Current Projects in the Minnesota's National Forests

Superior NF

Chippewa NF

Devils Trout Project

• Project north of Grand Marais, between Devils Track and Trout Lakes
• Comment period on Environmental Assessment closed May 15.
• See documents and submit comments

Whyte Project

• East of the White Pine picnic area on Hwy 2. Now open for scoping, comment deadline June 9, 2006.
• Open house at Aurora office, May 31.
• See scoping report and submit comments

Northwoods Project

• The project area is situated between Blackduck, MN and Lake Winnibigoshish.
• The area encompasses nearly 73,000 acres with four landscape ecosystems.
• Status:  The Environmental Assessment (EA) was finished.
• See EA

Portage Lake Project

• Project northwest of Leech Lake will have Environmental Assessment soon.
• See scoping report and submit comments

Southeast Project

• Project around Remer will have Environmental Assessment soon.
• See scoping report and submit comments

Superior

Chippewa

• This logging along the Echo Trail will thin and clear forests that serve as the corridor between the two areas of the BWCAW.  
  EA and Decision Notice
  Sierra Club appeal (pdf, 57k)
  US District Court opinion (pdf, 1.3M)
• Status: Forest Service must do Environmental Impact Statement (EIS); rolled into Echo Trail project

Dunka Project

• Dunka River flows through the proposed logging area, south of Ely and east of Aurora, MN.  
• Most of the logging will be proposed in jack pine/black spruce forest, with some red pine thinning. 
• Dunka includes lowland black spruce logging, which is renewed in the forest plans.  Logging in wetlands had been stopped because of erosion and water pollution.
• Maps and documents

Holmes Chipmunk Project

• West of Vermilion River, north to Voyageurs National Park
• Maps and documents

Inga South Project

• Logging is surrounding Isabella, MN, extending four miles north and south of Hwy 1. Includes clearcuts visible from Flathorn-Gegoka ski trails.
• Documents and maps
• Status:  An Environmental Assessment (EA) will be released in winter 2005-6.

Tomahawk Project

• This logging project north of Hwy. 1 will thin and clear forests right up to the wilderness area. 
• Edge effects will reach into the BWCAW, increasing risks of ATV intrusions, similar to Big Grass project.
  Maps and documents
  Sierra Club comments (pdf, 251k)
  Photo Essay from Tomahawk lands to be clearcut.
• Status: bids have been taken, and one awarded; we argued in court that cumulative impacts, recreational impacts, and road construction demand an EIS. Judge Erickson will issue a ruling, probably in November.

Virginia Project

• This 10-year plan for aspen rotation and pine restoration covers the entire outlying area of Superior NF north of Hibbing and Virginia.  
• Environmental Impact Statement
  Sierra Club comments (pdf, 220k)

South Leech Lake 

• This project covers the southwest corner of the forest.
• Documents and maps

Leech Lake River Project Area

• This project in the watershed between Leech Lake and the Mississippi River encompasses nearly 123,000 acres and will log aspen and pine forests.
• The District abandoned interior forest habitat for sensitive species, but when Sierra Club appealed, the agency protected the biggest patch of mature forest.
• It may still decommission a good amount of roads, including one leading to the forest's only roadless area.
• Sierra Club comments (pdf, 56k) 
  Sierra Club appeal (pdf, 480k)

Upper Bowstring River Project Area

• 104,000 acre Upper Bowstring watershed, includes 629 acres of clearcutting.
• Sierra Club comments (pdf, 326k)

Rambling Woods Project Area

• The project area contains 103,387 acres of land located between Blackduck and Cass Lake.
• Sierra Club comments (pdf, 54k)

Mississippi River Vegetation Project Area

• Located in the Mississippi River watershed, it consists of dry/mesic pine/oak landscape.
• These waters will eventually reach the gulf coast and carry with them the sediment resulting from the erosion due to logging.
• Sierra Club comments