"Rewild the U.P.": UPEC’s 13th Annual Celebrate the U.P.! event, is March 11–12 via livestream

"Rewild the U.P." is the theme for this year’s Celebrate the U.P.!, the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition’s 13th annual festival of everything that makes our peninsula a wonderful place to live. This year’s celebration will be held virtually via livestream on Zoom and Facebook Live from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET on Friday, March 11, and from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 12. The event is free and open to everyone.

Following a welcome and acknowledgement of Native American Lands at 5 p.m. by Horst Schmidt, UPEC president, and Evan Zimmermann, UPEC vice president, Friday’s activities kick off at 5:15 p.m. with a talk on Native American treaty rights by Whitney B. Gravelle, Chairwoman  of the Bay Mills Indian Community. That will be followed by UPEC’s annual membership meeting (open to all) with updates on UPEC activities, including the announcement of the Environmental Education and Community Conservation grant winners for this year. At 7 p.m. Michigan Tech Professor John Vucetich will offer an update on Wolves and the Endangered Species Act. Alex Maier, documentary filmmaker, will cap off the evening with backpacking videos in the Trap Hills along the North County Scenic Trail in the western U.P.

Beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning, a group of speakers will highlight the Next Generation of Environmental Education in the U.P. 

LATE CHANGES TO THE SATURDAY PROGRAM:

•  Poetry reading by M. Bartley Seigel will now last from 12 - 12:15 p.m. instead of 12 - 12:45 p.m. on Saturday
  
  
• NEW: Discussion of the war in Ukraine by led by Nadija Packauskas, 12:15–12:45 p.m. Saturday. "Free Lance Human Being" is the title Nadija Packauskas gave herself 40 years ago and despite multiple degrees, extensive travel and impressive job titles it is still the title she uses today. What does it mean to be human in the face of aggression? How are the Ukrainians defying the giant? How are they standing against the unprovoked invasion by Putin of their beloved, free, sovereign, independent, democratic nation and why we should stand with them. Join the cofounders of Yoopers for Ukraine: Lithuanian American Nadija Packauskas; Adalina Oronova, Fulbright Ukrainian scholar at Michigan Tech; Nazar Gora, Ukrainian Michigan Tech student; Zenia Vorodis, Russian student at Tech; and Nadija's 91-year-old father Vytautas Packauskas, who fled the Russians in WWII, as they lead a round-robin discussion on how Putin's recent actions should ignite and unite us to become activists against the most critical and looming humanitarian disaster of the 21st century. We are in a new world.
  
  
• Additional participant in the panel discussion "Rewilding the U.P.: Wolves" (Saturday, 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.), Kerry Beheler, representing the group Hunters for Wolves, will present "Real Hunters Don’t Kill Wolves." Hunters for Wolves advocates for healthy ecosystems, scientifically and ethically managed to protect our wildlife for present and future generations.
  

Other members of the 1 p.m. panel are Michigan Tech Professor John Vucetich; Nancy Warren, National Wolfwatcher Coalition executive director; Molly Tamulevich, Humane Society Michigan State director; Dr. Nichole Biber, elementary school librarian and LTBB (Waganakising) Odawa Tribal Citizen; and Jeff Towner, certified wildlife biologist and UPEC board member.

At 2:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon Jenn Hill -- Marquette City Commissioner, candidate for State Representative, and energy policy advocate -- will talk about moving the U.P. away from a dependence on fossil fuels.

This year’s Celebrate the U.P.! is capped off by an update on proposed Wilderness designations on the Ottawa National Forest at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and an open discussion with the audience at 4:30 p.m.

Celebrate the U.P.! will stream live on the UPEC Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/upenvironment/live and on Zoom:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86075269466?pwd=OFZCTk1ERHdJSEJOUlNWbW5UaTA3QT09
Passcode: 2022

​For a complete schedule, visit https://upenvironment.org/2022-celebrate-the-up.

Recordings of the presentations will be available later on the UPEC Livestream Facebook page.

Letter to Forest Service on Wildcat Falls

Hemlock forest near Wildcat Falls, Ottawa National Forest. (Photo © and courtesy standfortheland.com)

Chuck Myers, Regional Forester
Eastern Region, USFS
626 East Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Dear Mr. Myers,

I am a resident of the U.P., currently living in Marquette, Michigan. A long time ago, or so it seems to me, I grew up in White Pine, in the western Upper Peninsula. My extended range was roughly enclosed by Ironwood to the west, Lake Gogebic on the south, Copper Harbor to the north, and Marquette by an occasional visit to the east.

When I was 24, I married and moved away, living in various cities around the Midwest including Minneapolis, Madison, Chicago and Milwaukee. When I got divorced, all I wanted was to move back home...to the U.P.

Now, you might realize that it isn’t uncommon for many of us to call the U.P. "home," rather than our houses, neighborhoods or towns. It is the unspoiled character of the place, the undeveloped areas around lakes and streams, the dark and mossy forests that unite people across the region, from Marquette west into northern Wisconsin, with a shared feeling of "home."

They are the people who signed the online petition to "save" Wildcat Falls and the old-growth forest (1,000 signatures in only three weeks) -- they, and their friends and family and acquaintances who know what will be lost if this land is traded away. As an expatriated Yooper, I would have signed it. I am home now.

A month or so ago, word of this proposed land exchange came to me from the western U.P. A friend in Iron River had joined the team, fighting it. My dad, living in a small town just south of Houghton, got on board. I found out that a favorite pal in Marenisco was involved.

The author of this letter, Catherine Parker of Marquette, hikes to Wildcat Falls with her Dad, Jack Parker of Twin Lakes. (Photo © and courtesy Steve Garske)

Three weeks ago, my Iron River friend and I went to see the Falls for the first time. They were our destination and they were beautiful, but there was so much more to the place than that. We moved slowly, stopping to appreciate gnarled old trees hugging moss-covered boulders, 12-inch quartz nuggets nestled in dry leaves, huge cedars leaning overhead, massive walls of rock, hemlock groves, and deer droppings seemingly everywhere.

We peered into holes and saw water. It trickled from the outcroppings, ran from the ground, pooled in the beaver pond and poured over the falls.

"I wish I could live here!" I said to my friend. But places like this are meant to be shared, and that is why I’m writing to you today.

Somewhere around 100 people gathered near the Falls on April 1, summoned by a few but united by a common desire to preserve the falls and forests and outcroppings as a public space, available to all of us, forever.

If we lose this land, there will be an outpouring of anguish that will be heard across these territories and beyond. Please take these parcels off the negotiating table.

Consolidating land near the Porkies is certainly desirable, but the price the Forest Service is planning to pay is far too dear.

Thank you for listening.

Sincerely,

Catherine Parker*

*Editor's Note: This letter is reprinted with permission. See also "Hike to Wildcat Falls draws large crowd."

Hike to Wildcat Falls draws large crowd

On April 1, a large crowd gathers near Watersmeet, Mich., for a hike to Wildcat Falls, located in a parcel the U.S. Forest Service has said it would trade to a private owner. A decision on appeals against the land exchange is expected this month. Speaking to the crowd (background) are organizers Joe Hovel (green sweatshirt and beard) and Rod Sharka (gray sweatshirt), both of Partners in Forestry, Conover, Wis. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photos © and courtesy Steve Garske unless otherwise indicated.)

WATERSMEET, MICH. -- On Sunday, April 1, approximately 100 people gathered on County Line Lake Road a few miles northwest of Watersmeet, Mich., for a hike to Wildcat Falls -- to mourn the sacrificial loss of these special Forest Service parcels containing the unique natural features of potential old growth hemlock/cedar forests, amazing rock outcrops, high quality Scott and Howe Creek, as well as Wildcat Falls.

On the way to Wildcat Falls, hikers make their way through the forest, enjoying its unique natural features perhaps for the last time.

The crowd contained not only local residents, but numerous individuals who traveled from as far away as Houghton/Hancock, Marquette, Iron River, and Ironwood, Mich., as well as Rhinelander, Wis. This hike was sponsored by Partners in Forestry Coop (a local woodland owners organization dedicated to sustainable forestry practices), the Northwoods Alliance (a local non-profit that promotes land conservation issues), and the Northwoods Native Plant Society (a native botany club consisting of professional and amateur botanists).

No April Fool! That's octogenarian mining expert and Keweenaw Now guest writer Jack Parker of Twin Lakes, center, with friends, from left, Marion True (retired Ottawa National Forest forester), Joe Hovel, Rod Sharka and Richard Sloat -- pausing during the hike.

The Ottawa Forest Service has agreed to trade these parcels (that it claims are too isolated and difficult to manage), to a private land speculator/developer in exchange for a parcel of land south of the Porkies that this same individual has recently logged off and badly abused. This same individual has openly stated his intention of logging off these parcels and subdividing them for residential development.

View of Wildcat Falls from the top. (Photo © and courtesy standfortheland.com)*

Six individual appeals against this land exchange are currently being reviewed by USDA-Forest Service, Eastern Region Appeal Deciding Officer Chuck Myers of Milwaukee, Wis. A final decision is expected by mid-April.

Rod Sharka, one of the organizers, pointed out that the US Forest Service has promoted a plan in recent years called the "Open Space Conservation Strategy," which points out that "the loss of open space impacts the sustainability of natural systems and the overall quality of life for Americans."

In this plan, the first stated goal is "Protecting the most ecologically and socially important lands."

Hikers enjoy the rushing water of Wildcat Falls, hoping it's not for the last time.

Sharka stated, "I’d like to know -- How is the trading of these parcels to someone who admittedly intends to log off these woods and subdivide these parcels for development, in exchange for land he has already cut over and abused, adhering to the conservation principles stated in this plan? Perhaps these parcels are small relative to the million acre Ottawa, but they are unique and should be treated as such. It’s NOT just Wildcat Falls. It’s NOT just the old growth hemlock/cedar. It’s NOT just the impressive rock outcrops. NO, it’s the combination of all of these unique features in one, concentrated area that makes these parcels so special."

Click here to read more about the land exchange and see more photos on the Partners in Forestry Web site.
*See more photos on standfortheland.com.

Last chance to visit Wildcat Falls before Forest Service Land Exchange

Wildcat Falls in the Ottawa National Forest. (Photo © Rod Sharka)

MARQUETTE -- Partners in Forestry, The Northwoods Alliance, and The Northwoods Native Plant Society are co-sponsoring a guided hike through the US Forest Service Wildcat Falls parcel northeast of Watersmeet, Mich., in the last hours before the Forest Service trades away this unique and beautiful acreage to a private land investor.*

When: Meet at site (directions below): Sunday, April 1, 1:30 p.m. Central (CDT). PLEASE CARPOOL.

What to bring: appropriate hiking boots (a must); walking stick; trail snacks; water; camera.

Note: The distance to the falls is approx. ¼ mile. Hikers will be walking through old growth (hemlock/cedar/yellow birch). There is little understory but no established trail, so the ground is natural, uneven, and littered with course woody debris characteristic of old growth. If you are unsteady in this type of terrain, walking sticks/poles are recommended. Hike at your own risk.

DIRECTIONS:

If coming from the south: From Intersection of Rt. 45 and Hwy 2 (Watersmeet, Mich.), go 3.5 miles north on Rt. 45 to Sucker Lake Road (a little north of the casino). Turn left on Sucker Lake Rd. and drive west for 5.4 miles to County Line Lake Rd. (You will pass County Line Lake on your right.) Turn right on County Line Lake Rd. and continue north 1.5 miles. Participants will park and meet near where the road crosses Scott and Howe Creek.

If coming from the north: Sucker Lake Rd. is approx. 15.7 miles south of Bruce Crossing, or 6.5 miles south of Paulding, Mich. Turn right (west) on Sucker Lake Rd. and follow previous directions.

IT IS SUGGESTED THAT YOU CARPOOL WITH FRIENDS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. You may arrange to meet friends at Nordines (Rt. 45 and Hwy 2) or at the casino (a short distance south of Sucker Lake Rd.) and carpool from there. County Line Lake Rd. in particular is narrow and unpaved. Parking is limited along the road. Warning…shoulders may be soft.

For more information about this exchange, the hike, or objectives of these groups contact Rich Sloat sloat57@sbcglobal.net or Catherine Parker brinkleycourt@yahoo.com or Sherry Zoars at zoars@copper.net or call 906-358-1110.

From Stand for the Land: Message to the U.S. Forest Service: Don’t sell Wildcat Falls!

Posted on Stand for the Land March 26, 2012. Reprinted with permission.

The U.S. Forest service has entered into an agreement with a private land developer to trade away rare old-growth hemlock stands, a portion of a creek, and the beautiful Wildcat Falls.

In exchange for this unique and relatively undisturbed ecosytem, we will acquire mostly cut-over acreage with few recreational opportunities and little timber value.

Public input has been overwhelmingly against this exchange. It is also opposed by a number of conservation groups, including Partners in Forestry, which promotes sustainable use of woodlands.*

A citizen appeal has been filed and is pending review before Chuck Myers, Appeal Deciding Officer for the Forest Service. His decision may come as early as April 2012.

Click here to sign a petition to let him know these lands must be cherished and protected in trust for the public. You are most welcome to contact him directly, as well:

Chuck Myers, Regional Forester
Eastern Region, USFS
626 East Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53202
414.297.3600

A friend of the Falls has put together a brief video, a preview of what you might see if you take the April 1 hike to Wildcat Falls described above: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIWyot-Mq8E&feature=youtu.be

We are asking that the decision be reversed. It can be done. It should be done.

Click here for the Forest Service page on this Delich Land Exchange.

Click here for the Forest Service's Revised Environmental Assessment for the Delich Land Exchange Proposal, including maps.

* See the history of and objection to this exchange at www.partnersinforestry.com.

Rio Tinto to explore for minerals in Ottawa National Forest

From Lake Superior Mining News
Posted April 16, 2011

MARQUETTE -- Rio Tinto has notified the Ottawa National Forest of plans to explore for minerals within the federal forest. While the federal government owns surface rights to the parcel, the minerals are privately-owned, so the Forest Service is obligated to approve the exploration request.

Rio Tinto plans to drill about nine miles north of Kenton, in Houghton County, Mich., on the Ontonagon Ranger District.

Click here to see a map of the exploration area.