush, you can add it to a compost pile. UMD students researching Sustainable Food Systems are coming together to collect unwanted pumpkins. There are two dumpsters on campus designated for collecting pumpkins. One is located near the Bagley Nature Center and the…
DULUTH, Minn. – A special honor for Duluth today as the Minnesota Land Trust awarded the city their Partner of the Year for its effort in recognizing the potential of outdoor recreation and green space preservation. This is part of the trust’s 2022 Treasured Places event, and the first time Duluth has received this award. Contributing factors include cleaning up…
DULUTH, Minn. – It will be at least another eight months until a portion of Duluth’s Cross City Trail is back open. The City of Duluth and the Environmental Protection Agency recently provided an update on the work being done to clean up and restore the ponds behind Erie Pond. This area is part of the St. Louis Area of…
DULUTH, Minn. – The November 8th election is just around the corner, and Duluth residents will be voting on whether to approve a new Parks Fund levy that would replace the current levy that took effect in 2012. Jim Filby Williams, the city’s Property, Parks and Libraries director, told FOX 21’s Dan Hanger Wednesday that many of Duluth’s 120 invested…
DULUTH, MN – In recent years, local farmers have been experiencing changing seasonal patterns which are causing concern and forcing them to adjust and adapt some of their farming techniques. In partnership with the Minnesota Sea Grant, The Minnesota DNR is hosted a Climate Conversations at Whole Foods Co-op Denfeld Tuesday with local food leaders, farmers, and members of the…
DULUTH, Minn. – “The magic of Hartley Park is getting kids and people outside and connected to the natural world,” Hartley Nature Center Executive Director, Tom O’Rourke said. Hartley Nature Center held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of its building expansion along with other park related improvements. New additions to the building include two classrooms, a restroom, office…
DULUTH, Minn. — FOX 21 Meteorologist Ken Slama takes us inside the Duluth office of the National Weather Service in this week’s Knowing Your Neighbors. Categories: Education, Environment, Minnesota, News, News – Latest News
DULUTH, Minn. – It was a perfect fall day in the Northland Saturday, especially for those wanting to see the foliage. People were out and about over at Enger Park, taking advantage of the overview of Duluth’s east and west side. Reds, oranges, and yellows have taken over Duluth as we are nearing our peak. We caught up with Prudie and…
DULUTH, Minn.–The leaves are beginning to change colors, which means pretty soon trees will be bare and the ground will be covered with leaves, but here’s some good you can do with your leaf piles. Through the early days of this fall season, you can bring bags of leaves or yard waste to the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD),…
DULUTH, Minn. — Tuesday, a plan is in place to euthanize hundreds of geese next summer in Duluth to help restore native wild rice on the St. Louis River. Wildlife officials with the Minnesota and Wisconsin DNRs say decoys and fencing can help scare off some of the Canada geese. This is not enough to restore nearly 300 acres of…
DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Louis River Alliance held an Estuary Extravaganza to honor the designation of the St. Louis River Estuary National Water Trail. The St. Louis River Estuary was officially designated in 2020, but due to COVID concerns, an official ribbon cutting was held off until today. Up until its designation, people were unable to recreate freely on…
DULUTH, Minn. – Monday, the Forest Service visited Hartley Pond as part of a national lake study. Hartley is one of 250 lakes across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan that have been sampled this summer. The survey is being conducted to determine whether there are any stressors to the lakes as well as the differences between them. It’s been 40 years…
DULUTH, Minn. — The Water Is Life Festival is coming up Sunday, Sept. 4 at Bayfront Festival Park. One of the many musicians playing at the event, David Huckfelt, stopped by the morning show to talk about the mission behind the event and what to expect! Check out his interview and songs below, and click here for more info. on…
SUPERIOR NATIONAL FOREST, Minn.– One year ago, the Greenwood fire tore through northern Minnesota, damaging the natural life. But now, the forest is coming back to life once again. August 15th last year, lighting sparked a massive fire that burned for months. The severe drought causing abnormally dry conditions fueled the flames that ended up scorching nearly 30,000 acres of…
Greenwood Fire/USDA Forest Service DULUTH, Minn. – One year ago, Aug. 15, 2021, lighting sparked the massive Greenwood Wildfire in northern Minnesota that would burn for months. The abnormally dry conditions fueled the flames, scorched nearly 30,000 acres of land and destroyed dozens of cabins and outbuildings. Nobody was hurt or killed during the weeks-long firefight and evacuations, which included…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Fire Department issued a Rip Current Warning for Park Point beaches Monday, which will last until 10 a.m. Tuesday. “This warning means that wind and wave conditions can support rip currents,” according to Assistant Chief Dennis Edwards. “Rip currents are life-threatening to anyone entering the water. Stay out of the water regardless of your swimming…
ASHLAND, Wis. – Enbridge’s Line 5 was shut down for a short time period this week after a trace amount of petroleum product was found in the soil from what is being called a historical discharge. The company says it was detected during scheduled system maintenance Wednesday, August 3, near a valve site around Old Airport Road and Holmes Road southeast…
INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn. – The recovery from this year’s historic flooding in the Rainy Lake Basin continues in Koochiching County. All No Wake zones that were placed in late May have been removed. They were first established within 300 feet of shorelines, then 500 feet, to limit potential damage to buildings and infrastructure along waterways. Sheriff Perryn Hedlund says water levels…
DULUTH, Minn. – Solar energy and beer are colliding in a good way at Ursa Minor Brewing in Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. The brewery has installed a 24.8 kilowatt solar panel system on the roof. It’s part of the company’s effort to prioritize going green. We’re told beer is a very energy intensive product to produce, so the system doesn’t…
DULUTH, Minn. — Summer is heating up and you may be tempted to take to the local beaches. Before you jump in the water, it’s important to know if any beach advisories are in place. Lake Superior had a recent series of beach advisories. On July 20th, no water contact advisories were placed on Bluebird Landing Beach, Minnesota Point Harborside…
DULUTH, Minn. – Perch Lake is located on Duluth’s south side, between New Duluth and Fond du Lac. The 25-acre body of water used to be a bigger part of the St. Louis River estuary until human intervention occurred. “It used to have a really nice connection to the St. Louis River before Highway 23 and the railroad went in,” says…
DULUTH, Minn. — Teacher and environmentalist April Hepokoski stopped by the morning show Wednesday to talk about ways we can all reduce, reuse and recycle in our daily lives. Hepokoski started Zero Waste Duluth on social media and is also a contributor to “Zero Waste Kids,” a book designed to help young people think smarter about trash. For more on…
CARLTON, Minn. – June 11 was the latest “free park day” for all 75 of Minnesota’s parks and recreational areas. It also coincided with “national get outdoors day”, to promote the benefits of being outside in nature. Fox 21’s Owen Zagrabelny caught up with several people enjoying Jay Cooke State Park. Categories: Environment, News – Latest News, Video
DULUTH, Minn. – A community event was held today in support of pollinators and helping to increase their numbers in the northland. The Duluth Monarch Buddies hosted a marketplace at First United Methodist Church in Duluth. Several booths offered information and plants for sale that will help attract butterflies and other species that help pollinate them. The group was formed in…
DULUTH, Minn. — Volunteers began planting on superior street this morning, for the 19th annual “dig in for the downtown waterfront,” tradition. Each year, the event is put on by Duluth’s Greater Downtown Council. Kristi stokes, the Downtown Council President, said that the planting event is a way for community members to be a part of beautifying the area. If…
INT’L FALLS/KABETOGAMA, MINN. –“Mother nature has not been kind to us this year so far at all. So every week it’s like it could come up another foot, every week it could come up another foot, and it has.” Northern Minnesota residents who border Canada continue to battle historic flooding. It has devastated the area and hindered the beginning of…
INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn.- On Saturday Governor Tim Walz and U.S. senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith got a first-hand look at the damage historic flooding has caused in International Falls. The lawmakers toured the Emergency Operations Center, sandbagging sites, and various areas of flood damage. Back in April the governor authorized the national guard to support emergency flood operations in…
Photo: Michael Reid, Mallard Island Board Treasurer. KOOCHICHING COUNTY, Minn.- The historic flooding of the Rainy River Basin near International Falls is soaking and filling buildings on Mallard Island, one of the 5 review islands used for wildlife research, education, and advocacy in Rainy Lake. According to posts on the Mallard Island Facebook Page, volunteers have been working the past…
UPDATE: DULUTH, Minn.- The City of Duluth spokesperson announced that as of 5:21 p.m., Duluth City crews and a contractor restored power to the water pump station that serves the City of Proctor. Water service to Proctor residents has resumed normal operations. DULUTH, Minn.- Crews from the City of Duluth are on-scene at the Water Pump Station that serves the…
Photo: Hibbing Police Department Facebook Page HIBBING, Minn.- Officials with the Hibbing Police Department plan to take a volunteer team Thursday to the Kabetogama area, as the floodwaters continue to claim more homes. According to the National Weather Service, the flooding in the Rainy River Basin is historic, and already exceeded the records set in 2014. It could break all-time…
INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn.- The Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office asked that International Falls residents prepare to evacuate, as historic flooding of Rainy Lake forced the closure of County Road 135 and Town Road 225 Friday. According to an alert from the Minnesota Integrated Alert and Warning System or IPAWS shared on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page, County Road 135 closed at…
DULUTH, Minn. – Some homeowners on Park Point are getting buried in fine sand and silt, and some are even losing their yards to inches of the super fine particles. The problem is a result of the beach nourishment project from last year that built back multiple feet of beach by using dredging leftovers from the harbor. The city calls…
KOOCHICHING COUNTY, Minn. — Although the rivers in Duluth don’t seem to be too affected, just two and a half hours north, they’re experiencing what they’re calling historic flooding, and they expect it to get much worse. Residents of Rainy Lake up by the Canadian border and near International Falls, have not seen water levels like this since 2014, and…
SCANLON, Minn. – Weeks of heavy rainfall after the snowmelt have sent the St. Louis River on a wild ride, including in Scanlon. “It’s the highest we’ve seen in 10 years, 2012 obviously — the 500-year flood was the highest,” explained Aaron Hanson, co-owner of River Inn Bar & Grill, which sits along the river. During the 2012 flood, Hanson…
DULUTH, Minn. – Clean up of the former U.S. Steel Duluth Works site is getting a boost in funding. $113 million from the federal infrastructure bill passed last year will go towards the complete restoration of Spirit Lake, Munger Landing, and Scanlon Reservation. A key part of the project through next year is the dredging and removal of 406-thousand cubic yards…
Categories: Environment, Minnesota, News, News – Latest News
Photo: St. Louis County, when they delivered supplies to the community Friday. KABETOGAMA, Minn.- Kabetogama Township is asking for volunteers to help with sandbagging to protect properties from the rising floodwaters in the Namakan Water Basin. Kabetogama is a small community bordering Lake Kabetogama on the southern boundary of Voyageurs National Park. It includes approximately 200 lakeshore properties, among them…
DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth Fire Officials rescued two paddleboarders who drifted off the shore of Park Point, due to a sudden wind change early Saturday afternoon. According to Assistant Fire Chief Brent Consie, crews responded to reports of two teens that had drifted about 100 yards offshore of Park Point near the Beach House. Firefighters launched Marine units to make their…
MADISON, Wis. – Douglas, Ashland, and Bayfield Counties are among those with very high fire danger Saturday, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, due to dry conditions and low moisture. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is asking the public to stay vigilant and avoid burning because of very high fire danger across most of Wisconsin. Winds will…
DULUTH, Minn.- The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is warning visitors to the North Shore of hazardous conditions caused by recent storms and snow-melt, sharing images of washed-out trails across many state parks. According to the DNR, many tributaries to Lake Superior are breaching trails, roads, and bridges and have resulted in closures to portions of state parks and trails…
SOUTH RANGE, Wis. — The beautiful spring day Saturday had people taking advantage of the several state parks in the area. The recent ice melt made it the perfect time to stop by for some fishing walk the trails with family, or take pictures of the waterfall. “Into The Wild We Go” takes photographers on excursions to snap some shots…
Saturday’s high winds and dry conditions are posing dangers of wildfires in both Minnesota and Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, the state Department of Natural Resources has listed 52 counties in the “very high risk” category for fires, mostly in northern areas. Eight counties are listed as “high risk” and all other counties are at “moderate risk.” Officials said high winds, dry…
DULUTH, Minn. — We got an inside look at the new multimillion dollar building expansion of Duluth’s Hartley Nature Center. This $2.9 million dollar project was outlined in the 2014 Hartley Park Master Plan. It features new restrooms, community gathering centers, parking, and park-wide signage. The classrooms will also be upgraded to help nurture the educational component of their operations….
Categories: Environment, Minnesota, News, News – Latest News
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Federal regulators are recommending that the Army Corps of Engineers decline to reissue a key permit for the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine. The Environmental Protection Agency says the project could raise levels of mercury and other pollutants downstream from the site in northeastern Minnesota. It’s just a recommendation, but Minnesota Public Radio reports it could…
DULUTH, Minn.- Young environmentalists over at UMD kept the conversation around climate change fresh today with the help of a unique friend. This larger-than-life owl puppet made by the Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe helped attract people to the Duluth Power Dialogue in the Kirby Student Center. “We wanted to find a way to bring art and performance into the environmental…
(FOX 9) – Minnesota’s ban on poultry events has been extended until June 1 amid the outbreak of bird flu in the state. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health last month enacted a temporary ban on poultry exhibitions, including swaps, fairs, and other events where live poultry and other birds are brought together, as part of its response to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)….
DULUTH, Minn. — Homegrown Duluth Pack is the oldest canvas and leather bag/pack maker in the USA, and the company is celebrating its 140th anniversary with a limited edition Legacy Pack. FOX 21’s Dan Hanger recently chatted with Duluth Pack CEO Tom Sega about the new product and the company’s long success. Click on the video for that conversation and…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A majority of respondents to the Wisconsin Conservation Congress’ spring survey say they support limiting the state’s wolf population to 350 animals. The congress is an influential group of sportspeople who advise the state Department of Natural Resources on policy. The congress holds a survey each spring asking respondents for their thoughts on a host of…
