Forest Service sets plan for prescribed fires and other burning near the Gunflint Trail this fall
Motorists traveling on the Gunflint Trail this summer have likely noticed large piles of brush, vegetation, and cut trees in the Mid-Trail area.
The woody piles are part of a plan by the U.S. Forest Service to thin areas of forest near the Gunflint Trail impacted by spruce budworm. The “fuels reduction” involves thinning stands of balsam and other trees across Superior National Forest that could pose a risk for large wildfires. The piles, located near Swamper Lake in the Mid-Gunflint area, are scheduled to be burned this fall, according to Gunflint District Ranger Joe Mundell.
The Forest Service is planning additional burning this fall, including a nearly 800-acre prescribed fire in the Greenwood and Sunfish lakes area, between the Gunflint and Arrowhead trails. Additional prescribed fires are scheduled for the Gunflint and Tofte Districts this fall, Mundell said during an interview with WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs that aired live Aug. 24.
Other topics discussed during the interview include tow-boat usage in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Forest Service policy in regard to closures of the BWCA during a wildfire, and fall safety reminders for traveling in the canoe-country wilderness. Listen to the full interview in the audio shared below.
Joe Friedrichs August 24, 2023
