Today, we urge you to take action and help prevent the construction of a hydroelectric dam at High Falls on the Namakan River. The proposed project stands to irreversibly impact not only the scenic landscape of this pristine region, but also the wildlife of Voyageurs National Park. 

The Namakan River is a free-flowing wilderness corridor that connects Quetico Park in Ontario with Voyageurs National Park and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota. (See Figure 1, courtesy of the Quetico Foundation.) The Namakan is the last remaining waterway on the historic 19th-century voyageur route in eastern North America that has yet to be dammed.

Hydroelectric development (which includes blasting out ancient bedrock, altering the natural waterflow, and constructing power stations) will destroy the habitat of two threatened species: Lake Sturgeon and the Pygmy Snaketail Dragonfly. These species use the free-flowing Namakan River to reproduce. Any habitat loss and alteration will significantly impact their future in the Namakan ecosystem. Hydroelectric projects are the primary cause of the Lake Sturgeon’s decline. Learn more about this and other project concerns by clicking here.

Please take a moment to tell the Premier of Ontario and the project’s proponent that the hydroelectric projects on the Namakan River are unacceptable. CLICK HERE to comment now; a sample letter is inserted for you to use or alter. The Namakan River’s most valuable “use” is to preserve its extraordinary history, breathtaking scenery, and wildlife habitat for future generations.

On March 10, 2010, Voyageurs National Park Association (VNPA) will be part of Voyageurs National Park Day at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. This is our day to conference with the delegation and inform them of the important issues and opportunities for Voyageurs National Park and its gateway communities.

VNPA is a planning partner of this event, along with the Park, the City of International Falls, Destination Voyageurs National Park, and the counties of St. Louis and Koochiching. The Day at the Capitol is an historic event representing the efforts on behalf of all groups involved to collaborate for the betterment of the Park, its local communities, and its visitors.

Each of the groups attending the Day at the Capitol will bring key concerns and projects to the table. Laurel Beager, editor at the International Falls Daily Journal, interviewed several participants—including VNPA executive director Cory MacNulty—to learn about the many needs that will be discussed at the event. Read Beager’s article here: “Park’s Needs Subject of VNP Day at the Capitol” (1/19/10).

VNPA’s top priority to discuss with the delegation is our Land Preservation Initiative, our program to help the Park acquire private property within its legislated boundaries from willing sellers. The key to success and sustainability of this program is in securing federal dollars to purchase available lands. Thanks to a generous contribution from the WM Foundation, VNPA has established the Wallace C. Dayton Voyageurs National Park Legacy Fund to help purchase properties when they are on the market. Federal appropriations are necessary to free up Legacy Fund money for future purchases in order to protect the most land while its offered for sale. Read more about the Land Preservation Initiative on page 7 of our Winter 2009-2010 newsletter (PDF).

Read the International Falls Daily Journal for more about Voyageurs National Park Day at the Capitol.

We need your help, too! We’re going all the way to Washington, D.C. because this is an extraordinary, collaborative opportunity to protect Park lands, as well as achieve the many other important projects initiated by the Park’s communities. Please let your district Representative and your Senators know it’s important to you! Ask them to attend Voyageurs National Park Day at the Capitol, for the benefit of the Park’s gateway communities, the state of Minnesota, and the nation.

Voyageurs National Park Day at the Capitol
Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010

In Ontario, the species [lake sturgeon] is labeled “threatened”—reason enough for provincial and state biologists on both sides of the border to launch a special study on the Namakan River after the hydroelectric projects were proposed in 2005. According to Cory MacNulty, the executive director of the Minneapolis-based Voyageurs National Park Association, a nongovernmental group that aims to protect environmental and recreational values along the international border, the sturgeon research is clearly demonstrating the waterway’s importance to migrating fish. “We’re just beginning to learn how sturgeon are using this [river] system,” says MacNulty. “At the very minimum we should be postponing any project until we have a better idea of how sturgeon are using the river.”

OPEG recently released the draft Environmental Assessment of the project, and public comments are being accepted until February 26, 2010. VNPA encourages our members and constiuents to submit comments and help preserve a pristine Namakan River and protect lake sturgeon.

Comments should be sent to the following contacts and will be shared with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Full details of the project and how to submit your comments can be found at the OPEG website: http://high.opeg.ca.

Proponent:
Tim Saville, President
Ojibway Power and Energy Group
P.O. Box 248
Aurora, ON L4G 3H4
Canada

Proponent’s Agent:
Dale Gilbert, Environmental Coordinator
Chant Construction Limited
226 Edward Street
Aurora, ON L4G 3S8
Canada

Voyageurs National Park Association will prepare comments for OPEG and follow this issue closely. Read more about our concerns on page 6 of our Winter 2009-2010 print newsletter (PDF).

Read Mihell’s article here: “Canoe Trippers Be Dammed“(1/19/10) at Canoe & Kayak Magazine Online.

Today only, your gift to Voyageurs National Park Association will be matched! GiveMN.org, a new online donations website designed specifically for Minnesota nonprofits, is coordinating “Give to the Max Day,” which began today (November 17th) at 8:00 am and will last 24 hours until 8:00 am tomorrow. The Minneapolis Foundation, the Saint Paul Foundation, and the Bush Foundation have committed $500,000 in matching contributions for Minnesota nonprofits. They have also agreed to cover transaction costs so 100% of your contribution will go directly to our work supporting Voyageurs! Make your donation to Voyageurs National Park Association at VNPA’s GiveMN.org page.
 
As you plan your year-end giving, please remember Voyageurs National Park Association. The coming year will be filled with exciting advances in our programs to support Minnesota’s National Park, milestones including our organization’s 45th anniversary, and new opportunities for educating children about Voyageurs National Park through a film we helped produce with Twin Cities Public Television called Minnesota’s National Park Legacy. We will also continue our active campaigns to protect the air, land, and wildlife that make Voyageurs National Park so remarkable.
 
Every single gift counts! Make yours today at our GiveMN.org page.
 
(Tell a friend, too.)
 
From all of us here at Voyageurs National Park Association, we are so grateful for your support.

Mark your calendars for November 17! GiveMN.org, a new online donations website designed specifically for Minnesota nonprofits, is coordinating an event called “Give to the Max Day.” The Minneapolis Foundation, the Saint Paul Foundation, and the Bush Foundation have committed $500,000 in matching contributions for Minnesota nonprofits. They have also agreed to cover transaction costs so 100% of your contribution will go straight to us! Make your donation to Voyageurs National Park Association go further by participating in Give to the Max Day on November 17 (starting at 8:00 am and lasting 24 hours) at VNPA’s GiveMN.org page.

Tell a friend, too!

Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) reporter Stephanie Hemphill interviewed VNPA Executive Director Cory MacNulty for a feature on our collaborative efforts to clean up the air in northeastern Minnesota. Read and listen to the story here (original air date: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 on MPR’s All Things Considered.)

Last week, our email newsletter alerted members to the open public comment period for the revised Regional Haze State Implementation Plan that is designed to reduce air pollution over Voyageurs National Park and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Read the article here.

Stay connected with news about this issue and more. Sign up for our free email newsletter: enter your email into the space provided on our home page.

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One month ago on March 19th, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruled that the process that was used to create the last minute regulation by the Bush administration to allow concealed, loaded handguns in National Parks was “astoundingly flawed” because it “ignored substantial information in the administrative record concerning environmental impacts.” The regulation, which went into effect on January 9th, allowed concealed weapons in 388 of the nation’s 391 National Parks, including Voyageurs.

Before Judge Kollar-Kotelly’s ruling, the Obama Justice Department defended the rule change stating that it “does not alter the environmental status quo, and will not have any significant impacts on public health and safety.” However, this did not signal that the Obama administration intended to make the rule change permanent, as evidenced in Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s call for a full review of the process used to effect the rule change and Judge Kollar-Kotelly’s ensuing ruling.

The Association of National Park Rangers, the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, and the National Parks Conservation Association filed a joint suit to overturn the new law.  Park rangers, including seven former Directors of the Park Service, as well as 73 percent of the 140,000 people who voiced their opinions during the public comment period were also opposed to the new regulation, fearing that the new rule would lead to increased wildlife poaching, vandalism of historic resources, and gun-related accidents. Previously gun owners had been required to carry their guns unloaded and stowed away.

At Voyageurs National Park Association, we support a full EIS on the effects of the rule change. We do not believe the Department of Interior has yet provided ample justification for the gun regulation change in national parks, particularly in showing how the new regulation helps the National Park Service meet its mission.

The proposal calls for a total of 42,753 square miles of land designated as critical habitat, which would add nearly 40,913 sq. mi. to the existing habitat desgnation of merely 1,841 sq. mi. Suggested land is in Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming. In Minnesota, sections of Cook, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis counties are all included, though many towns, such as Kettle Falls, Kabetogama, and Crane Lake are not. The proposal would increase critical habitat in Minnesota from the current 317 sq. mi. in Voyageurs National Park to over 8,000 sq. mi. of northern Minnesota.

On October 21, 2008, the Draft Economic Analysis and Draft Environmental Assessment became available with the release of the revised proposed rule in the Federal Register, as well as a reopening of the period for public comments. Comments are due by November 20, 2008 and can be made by visiting ‘revised proposed rule’ link above (click on the comments icon) or by mail at the following address:

Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R6-ES-2008-0026; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203.

For more information about the Canada lynx and its habitat, see the FWS Mountain-Prairie website.

Image by digitalART2, licensed under Creative Commons.

Voting ‘Yes’ will help provide clean water for drinking, fishing and swimming and protect natural areas for recreation and wildlife conservation. A portion of the funds will go toward preserving our cultural heritage through promoting arts and cultural education.

To safeguard these highly valued resources that Minnesota is known for and thrives upon, the state sales and use tax would be increased by three-eighths of one percent—pennies or less a day from all of us. To learn more about the Amendment, please see www.yesformn.org.

Voting ‘Yes’ will help provide clean water for drinking, fishing and swimming and protect natural areas for recreation and wildlife conservation. A portion of the funds will go toward preserving our cultural heritage through promoting arts and cultural education.

To safeguard these highly valued resources that Minnesota is known for and thrives upon, the state sales and use tax would be increased by three-eighths of one percent—pennies or less a day from all of us. To learn more about the Amendment, please see www.yesformn.org.