Outdoors

Interest in off-roading, boating explodes during pandemic
People who make and sell motorized recreational equipment from boats to four-wheelers and other all-terrain vehicles say they’re having difficulty keeping up with demand. They say the pandemic-related desire for outdoor activities has fueled growing interest in what are called “power sports.”
Funky fish: Gar garners protections from Minnesota lawmakers
The long, slender, toothy and prehistoric-looking fish will, for the first time ever in the state, be protected in ways similar to other gamefish, the result of a bit of an outcry on social media following a series of mass killings that some saw as wantonly wasteful.
Firefighters working through challenging conditions to contain wildfire east of Ely
Authorities say the largest of several wildfires burning in or near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness didn't grow from Saturday into Sunday — but it's proving to be a very challenging fire to contain.
Fires in Boundary Waters prompt campfire ban, some BWCA closures
Forest Service officials have temporarily banned campfires in the Superior National Forest — including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness — and closed some lakes and access points, as crews monitor four wildfires.
An explosion in visitors is threatening the very things national parks try to protect
Ever-growing crowds at America's national parks have prompted some to allow entry by reserved tickets only. Arches National Park in Utah may be next, and there's renewed controversy over that.
Video: How to get out on Lake Superior
Whether it's a boat tour, paddleboarding or sailing there are many ways to enjoy Lake Superior and the Duluth-Superior Harbor from on the water. Watch this video from the Duluth News Tribune.
You could save a child from drowning this summer. Here's how
A physician writes: “Every patient or family I've cared for after a drowning accident has said they didn't think it could happen to them. And yet, it happens, along with the cruel "if onlys" that haunt cautious and well-intentioned people in the aftermath.”