If you are going to go anywhere, on foot, on mountain
bike, or canoe, expect to do a lot of bushwhacking. Regardless of which side of
Lake Superior you are on, this was the year the winds took down the trees.
I am the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Habitat Watch
volunteer for the Superior National Forest and the Lake Superior watershed.
Since the Lake Superior watershed also includes parts of Wisconsin, Michigan
and the province of Ontario, and since I spend a fairly substantial amount of
time on the Chequamegon National Forest in Wisconsin every year, realistically
I consider myself the Habitat Watch person for the entire western end of the
lake. Unfortunately, this year it doesn’t matter. The Kokapelli winds wreaked
havoc with the entire region at one point or another, this past spring and
summer.
As I explained to the MN- BHA board when I accepted this
assignment, I am more of an angler than I am a hunter. (Although it could be
argued that I am not much of an angler either.) Be that as it may, access
affects all of us who use the backcountry, whether it’s for hunting, fishing,
hiking, canoeing, mountain biking, any activity.
Although an earlier storm caused significant damage in
the Isabella area of Superior National Forest, it paled in comparison to the
devastation left in the wake of the storms of July 11th and 21st.
From the eastern and of the Chippewa National Forest through Duluth and
Minnesota’s Arrowhead region, and on the south shore, battering the Chequamegon-Nicolet
National Forest’s western reaches so badly that the forest shutdown most of its
northern areas. The damage on the Minnesota side resulted in numerous roads and
trails being blocked by blowdown, as well as raised water levels in lakes, streams,
rivers and even bogs.
I’m going to concentrate more on the damage done on the
Chequamegon side, because it had a tremendous impact not only on the habitat,
but also on the people of Douglas, Bayfield and Ashland Counties. Although a
dozen or so campers were evacuated from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area
following the July 21st storm, in Bayfield County three people died and 11 or injured
during the passage of the two storms. It is estimated that 12 to 15 inches of
rain fell on July 11th in about four hours time. This created tremendous
pressure on the rivers and streams of the region, producing considerable
erosion and in some cases re-creation of existing waterways. One trout fishing
guide whom I am friends with, said that the Marengo River in Bayfield County, WI,
(one of my most favorite trout streams) is now a totally different stream that
it was on July 10th. Twenty Mile Creek, a class one trout stream,
cut through over 30 feet of
asphalt, gravel, and dirt on US Highway 63 north of Grand View, leaving only the
bare concrete culvert structure, and taking the life of an elderly motorist and
nearly killing the deputy sheriff who attempted to rescue her.
In addition to the major roadways near Grand View,
Marengo and High Point, forest roads took the brunt of the storm’s fury. Even
as I write this on December 5th, several Forest Roads on the
Chequamegon remain closed, and will likely stay that way until early summer of
2017. The access road to the Beaver Lake Campground, a popular destination with
bear and deer hunters was totally washed away, closing the campground for the
season. Much of the forest remained closed and inaccessible until mid-November,
and was actively patrolled by Forest Law Enforcement Officers, state
Conservation Wardens and sheriff’s deputies who issued citations to those who
entered the area without authorization.
On the Superior National Forest, attempting to access a
number of trout lakes and streams in the Isabella and Sawbill Trail areas also
proved challenging, and at times prohibitive. At one lake I observed moose
tracks that tried to enter the blowdown to get to the water a several different
points before the animal broke through. Trying to access (politically
incorrect) Redskin Lake on my Cogburn bike, a USFS fire lane was impossible. Pancore
Lake was a in similar state.
The massive rainfall has produced another issue on
standing water. Lakes, ponds and bogs are overflowing, making passage difficult
for man and beast. Add to the high water levels, a very thriving beaver
population and many roads, trails and game paths are under water.
The Forest Service has advised me that they are, and have
been working on these issues since the storms (both Superior NF and Chequamegon
NF) and hope to have things in better shape. Until the fire season required
crews to go out west and then to the southeastern US, fire crews were dealing
with the blowdown issue on roads and popular hiking trails, along with
qualified volunteers.
I do receive SOPA (Schedule of Proposed Actions) and
permit/variance reports for the Superior, Chequamegon-Nicolet and Chippewa
National Forests, and similar information from the MN and WI Departments of
Natural Resources. Other than the mining issue that we have all been dealing
with, and the MN trout stream classification changes that I posted and sent
out, there has not been much that would have a direct, or even indirect effect
on fish and wildlife habitat. It should be noted that MN Trout Unlimited (of
which I am also a member) is actively working with the DNR to preserve some of
the streams scheduled to be delisted, citing the great success they have had
with the Vermillion River in the Farmington area, at bringing back “dead”
streams.
Going forward, we are going to have to remain vigilant.
The new administration is going to bring about changes, both good and bad. It
is too early and unfair to say that just because the Republicans are in control
that the environment is going to go to hell in a hand-basket. There will be
challenges, but the President-Elect has pledged to “Honor the legacy of Teddy
Roosevelt”, and if he holds to that, it can’t be a bad thing. (TR is one of my
heroes.)
Respectfully submitted,
Trailpatrol
MN-BHA Habitat Watch Volunteer
Isanti, MN
