August 2024 Community Check-In

National Park Service Director Sams speaks with Voyageurs staff.

NPS Photo

The Community Check-In is a monthly newsletter designed to update the public on the latest news, projects, and events happening in and around Voyageurs National Park.

From the Desk of the Superintendent

On August 22nd and 23rd, the park hosted National Park Service Director Chuck Sams, NPS Chief of Staff Susan Farinelli, and Native American Liaison Dorothy Firecloud. The visit focused on reviewing key projects funded by the Great American Outdoors Act. At Voyageurs, the two major projects include replacing 11 miles of underwater electric cable that provides power to Kettle Falls and resurfacing the park’s main roads and trailhead parking areas. Both projects are in the planning stages, with fieldwork potentially beginning in late 2025.

The visit also allowed the Director to meet with staff from the NPS Historic Preservation Training Center and the Midwest Regional Maintenance Action Team who work locally at Voyageurs. In addition to site visits, the Director attended a reception on the evening of August 22nd with representatives of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, the Seine River First Nation, and Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing Ne-Yaa-Zhing Advisory Services.

Overall, the Director's visit provided valuable insight into the logistical challenges of managing a primarily water-based national park and helped us to set the groundwork for strengthening partnerships with the 18 Federally recognized Affiliated Tribal Nations and seven closely associated Canadian First Nations, connected to the park's lands and waters.

Utilities Intern Grant Haley with a sturgeon.

NPS Photo

Team Member Spotlight: Grant Haley

Grant Haley is Water and Wastewater Utility Shop Intern for Voyageurs National Park. His internship is part of the Historic Preservation Training Center program.

What did you do before you came to Voyageurs?

Before I came to Voyageurs, I worked for the MNDNR for 3 seasons as a maintenance worker at Scenic State Park outside of Bigfork, MN, I went to Hibbing Community College 2019-2021 and graduated with a diploma in Electrical Maintenance and Construction, after graduating I ended up working for a carpenter for 2 years before temporarily moving to Duluth.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

When I have some free time on my hands, I like to spend it hunting, fishing, working out, or hiking depending on the time of year.

Why did you decide to come and work at Voyageurs?

I decided to work at VNP to further my experience in other fields such as water and wastewater management, as well as continuing to progress on my skills in the electrical and carpentry fields. I also find the park very fascinating with all of its historical aspects.

Tell us about the type of work you do at the park.

My title is Water and Wastewater Utility Shop Intern, with that I work alongside Ben Line who is responsible for maintaining both the potable water for the visitor centers, shop buildings, campgrounds, park housing, and Kettle Falls, on the flip side we are also responsible for maintaining the sewage systems at all the campsites around Kabetogama, Namakan, Sand Point, and Crane Utilities Intern Grant Haley with a sturgeon. lakes, as well as Kettle Falls for the hotel and villas. It also happens that Ben is the electrician here at Voyageurs, with that we have done new projects around shop buildings as well as maintaining or modifying existing electrical systems in the park. I have also worked alongside historical carpenters Beau Readman, and Chris Heibel at Hoist Bay, and Whispering Pines.

What is your favorite fact or part about Voyageurs National Park?

I find it interesting that of the 218,000 acres that VNP encompasses 84,000 of it is water and that there is over 500 islands within the park.

Administration & Business Services

In August, the National Park Service released their 2023 Report on the economic contributions to communities. The 221 thousand Voyageurs National Park visitors spent an estimated $20.4 million in local gateway regions. These expenditures supported a total of 279 jobs, $8 million in labor income, $13.8 million in added value, and $25.6 million in economic output in the local gateway economies surrounding Voyageurs National Park.

Natural Resources

Our natural resource technicians and field fellows have been busy! They conducted fish sampling and water analysis in multiple interior lakes, working closely with NPS's Natural Resources Condition Assessment (NRCA) Program to create an informational brief summarizing the results from the Little Shoepack muskie population assessment and genetic analysis. The NRCA provides credible science to assist park managers with planning, management, and stewardship activities. Once briefing on the muskie population is completed, it will be distributed to all staff and published in the NPS Science Report Series.

Our Wetland Restoration Crew, alongside a contractor, has been cutting cattails in eastern Black Bay and conducting vegetation surveys in Kabetogama Lake. Meanwhile, efforts continue to decontaminate and remove aquatic invasive species from watercraft at Kettle Falls. This "decon" program prevents harmful zebra mussels from entering Namakan Lake on boats from Rainy Lake crossing the Kettle Falls portage. A huge thank you to the Wisconsin Conservation Corps who wrapped up their season at the end of August. Their hard work over the past summer at the decon station has been truly appreciated!

Two lead natural resource staff, Steve Windel and Ryan Maki, presented a Voyageurs National Park update at the Resource Agencies meeting with the International Joint Commission (IJC). Ryan also provided a technical support update for the IJC and the Adaptive Management Committee of the Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board, presenting on five ongoing projects.

Astro Bob set up with a view of the moon.

NPS Photo

Interpretation, Education, & Outreach Events

On August 9th and 10th, Voyageurs National Park and the Voyageurs Conservancy hosted their annual Star Party which featured a series of free astronomy events. The celebration focused on the continued protection and enjoyment of the incredible dark skies of northern Minnesota. Highlights included campfire stories and s’mores, talks from Astro Bob, evening paddling programs with Wilderness Inquiry, and space-themed musical performances by artists Jep Fator, Alyssa Fator, Jesse Gates, and our own Ranger Mark Miller. The Star Party coincided with the Perseid Meteor Shower and many wishes were made on the multiple shooting stars seen crossing the night sky.

On August 6th Crane Lake and Voyageurs National Park debuted the new visitor center in a Hard Hat Tour as part of the town’s National Night Out. National Night Out is a celebration held across the U.S. on the second Tuesday of August to bring together neighborhoods and raise awareness of local policing departments and other community services. The town of Crane Lake owns the building and campground, and the National Park Service will lease up to 70% of the building for office space, new educational exhibits, the welcome desk, and shared use of the meeting room.

Every Thursday in August at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center, Ranger Alicia Schweiterman led Junior Ranger Angler programs and assisted youth in earning their badges and hooking fish.

STEAM in the Park and Expeditions in Education group.

Steve Jones / Expeditions in Education

Voyageurs Conservancy: Our Philanthropic Partner

Recently STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) in the Park and Expeditions in Education returned to Voyageurs National Park for another hands-on, in-the-field camping experience! These passionate educators from across the nation spent an immersive week learning, exploring, and creating new educational content to connect students to our national parks.

The Conservancy has hired Kate Fenske as its new Public Engagement Coordinator. She started on August 19th and her work will support community outreach programming, communications, and events. The Conservancy has also hired Larissa Juip in the interim project manager role to support the launch of the tribal co-stewardship workshops and programs.

Visitor & Resource Protection

Law enforcement responded to reports of a bear on Cutover Island. A family told visitor center staff that a bear had entered their campsite and stolen a cooler of food. Staff retrieved the cooler. However, the bear appeared habituated and did not react when approached, so natural resources staff made the decision to close the campsite for the rest of the season. When camping at Voyageurs’ front country sites, always remember to store food and other “smell-ables” in the provided bear-proof metal lockers.

Law enforcement was called out to assist with a boat incapacitated after hitting a rock. The team also responded to a small lightning fire on Sphunge Island, which was quickly contained.

In August, park law enforcement educated visitors and issued the following warnings: no wake zone violations, extra angling lines, camping without a permit, parking violations, and a dog off-leash. They also continued to focus on commercial use agreement enforcement for non-compliant operators. Law enforcement rangers assisted with community events, like the Star Party where traffic control was needed and at the National Night Out celebration to connect with our neighbors at both International Falls and Crane Lake.

Maintenance

As ever our maintenance and facility staff have multiple ongoing projects across the park. Here are some of the highlights from August.

Staff at headquarters are excited to have the use of a new Xerox machine – a much needed upgrade for our printing and copying work.

The maintenance staff are using barge boats to move construction materials out to Kettle Falls. The materials are being used to build camper cabins. Most of the construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of this year, and potentially they will be ready for occupancy by the summer of 2025. These cabins will be managed by the hotel concessionaires.

On Rainy Lake, the Little Cedar Day Use Area is reopened for the public. It was initially closed due to damage from flooding, and the maintenance crews worked through the summer to repair the dock and picnic area.