Winton Hydroelectric
Project
This winter saw the end to five years of a collaborative team for relicensing
of the Winton Hydroelectric Project, the power dam on Fall Lake. CWCS
was represented in this process, along with Allete, Inc. (Minnesota
Power), U. S. Forest Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources,
and White Iron Chain of Lakes Association. The final agreement has been
sent to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for its approval. You
will hear more about this when the public comment period begins.
CWCS Accepted As Member
of the Mesaba Project Committee
Recently CWCS has been accepted as a member of the Mesaba Project Committee.
The Mesaba Project is a copper and nickel mining project proposed by
Teck Cominco, a Canadian-based integrated resource company. Teck Cominco
has developed a new hydrometallurgical technology, rather than smelting,
to extract high purity copper and nickel metal from ore bodies in the
region. They would process the ore at the existing facilities at the
former LTV site near Hoyt Lakes, MN.
Chain of Lakes Lawsuit
CWCS has filed affidavits for our intervention in the lawsuit defending
the U. S. Forest Service’s adjustments to the motor permit quotas for
the Moose and Saganaga Chain of Lakes. The
good news is... there will be more permits available this year for these
chains of lakes. We are awaiting the court’s decision in this case.
To raise money for this lawsuit, CWCS’s boat raffle has been upgraded
to a really nice deep 16' Lund with a 25hp 4 stroke Evinrude motor!
More information on the raffle can be found further down this page.
Proposed BWCA Land
Swap
This is proving to be much more complicated than one would think. An
outright buy-out by the federal government isn't even allowed according
to Minnesota State Law. The Friends of the Boundary Waters and the Sierra
Club have come out in favor of a buy-out of the land, rather than a
swap. Any sale of school trust lands would have to be put up for a public
auction. In trying to figure the value of lands within the Boundary
Waters, a swap would have to equate to two to three times more federal
lands outside the Boundary Waters. Land outside the Boundary Waters
would be able to produce revenue for the school trust fund with logging
and other means. This is something the Friends do not want to see.
The purpose of school trust lands is to generate
monies for the school trust fund to benefit the public school system.
For the past 25 years, since the creation of the BWCA Wilderness Act
of 1978, the state school trust lands in the Boundary Waters have been
restricted in producing revenues in accordance to our state constitution.
One of CWCS’s main concerns is the possibility
of the state losing all control of land management within the Boundary
Waters if there is a buy-out or a swap of lands. Our members do not
want to see an end to hunting or fishing in this area. Before CWCS backs
any form of land swap, we want to know all our options. This will be
an issue that will be discussed over the coming months and at our annual
meeting in August.
CWCS president Nancy McReady receives hug from boat winner Tony Matkaiti
Please
remember that CWCS will no longer automatically mail boat tickets to
our membership, as in the past. We have limited the number of tickets
to be sold to 2500, each at $5. You may purchase them by contacting
board directors directly, filling out the ticket order form on the Summer 2007 newsletter, or by making
your request for tickets by email at: info@cwcs.org.
Conservationists with Common Sense would like to thank Aronson's Boat Works, Devil Track Resort and Jim Kivela for providing the prizes in the 2007 CWCS raffle. Thanks to the many businesses who sold the tickets - In Ely, Wilderness Outfitters, The Great Outdoors, Mike's Liquor, Ely Shopper, Skube's Bait & Tackle, LaTourell's Resort; in Tower, Aronson's Boat Works; in Babbitt, Tank's Bar and Blomberg's; and in Grand Marais, Trail Center, Devil Track Resort and Devil Track General Store. Thanks also to everyone who helped at the CWCS booth at the Ely Blueberry Arts Festival and Harvest Moon Festival this year. And thanks to Brandon Baribeau from Duluth for drawing the winning tickets!
Winner of the boat, motor & trailer provided by Aronson's Boat Works:
Tony Matkaiti
Stacy, MN
Winner of the 2-night stay at Devil Track Resort donated by Chris & Emily LaVigne:
Dan Marks
Duluth, MN
Winner of the trolling motor donated by Jim Kivela:
Todd Armbruster
Ely, MN
Sunday, September 9, 2007 at Whiteside Park
at the close of the Harvest Moon Festival
$5 CWCS Boat Raffle $5
Raising money for the South Fowl lawsuit - 2500 maximum tickets
1st Prize: Lund WC 16' Boat, Mercury 25HP EFI 4-Stroke & Trailer
2nd Prize: MinnKota Trolling Motor (Donated by Pike Bay Repair, Tower)
3rd Prize: 2-Night Stay/Dinner for 2 at Devil Track Resort (donated by Chris & Emily LaVigne, Grand Marais)
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