Voyageurs National Park Association submitted a petition in collaboration with the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, and National Parks Conservation Association. Read more about this issue and view our comments here: http://www.voyageurs.org/about-us/projects/regional-haze/

Voyageurs National Park Announces Personnel Changes

Starting October 1, 2009, Mary Graves became Voyageurs National Park’s new Chief of Resources Management and Tawnya Schoewe became the Park’s new Chief of Interpretation. Both Mary and Tawnya have proven their leadership skills and professionalism in their fields.

Mary will continue to be the leader of resources management,  but now she will report to the Superintendent and will supervise all employees within Cultural and Natural resources for the Park. Mary will guide the management of the Park’s complex and varied terrestrial and aquatic resources, historic sites, cultural landscapes, archeological resources, archives, and museum collection.

Likewise, Tawnya will lead the Park’s interpretation, education and visitor services program. Tawnya’s area of management includes visitor centers, interpretation and education programs, volunteer program, publications, visitor destinations, and interpretive media. She will supervise all interpretation and education staff, and will report directly to the Superintendent.

This organizational change represents a strong management potential to enhance the Park’s positive relationship with visitors and communities by increasing its commitment to education, interpretation, and resource management.

Voyageurs National Park Announces Fall Operations

Voyageurs National Park begins fall operations this month. The park has closed the Kabetogama Lake and Ash River Visitor Centers for the season. Rainy Lake Visitor Center will remain open Wednesday – Sunday, October 1 – December 31, 2009, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and January 2 through mid-May 2010, 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

With the fall colors coming, the National Park Service encourages residents to go hiking on the park’s trails located near all three visitor centers. These trails offer great scenic views.

Voyageurs National Park will offer a program each Sunday from mid-January through March 2010. Watch for program announcements in the newspaper.

Reminder — Hunting Prohibited and Buoy Removal in Voyageurs National Park

Beginning October 3, 2009 the removal of hazard markers and regulatory buoys maintained by Voyageurs National Park will begin, as weather conditions allow.

In addition, Voyageurs National Park reminds hunters that hunting and trapping of any type or manner are prohibited on National Park lands and all waters within the boundary of the park. Park rangers enforce the hunting and trapping prohibition under Federal regulations, which carry a maximum penalty up to $10,000 and/or 6 months in jail for misdemeanor violations and $20,000 and/or 5 years in jail with forfeiture of hunting equipment for felony violations.

Although most park boundaries are not posted, it is the responsibility of the hunter to know his/her location. Maps depicting the park boundary and area information are available on visitor center bulletin boards, at park headquarters (218-283-6600), through the Rainy Lake District Ranger at 218-286-5258 or the Namakan District Ranger at 218-875-2116.

If you have any questions, please contact a park ranger in advance of your planned hunting activities near Voyageurs National Park.

On Friday evening, Voyageurs National Park Association co-hosted a film premiere event with the Backus Community Center and Voyageurs National Park. The film, Minnesota’s National Park Legacy, is was co-produced by the National Park Service (NPS) units in Minnesota together with Twin Cities Public Television, and showcases Voyageurs National Park and the other NPS sites in the state. It will premiere on television on October 4th, on TPT 2 (6:30 pm) and TPT MN (8:00 pm). Click here for more information about the film and promotional events.

Saturday marked the inaugural cruise and dedication ceremony of the new 49-passenger tour boat, christened the Voyageur. Following the dedication, International Falls hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the new park headquarters, amphitheatre and heritage center that will be built on the riverfront of the Rainy River. Congressman Oberstar attended Saturday’s events; he has been a strong supporter for both the new Park headquarters and the new classroom-sized tour boat, two exciting advances in the Park’s capacity for educational programs and visitor services.

“The events went very well,” said Cory MacNulty, VNPA Executive Director. “This weekend was a great accomplishment for the Park, the community and Voyageurs National Park Association.”

Image courtesy of Voyageurs National Park: The Voyageur at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center

Minnesota Public Radio’s segment “Minnesota’s National Treasures” featured Voyageurs National Park: its history, its relationship with the community, and, of course, the remarkable landscapes and waterways that make Voyageurs such a remarkable visitor destination. Listen to the story below by Tom Robertson (original air date: Monday, September 28, 2009 on MPR’s All Things Considered)

Read the script of the MPR story here

Secretary Salazar Applauds Senate’s Confirmation of Jonathan Jarvis as Director of the National Park Service

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today praised the Senate’s confirmation of Jonathan Jarvis to be director of the National Park Service.

“This is a great day for the National Park Service and for the American public,” Secretary Salazar said. “Jon Jarvis is a career professional who has consistently stood up for protection of national parks. He brings great wisdom and three decades of experience to the job.”

Jarvis, a 30-year veteran of the National Park Service, has served since
2002 as regional director of the agency’s Pacific West Region, where he was responsible for 54 national parks in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands of Guam, Saipan and American Samoa, as well as a host of NPS community revitalization programs that serve those states.

“America’s National Park System is a gift from past generations to this and succeeding generations. I look forward to working with Secretary Salazar, the Congress, our partners, and the extraordinary employees of the National Park Service as we prepare for the next century of stewardship and excellent visitor experiences,” Jarvis said on September 24.

Jarvis has served as superintendent of Mount Rainier National Park in Ashford, Washington, Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho, and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve in Alaska. A trained biologist, he was also Chief of Natural and Cultural Resources at North Cascades National Park. Jarvis is currently the co-leader of the Children in Nature taskforce with the National Association of State Park Directors.

A native of Virginia, Jarvis has a B.S. in biology from the College of William and Mary and completed the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Program in 2001.

The United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarter Program will be releasing a total of 56 quarter-dollar coins that depict tail side designs of a National Park or National Site from each state, U.S. territory and District of Columbia. Five coins will be released every year from 2010 to 2021. The coins will be issued sequentially in the order in which the site was placed under federal care.

“The new quarter program recognizes that public places of inspiration and recreation have always been important to Americans,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “Hopefully the coins will encourage people to learn more about each area and its significance to our heritage.”

For more information about the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, please visit
http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/NSQuartersProgram/index.cfm.

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.

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