Gunflint Trail Plans Tree-Planting Weekend

Looking for a worthwhile volunteer weekend?  The
Gunflint Trail community is looking for 500 tree
planters for "Gunflint Green Up" the weekend of
May 2-4, 2008 in the area of last year's Ham Lake Fire.

Gunflint Green Up occurs on the first anniversary
of the Ham Lake Fire, which burned over 75,000
acres in Minnesota and Ontario. It was one of the
largest wildfires in state history. The fire
burned along portions of the Gunflint Trail, a
60-mile paved road that begins in Grand Marais on
Lake Superior's North Shore and ends on the
Canadian border at Saganaga Lake.  The Gunflint
Trail is surrounded by Superior National Forest
and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Individuals, couples, families, scout troops, and
church and other groups from locations across
Minnesota and beyond are participating in the
Gunflint Green Up.  The Gunflint Trail has a
special place in the hearts of many people.

"During the Ham Lake Fire, businesses and
residents realized how much the people who visit
here care about the Gunflint Trail," says Nancy
Seaton of Hungry Jack Outfitters. "They feel
intimately connected to the woods and waters of
the North and want to help with the forest renewal."

Over 75,000 red and white pine seedlings are
reserved for the Gunflint Green Up volunteer tree
planting on Saturday, May 3.  In honor of
Minnesota's 2008 Sesquicentennial, each volunteer
is asked to plant 150 seedlings.  Coordinators
hope to plant 400 acres within the Superior
National Forest, including near the Trail's End
and Iron Lake campgrounds,
<http://www.gunflinttrailhistoricalsociety.org>Chik-Wauk
Museum, and Seagull Lake, Cross River and Round
Lake public landings. All of the sites are public
lands where participants can visit the trees in the years and decades to come.

Planting trees is hard work. Volunteers must be
ready to get dirty. Seaton advises planters to be
prepared for any weather from snow to sunshine.
She suggests wearing sturdy footgear, gloves, a
warm hat, rain gear, a warm jacket, and long
underwear. Some planting bars and narrow spades
will be provided, but volunteers should bring their own planting tools.

The pine seedlings are grown from seed stock that
originates in northern Minnesota's boreal forest.
Iron Range
<http://ironrangeresources.org/>Resources (IRR)
is donating most of the seedlings, with trees
also provided by Hedstrom Lumber Company,
Quetico-Superior Foundation, and the USDA Forest Service.

"Our company has committed to providing seedlings
for the planting," says Howard Hedstrom of
Hedstrom Lumber Company. "The Gunflint Trail
corridor is an important scenic resource."

Red and white pine are chosen as native tree
species that are long-lived and, when mature,
fire-resistant. Prior to European settlement,
both species were more abundant in northern
Minnesota. Gunflint Green Up coordinators say it
is unique to be planting pines during Minnesota's
Sesquicentennial celebration of 150 years of
statehood.  Many of the trees planted this year will stand 150 years from now.

The Gunflint Green Up weekend includes
educational and fun activities. On Friday, May 2 options include:
·         A hike to Magnetic Rock with a
naturalist guide to learn how the fire affected vegetation along the trail
·        Exterior wildfire sprinkler and
fire-fighting demonstrations by the Gunflint
Trail Volunteer Fire Department, which played a
key role in evacuation and structure      protection during the Ham Lake Fire
·        Information about the <http://www.firewise.org/>Firewise program
·        Presentations about fire ecology and Gunflint Trail history

Friday's highlight is an evening presentation by
renowned wilderness photographer Layne Kennedy.
His extraordinary "canoe country" photographs
have appeared in numerous national and regional
publications. Saturday night features a thank-you
dinner and dance with a local band, The
Splinters, under a big top tent on the grounds of
Gunflint Lodge. On Sunday, May 4, the first
<http://hamrunhalfmarathon.com/>Ham Run
Half-Marathon follows the path of the Ham Lake Fire along the Gunflint Trail.

Gunflint Green Up volunteers must register in
advance by April 22 to allow for coordination of
planting activities. The $30 registration fee
includes the welcome and thank-you dinners and a
box lunch on the planting day. To register for
the event, get lodging information, or contribute
a donation, go to <http://www.gunflintgreenup.com/>GunflintGreenUp.com.

*
For general Gunflint Trail information, go to: http://www.gunflint-trail.com/

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