Hancock's Phi Kappa Tau repeats as Winter Carnival statues champ

Winter Carnival visitors inspect the first place overall winner in the month-long snow statue competition, "Dongson Fishing Village," by the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity in Hancock. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

By Mark Wilcox*
Posted Feb. 6, 2020, in Michigan Tech News
Reprinted here with permission.

HANCOCK - HOUGHTON -- The winners have been announced in the Snow Statue Competition at Michigan Technological University’s Winter Carnival. This year’s theme is "Discover What Shines from Prehistoric Times."

For the third time in the past four years, Phi Kappa Tau was the overall winner of the month-long snow statue competition. Their statue, "Dongson Fishing Village," is located outside of the fraternity house in Hancock.

Details, including ice sculptures, from Phi KappaTau's winning snow statue, "Dongson Fishing Village," in Hancock. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

There were three divisions in the month-long competition -- men, women and co-ed. Prizes were awarded to the top three statues in each division. The top three scores among all the statues were placed in the overall month-long category.

Second place in the overall division went to Tau Kappa Epsilon for their statue titled "Stone Age." Third place went to the co-ed team of Sigma Tau Gamma and Alpha Gamma Delta for "Wooly Mammoth Surrounded by Saber Tooth Tigers."

Phi Kappa Tau and Tau Kappa Epsilon placed one-two respectively in the Men’s Division. Third place was Delta Sigma Phi for "Dinosaurs."

The Sigma Tau Gamma and Alpha Gamma Delta team captured first place in the Co-Ed Division, followed by Sigma Phi Epsilon and Delta Phi Epsilon for "Caveman Around a Fire with Tools, Crafts and Cave Paintings," while third place went to Delta Zeta and Triangle for "Ice Age."

Alpha Sigma Tau was the lone entry in the Women’s Division with "Jurassic Park."

In the all-nighter statue competition, St. Albert the Great University Parish captured their fourth-straight overall victory as well as winning the Co-ed Division. Second place overall and in Co-ed went to Pavlis Honors College for "Dig Site of Dinosaur Bones." Lutheran Campus Ministry ELCA took third place in both divisions with "The Golden Ratio."

In the Men's Division, the Society of American Foresters took first place with "Lake Sturgeon," followed by the Society of African American Men for "Dino Egg," and Mama's Boys (East McNair 4th Floor) finished third with "Dig Site."

The Society of Women Engineers won the Women's Division category for the statue "Cave."

For the complete list of Winter Carnival statues, and more photos, visit the Carnival web page.

*Author Mark Wilcox is a News Writer, Michigan Tech University Marketing and Communications.

Federal Circuit Court rejects Menominee Tribe's appeal on Back 40 mine wetlands permitting; most Back 40 permits remain in state contested case litigation

By Michele Bourdieu

The scenic Menominee River, not far from the proposed Back 40 mining project site. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

LANSING, Mich.; KASHENA, Wis. -- In its efforts to protect the Menominee River from the dangers of Acid Mine Drainage and to save sacred cultural sites near the river from being destroyed, the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin (MITW) is still pushing back against a federal and state permitting process that ignores their concerns about Aquila Resources' proposed open-pit sulfide mine threatening both Wisconsin and Michigan, the two states bordering the river.

On Monday, Jan. 27, 2020, the US 7th Circuit Court of Appeals (for the Eastern District of Wisconsin) rejected the Tribe's appeal challenging the federal government’s decision to delegate to the State of Michigan primary authority over Aquila's wetlands (dredge-and-fill) permit, on a bi-state waterway.

The Court's opinion is based on the fact that, in 1984, Michigan was allowed authority to regulate wetlands under Section 404 of the federal Clean Water Act.* This means that the former Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), was allowed to issue Aquila a wetlands permit that affects the Menominee River, which forms the border between the two states, and the Menominee Tribe's burial grounds, ancient agricultural sites and ceremonial sites -- some of which have already been deemed eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places -- located in Michigan near the proposed site for the Back 40 Mine.

This ancestral burial mound is one of the Menominee sacred archaeological sites located very near the Menominee River and near the proposed site for the Back 40 mine on the Michigan side of the river. (Keweenaw Now file photo.)
 
In their Jan. 27 ruling denying the Tribe's appeal of a previous ruling by a lower, district court, the judges of the 7th Circuit Court even admitted that the Tribe, who had written to both the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Army Corps of Engineers with their concerns about the injustice of Michigan's authority over this permit, had been given the "runaround" by the federal agencies.

The 7th Circuit Court states, "The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin’s sincere efforts to protect its cultural heritage ran into a legal labyrinth and regulatory misdirection. Had the federal agencies provided a meaningful response to the Tribe’s concerns, perhaps this suit could have been avoided. But in light of the regulatory scheme that we cannot change, the resolution of this case is clear. We cannot review the agency action here. In these circumstances, the Tribe is left to pursue its challenge in the Michigan administrative system and state courts. And we are left to AFFIRM the judgment of the district court."

According to Al Gedicks, professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and executive secretary of the Wisconsin Resources Protection Council, "The court recognized but failed to correct the environmental injustice of the EPA's failure to provide for tribal consultation under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)."

On the following day, Jan. 28, the Menominee Tribe issued a press release stating their objections to the Circuit Court's ruling. The Tribe claimed their appeal asked the Court to require the federal agencies to assume primary control over the wetland permit and permitting process from the State of Michigan and to require consultation with the Tribe under the National Historic Preservation Act regardless of which government entity issues the permit.

"This permit affects so many people, interests and the environment, especially sites critical to the Tribe’s culture and history," said Chairman Douglas Cox, Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin. "Due to the vast negative impact this permit will have, it is important that the process follow the intentions of the Clean Water Act and not be controlled only by the State of Michigan. The Tribe’s interests are not fully protected by pursuing a futile petition to the agencies or by being forced into a state process where federal laws, meant to protect the Tribe, will not be applied."**

Cox added, in a conversation with Keweenaw Now on Jan. 31, that the Circuit Court's decision does not affect the Tribe's continued efforts to challenge the wetlands permit, now under the successor of the MDEQ, Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).

"We're still fighting in the Michigan court through the contested case on the wetlands permit," Cox said.

Concerning the Circuit Court ruling, Janette Brimmer, an Earthjustice attorney representing the Menominee Tribe in their litigation on the wetlands permit, said, "At least they recognized that the Tribe 'got the runaround' from agencies, and we agree with that statement." 

Brimmer told Keweenaw Now this week that the Tribe has submitted briefs to the adminstrative law judge in the Michigan contested case against the wetlands permit. This is a joint contested case that includes, with the Tribe, the Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River and adjacent landowner Tom Boerner.

"We plan to pursue the same jurisdictional argument -- that the Army Corps should be in charge of the wetlands permitting process," Brimmer said. "Earthjustice is still working with the Tribe to explore their options. We're not giving up."

Menominee Tribe origins, water quality tied to river

In an Aug. 30, 2019, letter to the Eagle Herald of Marinette, Wis., Menominee Tribe Chairman Cox described why the risk this mine poses to cultural resources and the environment is too great:

"The mouth of the Menominee River is the place where the Menominee originated as a people. We remain inextricably tied to the river, and to our ancestral land along the river. Sacred mounds, burial sites, dance rings, and raised agricultural beds grace the landscape as a testament to our presence even today. These irreplaceable cultural resources are located at and nearby the proposed mine site, and are eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. There is no other site like it in the entire State of Michigan."

This photo of the Menominee River was taken near prehistoric agricultural sites located on State of Michigan land near the proposed mine site. Archaeologists have estimated gardens were planted here between 1100 and 1300 A.D. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

Cox added, "Aquila’s plan to construct an open-pit sulfide mine just 150 feet from the east bank of the Menominee River in Lake Township, Michigan, would entail digging a massive hole, to extract gold, zinc and copper from sulfide ore using cyanide at the mine site. The company is openly contemplating potential future expansion of the project. It is all but certain that the Back Forty Mine will result in long-term water quality contamination. Once abandoned, sulfide mines like this invariably release toxic pollution and leave the local people with the aftermath -- contaminated water, dead wildlife and the financial costs of cleanup."

Cox has also spoken out at public hearings on Aquila's other state permits for the Back 40. In his statement at EGLE's June 25, 2019, consolidated public hearing on three of the permit applications (the amended Part 632 mining permit, the air permit and the dam safety permit), Cox asked EGLE to withdraw all the Back 40 permits because of the project's potential to destroy cultural sites and the environment.

Dawn Wilber, Menominee tribal member who joined Menominee tribal members Wayne Swett and Jwin Zillier in a 48-mile canoe trip on the Menominee River last July to call attention to opposition to the Back 40, told Keweenaw Now this week that she was disappointed in the Jan. 27 Circuit Court decision.

"I don’t understand why," Wilber said. "The Federal government is not holding up their end (of the Treaties). They need to be held to it just as the Native community is. We are not giving up."

After their arrival in Marinette, Wis., on the fourth day of their canoe trip on the Menominee River last July, Menominee tribal members Dawn Wilber, right, Wayne Swett and Jwin Zillier pause for a photo with Big Bear, whose statue, a replica of the original statue on the Menominee Reservation, marks the spot where the Menominee were supposed to have originated from a bear that climbed out of the river. (File photo courtesy Wayne Swett)***

When EGLE approved the Amended Part 632 Mining Permit and the Modified Air Quality Permit on Dec. 12, 2019, Menominee tribal member Wayne Swett, who shares his photos with Keweenaw Now, commented, "As far as the permit thing goes, it's a small setback. But each permit has pages of conditions that have to be met and it will take time and money for Aquila to meet those conditions along with all these court cases pending."

Adjacent landowner Tom Boerner, who is involved in three contested cases against permits issued to Aquila by EGLE, has 380 acres of woodlands, wetlands and streams and over one mile of Menominee River frontage near the mine site. The 64-year-old Boerner says he and his family have interacted with persons from the Menominee Nation for over 100 years.

"In my lifetime I have witnessed the effects of atrocities committed against the Menominee Tribe as their burial mounds that cover the area have all been violated by persons from the State of Michigan, including Northern Michigan University," Boerner told Keweenaw Now. "Remains, including skeletons, were exhumed and put on display. Many of the raised garden beds have been plowed over. Thousands of years of history have been wiped out and what remains is under attack by persons who are not only willing to destroy the history of the area, but must hate Native Americans and First Persons so much that they want to wipe out the last surviving physical history of an entire people."

Boerner added, "I believe non-native Americans tend to discount the fact that the Menominee Tribe has a creation story that is tied to the specific mining site along the Menominee River and is linked to the Sturgeon in the River as well. The Menominee Indian Tribe's creation story is as valid and meaningful to them as the Garden of Eden is to a Christian."

Other Back 40 permits

EGLE issued a new air permit and an updated Part 632 mining permit to Aquila Resources for its proposed Back Forty mining project on Dec. 12, 2019.

The Modified Air Permit to Install (PTI), issued by EGLE's Air Quality Division, reflects public comment on the proposed  project and changes to Aquila’s mining plan. This Permit is now in a contested case initiated by landowner Tom Boerner.

The Amended Part 632 Mining Permit, issued by EGLE's Oil, Gas and Minerals Division, is based on technical review of the amendment application and public comment received during 2019. This Permit is now also in a contested case initiated by landowner Tom Boerner.

However, Earthjustice Attorney Gussie Lord, director of Tribal Partnerships in the Earthjustice Rocky Mountain Office, who represents the Menominee Tribe for challenges to the Part 632 Mining Permit, said they received on Nov. 26, 2019 -- close to three years after filing the initial petition for a contested case on Aquila's 2016 Part 632 Mining Permit, a 2-page order issuing the final decision of the Environmental Permit Review Commission. The parties had sixty days from the date of the order to appeal the decision to circuit court.

"The three-member panel was made up of volunteer panelists appointed by former Governor Snyder," Lord explained. "We filed an appeal to the Environmental Permit Review Commission with the circuit court in Ingham County (Mich.) on Monday, Jan. 27, 2020."

Meanwhile, the Amended Part 632 Mining Permit for the Back 40 -- issued by EGLE on Dec. 12, 2019 -- has a deadline of Feb. 10, 2020, if any party aggrieved by the decision would like to seek a contested case before EGLE, that is, Administrative Law Judge Daniel Pulter. Whether or not the Menominee Tribe and Earthjustice will seek another contested case on this amended mining permit is not known at this time.

Aquila's plan for the Tailings Management Facility (TMF) as submitted to EGLE for the Amended Part 632 Mining Permit as of Nov. 8, 2019. Note proximity of open pit at left and TMF in center to Menominee River. Click on image for larger version. Click here for the document with presentation on the design. 

Aquila informed EGLE on Dec. 12 that it would withdraw the project’s dam safety permit application prior to a Dec. 31, 2019, deadline so it could incorporate information determined to be relevant during the review of the project’s contested wetlands permit. Aquila is expected to resubmit a dam safety permit application in 2020, That new application will restart the permit review process from the beginning, including new opportunities for public review and comment -- including a public hearing.

These permits, even when issued, are all subject to conditions before they can be considered "effective," or fully granted with all conditions satisfied. So far the only permit Aquila holds that is "effective" is the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, involving water discharge to the Menominee River. The other permits are still subject to conditions.

"The MITW has sought transparency in this process since the beginning," Lord told Keweenaw Now recently. "Aquila has withdrawn its tailings dam safety permit application so it can incorporate information determined to be relevant from the other permits. We repeatedly asked that Aquila do the same during the mining permit hearing, due to the overlap between the wetlands permit and the amended mining permit, but it repeatedly refused, wasting time, effort and resources of all of the parties and the state agencies involved, as we argued about potential project elements that had long been abandoned by the applicant." 

Lord noted a common tactic during the permitting process is to break up a project into smaller bites, to create the appearance of a lesser environmental impact -- when, in fact, the project’s neighboring ecosystem will have to bear the full impacts of the project.

"We believe the entire scope of the project should be analyzed as part of the required cumulative impacts assessment, not just a bit at a time," Lord said. "The Menominee people lived on the Menominee River for 10,000 years without ruining it. We should look to their example and leadership in decisions on environmental sustainability. We all understand the need for development, but we also need to know the real costs. This proposed site is right next to the river, right upon significant cultural and historic sites that are the last of their kind left in Michigan. In addition, the Menominee River sustains the largest breeding population of lake sturgeon on Lake Michigan -- impacts to that habitat could imperil the future of a species that has been around since dinosaurs walked the earth, and currently is being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act."

Adjacent landowner Tom Boerner offered his opinion of the contested cases against EGLE: "In the past 3 years I have spent countless hours researching documents, compiling exhibits, preparing and filing legal briefs and being in hearings in front of an administrative law judge. In the past 3 years there were 52 days of contested case hearings in front of a judge. Add this to the other costs for the taxpayers. For the people who don’t know this: The State of Michigan defends the actions of the Permit applicant. It is the Michigan taxpayer that provides -- free of charge -- lawyers from the Michigan Attorney General’s office who have vigorously defended Aquila Resources. This happens even when persons within EGLE Water Resources Division who reviewed Aquila’s permit application wrote in their 'finding of fact and conclusion of law': The project is not consistent with the permitting requirements of Part 303, Wetlands Protection and Aquila’s permit may not be issued under this Part as Aquila’s Part 303 Wetlands Permit application did not meet the standards under Part 303 law. Then add six (6) Aquila attorneys who have no regard for the facts -- only that they win and Aquila gets to have a mine of 1080 acres only 147 feet from the Menominee River that WILL pollute forever."

Professor Al Gedicks: Dam safety permit most significant

According to Al Gedicks, who has spoken out against the Back 40 project on several occasions, the dam safety permit could end up as a catastrophe waiting to happen.

Al Gedicks, professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Executive Secretary of the Wisconsin Resources Protection Council, speaks about the dangers of the proposed tailings management facility for the Aquila Back 40 mine during a presentation in April 2019, a few months after the catastrophic mine tailings dam collapse in Brumadinho, Brazil. (Video © and courtesy Anthony J. Corey of Digital Water Voices)

The dam safety permit is most significant, Gedicks says, since, despite extensions, Aquila was not able to meet the Dec. 31 deadline and must start that permit process again in 2020. He offers detailed information on the problems with Aquila's design in an article titled "Proposed Mine a Ticking Time Bomb," published on Dec. 13, 2019, in urbanmilwaukee.com.

"After a catastrophic mine tailings dam collapse in Brumadinho, Brazil, killed 270 people in January of 2019 Brazil not only banned that design for future mines, but mandated that every existing mine tailings dam of that design be decommissioned. The dam collapse was the world’s deadliest in more than 50 years," Gedicks writes. "Shock waves from the collapse of the Brazilian tailings dam continue to affect global investors and industry associations. Yet Michigan regulators gave the design that Brazil banned preliminary approval."****

Aquila is not authorized to begin construction of the mine and will not be able to proceed until all permits, including the dam safety permit, have been approved by EGLE.

Environmental, community groups protest Back 40 project

In addition to the Menominee Tribe, several water protector groups of local residents in both Michigan and Wisconsin have been protesting the proposed Back 40 mining project for several years. The Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River, which includes leaders of several of these groups, has joined with the Menominee Tribe in a joint contested case against EGLE on the wetlands permit, along with Tom Boerner, adjacent landowner.

Following the Jan. 27 Circuit Court of Appeals ruling against the Menominee Tribe's federal case, Dale Burie, Coalition president, stated they agreed that the Court's decision makes clear that the 1984 federal decision to give the State of Michigan wetland regulatory authority should not be the final word on jurisdiction over the Back Forty permit application. They also agree that the Tribe got the "runaround" from federal agencies.

"The proposed Back Forty mine would affect citizens from multiple states and a sovereign nation -- this is not a decision that should be made by one state's agency, and we look forward to our rights under federal law being vindicated," Burie said. "The legal actions will continue."

The Coalition's own federal case, dismissed in the district court as was the Menominee Tribe's case, is still in litigation. The combined state contested case against EGLE's wetland permit (for which final briefs were submitted this past week) will not be decided until March or late April 2020.

Lea Jane Burie, Coalition secretary, said, "It makes no sense to put a metallic sulfide mine 150 feet from the Menominee River that feeds into Green Bay, Lake Michigan, the Great Lakes -- and affects water quality for 40 million people."

Lea Jane told Keweenaw Now she and her husband, Dale, co-founders of the Coalition, put in 12 hours a day working to fight the Back 40 Mine -- attending meetings, doing research, organizing events, communicating with the member group leaders and more.

"We're fighting the fact that Michigan was given the authority over a boundary water for two states," she said. "We're not giving up, and we're not backing down. We're in it for the long haul."*****

Water protector groups participate in community events

Besides speaking out at public hearings, local Michigan and Wisconsin residents opposed to the Back 40 mining project join parades and other community events and hold bridge walks and regular street protests -- displaying signs about their concerns for the environment, especially the river.

Despite recent cold weather, on Jan. 4, a group of residents concerned about the river did a Bridge Walk, sponsored by the Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River, across the Menominee River on a bridge connecting the two states.

On a chilly Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020, concerned local residents participate in a Bridge Walk across the Menominee River to protest the Back 40 mining project. (Photo © and courtesy Wayne Swett)

 

Laura Rowe, foreground, and other participants in the Jan. 4 Bridge Walk display signs protesting  the proposed Back 40 mining project. (Photo © and courtesy Wayne Swett)

Last summer concerned community members and their families participated in local celebration of logging heritage in order to spread the word about the need to protect the Menominee River:

Video © and courtesy Anthony J. Corey of Digital Water Voices.

Tina Lesperance, who dressed as Wally the Water Drop in the above video of the parade, says of Aquila Resources, "All I know is that we will keep fighting them until they leave. They will NEVER have a social license to operate!"

Wally the Water Drop, one of the Coalition's mascots, helps convey concerns for the Menominee River. (Photo courtesy Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River)

José the Blue Heron is another symbolic water protector mascot who appeared in community parades. He was donated by a Milwaukee artist. (Photo courtesy Save the Menominee River)

Mary Hansen, who participates in many of the community actions against the mine, said, "We walk to save our river not only for us but for the children to come. We walk to to save our river for the animals, the fish that swim and for the winged ones.We walk to save our river for the trees, the plants the flowers and for our wild rice. We walk because we are stewards of our land, we are the water protectors."

In Menominee, Mich., Save the Menominee River advocates protest The Ogden Club -- its strong ties to Aquila Resources and its prior Aquila upstairs offices location. Pictured in the group are Mary Hansen, seated and holding "MINE NOT APPROVED" sign; Tina Lesperance, far left; photographer Andi Rich, foreground; and friends. (Photo © Andi Rich and courtesy Mary Hansen)

Andi Rich commented on her photo above for Keweenaw Now: "I participate in these protests because I think it's important to show our opposition in a meaningful and visible way," Rich said. "That area near the bay is beautiful -- we always have amazing sunsets over the church, the view of downtown Menominee on 10th Ave. is a beautiful backdrop, and the people who show up are always so much fun. We share information with unknowing patrons (who are usually grateful for the info). They often do a 180 and find another place to go. We get to make the pro-miners have to justify why they think it's ok to poison people for money, and we laugh. Man do we laugh."******

Notes:

* In 1984, Michigan received authorization from the federal government to administer Section 404 of the federal Clean Water Act in most areas of the state. A state administered 404 program must be consistent with the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act and associated regulations set forth in the Section 404(b)(1) guidelines. Whereas in other states, where an applicant must apply to the U.S. Corps of Engineers and a state agency for wetland permits, applicants in Michigan generally submit only one wetland permit application to EGLE. New Jersey also has a similar exemption. Click here for details.

** See the Menominee Tribe's full Jan. 28, 2020, statement: "Menominee Tribe Disappointed but not Deterred."

*** See our Oct. 2, 2019, article, "Water protectors canoe, kayak on Menominee River to raise awareness of proposed Back 40 mining project's threats to environment, culture."

**** See the full article: "Proposed Mine a Ticking Time Bomb," by Al Gedicks. Posted Dec. 13, 2019 in Urban Milwaukee.

***** To learn more about the Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River, visit their Web site.

****** Visit Save the Menominee River -- Stop the Back 40 Mine on Facebook to learn more about these protests. See also Protectors of the Menominee River.

Michigan AG Nessel opposes Federal Government's effort to replace 2015 Waters of the United States Rule

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. (Photo courtesy Michigan.gov)

LANSING -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel today issued the following statement on the Trump administration’s finalized Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR), which will significantly scale back the waters regulated under the Clean Water Act:

"The Clean Water Act's job is to provide a federal floor of water protection, not a basement," said Nessel. "States share water resources with one another, and without protective national standards these shared resources will be subject to the standards of the lowest common denominator. The Trump administration has once again ignored science by continuing to try to turn back the clock on environmental protection and has arbitrarily removed protections from important water resources based on lobbying from special interest groups."

The 2015 Waters of the United States Rule (WOTUS) clarified which bodies of water were subject to federal oversight under the Clean Water Act. Once published in the Federal Register, the final NWPR rule will complete the Trump administration’s efforts to replace the 2015 WOTUS rule, with a less protective rule that results in many smaller wetlands and streams being unregulated.

"As Michiganders, we have a responsibility to be good stewards of not only the Great Lakes, but all of our waterways and wetlands. I will be challenging this decision," Nessel added.*

* Editor's Note: See also: "Legendary Water Protector Robert Kennedy Jr. Goes in-Depth on Trump Clean Water Act Rollbacks." (EnviroNews Exclusive)

UPDATED: Heikinpäivä Mid-Winter Festival continues in Hancock

The Heikinpäivä parade is one of the main events of the annual Mid-Winter Festival in Hancock. This year's parade will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

HANCOCK -- Whether or not you attended the Heikinpäivä enrichment classes and workshops at Finlandia's Finnish American Heritage Center, don't miss the events still to come this week in Hancock's Mid-Winter Festival. The celebration’s themes are taken from Finnish folk sayings associated with the name day for Heikki (Henrik’s day - 19 January).

Each year the Finnish Theme Committee of Hancock selects a Hankookin Heikki (The Heikki of Hancock), who then presides over the Heikinpäivä festivities. This year Mary Pekkala was chosen for this honor because of her contributions to the preservation and enhancement of Finnish-American cultural life in the Copper Country.

Mary Pekkala, the 2020 Hankookin Heikki, is pictured here at the Dec. 6, 2019, Finnish Independence Day celebration, where she received her award and crown. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Mary has been a volunteer in the Archives at the Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC) of Finlandia University and a long-time member of the Finnish Theme Committee. Mary joined the Finnish Council of America in 2012, working on the Folk Music Camps the three years it held the camp and serving as its Vice President since 2017.

Her main event task is to ride what is the arguably the world’s largest kick sled, a crowd favorite at Heikinpäivä, donning the traditional Hankooki Heikki robes and crown, and waving the copper scepter in the festival’s mid-winter parade.

Here is the schedule for the remaining events through Jan. 28:

UPDATED: Thursday, January 23
5:30 p.m. -- The Joy of Singing Finnish Favorites music workshop with Ralph and Jaana Tuttila, Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC). FREE!

Ralph and Jaana Tuttila of Minneapolis, Minnesota. (File photo courtesy Ralph and Jaana Tuttila)

Saturday, January 25

Note: Due to lack of a suitable site, the Heikinpäivä Polar Bear Dive has been cancelled.

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. -- Tori Market, FAHC and First United Methodist Church, Hancock.

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. -- Vipukelkka (Whipsled), kicksleds, and plenty of outdoor fun! Quincy Green.

Young children love riding the Vipukelkka (Whipsled). (Keweenaw Now file photo)

11 a.m. -- Parade, downtown Hancock. Line up at La Cantina restaurant at 10:30 a.m. Prizes.

Following parade -- Wife-carrying, kicksled races, whipsled, and more! Quincy Green. Prizes.

1 p.m. -- Book talk, "Kotimaa" with author Mark Munger, North Wind Books, Hancock.

UPDATED: 3 p.m. -- Reception for "Animal Life: Art from the Kalevala," Community Arts Center, Hancock. See our right-hand column for details.

7 p.m. -- Heikinpäivä iltamat (hors d’oeuvres, dance), Finnish American Heritage Center. Silent auction during dance. $15 per person.

Sunday, January 26

2 p.m. -- Finnish Hymn Sing and Concert, Zion Lutheran Church, Hancock. Open to the public.

Tuesday, January 28

6:45 p.m. -- Contra Dancing, Finnish American Heritage Center. Call (818) 606-0065 for info.

Editor's Note: For more details visit the Heikinpäivä Web site or their Facebook page.

Finlandia, Michigan Tech to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day Jan. 20

Poster courtesy Michigan Tech University Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

HANCOCK, HOUGHTON -- Students, faculty and staffs at both Finlandia and Michigan Tech universities will honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 20, with a variety of community service and other activities.

Finlandia students offer community service on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

On Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 20, students and staff at Finlandia University take a break from classes and give their energy to the local community. To pay tribute to the man that changed the trajectory of civil rights in the United States, the annual Finlandia MLK Day of Service puts the normal university day on hold so that FinnU students, staff, alumni, and friends of the university can make their little bit of difference through small acts of kindness.

Providing manual labor such as shoveling snow at Finlandia and processing firewood at Little Brothers, volunteering for St.Vincent De Paul Thrift Store or the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and reading to children in local schools are some of the activities that will give students the opportunity to involve themselves in the local community.

"Whether it’s socializing with the elderly, helping others prepare for the long winter months, or reading to small children, it’s wonderful to see our small Finlandia community make such an impact on our U.P. communities," said Finlandia Director of Residence Life Leann Fogle.

Fogle emphasized the impact that community service has on both the organization and student participants.

"We have had such a positive reaction from our students," said Fogle. "They come back from their service site excited, energized and happy they were able to help someone else. We have even had students interested in creating relationships with the sites so they can go back again."

In addition Finlandia will show the film When We Were Kings at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 in Wargelin 303.

Michigan Tech to observe MLK Day with school visits, Annual Banquet

Once again this year, Michigan Tech students will visit local elementary schools to read to students about the life and legacy of Dr. King. On Monday morning students will visit Barkell Elementary (Hancock) and T.R. Davis Elementary (Dollar Bay). That afternoon students will read to children at Houghton Elementary.

The 31st Annual MLK Banquet, hosted by Michigan Tech's Center for Diversity and Inclusion, will take place in the Memorial Union Ballroom Monday evening, Jan 20.

The evening's keynote speaker will be former Michigan Tech student LaShana Lewis. A systems engineer at MasterCard, Lewis has been working in the diversity space for more than 20 years. She is CEO of L.M. Lewis Consulting, a company that aims to make companies more diverse through assistance with recruitment, hiring and retention best practices.

Entertainment will be provided by a jazz band and singer David Brown.

Michigan AG challenges court decision involving Line 5 Tunnel Law

Mackinac Bridge. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel opposes Enbridge's plan to build a tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac to house the company's Line 5 pipeline. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

LANSING -- With a brief filed on Thursday, Jan. 16, in the Michigan Court of Appeals, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel continues to challenge the constitutionality of the law which provided for the 2018 agreement between former Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration and Enbridge Energy to build a tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac to house the energy company’s Line 5 pipeline.

Public Act 359 of 2018 was rushed through the Legislature to amend Public Act 214 of 1952, which allowed for the construction of the Mackinac Bridge. Nessel's brief filed Thursday argues that the 2018 act violates Article 4, Sec. 24, of the Michigan Constitution, referred to the Title-Object Clause, which provides that "No law shall embrace more than one object, which shall be expressed in its title."

In response to questions raised by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Nessel issued a formal opinion in March 2019 that concluded Act 359 was unconstitutional and the agreements based upon it made between the Snyder administration and Enbridge should likely be considered void.*

In June 2019, Enbridge Energy countered by suing the State in the Michigan Court of Claims seeking a declaration that the Act is constitutional, thereby making the December 2018 tunnel agreement valid. The Court of Claims agreed with Enbridge and ruled in the energy company’s favor on Oct. 31, 2019.

The brief filed Thursday by the Michigan Department of Attorney General asks the Court of Appeals to reverse the Court of Claims decision because Act 359 violates the Title-Object Clause by not providing fair notice of the content of the law, and embraces two unrelated objects -- a utility tunnel to carry oil beneath the Straits and the Mackinac Bridge to carry motor vehicles above.

Separately, on Jan. 16, a panel of the Court of Appeals denied, by a 2-1 vote, the State’s motion for stay pending appeal. Had it been granted, the stay would have delayed the effect of the Court of Claims decision until the Court of Appeals reached its decision on the constitutionality of Act 359. Instead, Act 359 currently remains in effect during the appeal. The State is reviewing the order.

This case is separate from and not related to the Attorney General’s lawsuit that seeks to shutdown Enbridge’s existing 66-year-old pipelines in the Straits.**

Editor's Notes:

* See our Apr. 1, 2019, article, "Attorney General Nessel finds Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority Law unconstitutional; Gov. Whitmer issues directive to halt actions in furtherance of PA 359."

** See our June 29, 2019, article, "Attorney General Nessel takes legal steps to decommission Line 5; Gov. Whitmer seeks to dismiss Enbridge lawsuit."

Fourth Annual Women's March on Portage Lake Lift Bridge is Saturday, Jan. 18

Marchers display their signs as they cross the Portage Lift Bridge during the January 2019 Women's March in Houghton. (File photo © and courtesy Jim Belote)

HOUGHTON -- The community is invited to join the Fourth Annual Women’s March on the Portage Lake Lift Bridge at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18. Marchers will gather at Bridgeview Park and walk up to the east side of the Bridge. RiseUP, the League of Women Voters, and the Houghton County Democrats are participating. Signs and pink pussy hats are welcome.

The Copper Country joins in solidarity with women across the UP, the state, the country, in DC, and the world in support of issues that impact women’s lives -- including equality, reproductive rights, immigration, the climate crisis, and a future that fulfills the promise of this country. Each woman has her own reasons to march.

For more information contact Susan Burack 482-3270 or sburack@pasty.net

The Gift of Computing

By Cyndi Perkins*
Posted Dec. 20, 2019, on Michigan Tech News
Reprinted here with permission.

Naomi and Eliot Haycock, BASIC Saturday regulars at Portage Lake District Library in Houghton, work through their computing to-do list with Michigan Tech student coach Parker Young, right. (Photo © Wes Rantamaki and courtesy Michigan Technological University)

HOUGHTON -- Through the years and across generations, Michigan Tech Huskies help their neighbors navigate the digital universe. In the season of giving, drop in on two volunteer programs that benefit both givers and receivers.

On any given Saturday during the academic year, you’ll find Michigan Technological University students serving as coaches and teachers in the community and on campus in a couple of programs that have been around since 2011. Building Adult Skills in Computing, or BASIC, helps older people with computer-related questions. Copper Country Coders introduces younger people to computer science and programming.

BASIC: Where No One is Left to Their Own Devices

BASIC walk-ins are welcome from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. Saturdays at Portage Lake District Library in Houghton. Sessions used to be earlier in the day before the library opened to the public, said Kelly Steelman, Michigan Tech associate professor of human factors and psychology, who, along with Charles Wallace, associate professor of computer science, serves as a BASIC tutor and researcher. But as it turns out, technological newcomers as well as Huskies like to sleep in. The time adjustment is one of several tweaks that have taken place as the program -- and the devices we use in our daily lives -- evolve. For example, nobody’s gathered ’round the library’s desktop computer stations. On this particular Saturday, as rays of treasured winter sunlight glint on the ice-glazed Keweenaw Waterway and stained-glass art, participants are cozily tucked into the library's Michigan Room with laptops, phones and tablets at the ready.

What's your favorite thing to do on a Saturday? Huskies teach kids to code and senior citizens to surf the Internet.

"Easy for you to remember, but hard for them to guess." That’s how Parker Young sums up the perfect password for Naomi and Eliot Haycock, who brought in a tablet and laptop. He explains to the lively couple that encrypted password management programs make it easier to keep track of all the passwords safely. "As long as you remember the one password, you have all the others," he said. They also discuss PayPal -- Naomi’s intrigued, Eliot’s skeptical. Both are interested in what kind of writing programs are already available on their newly acquired laptop. Young shows them options, from Google Docs to the preinstalled writing software.

"Good. We can do a Christmas letter," Naomi said.

They move on to installing updates and discuss the necessity to perform them regularly ("There goes another one!" Parker exclaimed). Next, the trio walks through how to connect to Wi-Fi at home for the first time with the new device.

"They do a great job. We’ve come here quite a few times," Naomi said. "People tell us, 'if you had to pay for this, you’d be paying a lot.'"

"Give this guy a good grade. He’s good," Eliot tells Charles Wallace, who is on the other side of the wide wooden library table helping a gentleman who’s never used a computer. First-timers are rare these days. Whenever a new user powers up, it’s exciting; both tutor and learner are smiling as he Googles for the first time, locating his church on the map and visiting its website.

Wallace encourages the beginner to keep exploring, then explains to the Haycocks that students aren’t graded for being part of BASIC. They’re here only because they want to be.

"We’re giving the gift of bringing people to the digital table," said BASIC volunteer Abby Kuehne, a double major in psychology and communication, culture and media with research experience in human-computer interaction.

Today she’s working with a soft-spoken man looking for pointers on getting started with a tablet. "Because this is a mobile setting, the tablet is going to be set up differently," she explained.

Portage Lake District Library has been hosting BASIC Saturdays since the program's inception. You'll often find Huskies Abby Kuehne, left, and Paige Short, right, bringing fellow community members to the digital table. (Photo © Wes Rantamaki and courtesy Michigan Technological University)

The work Kuehne does here aligns with her career goals, which include enhancing technology accessibility and effective communication across cultures. More than that, it’s establishing a lifelong pattern of service.

"It becomes a good habit," said Kuehne. "I believe in karma, in giving back."

For scientific and technical communication major Paige Short, showing up on Saturday mornings has also become second nature. Short, whose endeavors include work to communicate science on a global level, sees the relationship between students and the people who come for help as mutually beneficial. "It builds community," she said. "It connects us to the local community, and helps them be a part of the digital community." Never more so than on this Saturday, when Short is assisting with budget workflow strategy for a local community garden.

The session wraps up shortly after 11; the group meets for a quick debrief. There’s just enough time for Young to do some work on his truck before he heads over to the Michigan Tech College of Computing, where Copper Country Coders meets every Saturday afternoon of the academic year. Wallace will be there, too -- this program also benefits from his co-leadership, in this case with Leo Ureel, computer science senior lecturer and coordinator of the Michigan Tech College of Computing Learning Center.

Programmed Snowflakes and the Python Boiz

Compared to the quiet of the library, the atmosphere is a tad more rambunctious in the first-floor labs of Kanwal Rekhi Hall, where the youngest of the Copper Country Coders teams is raring to go. In sessions that run from 1-3 p.m., Michigan Tech students work with young people from area schools who share a goal not dissimilar from those of their older counterparts: they’re learning how to make computers do what they’re told. They’re learning to speak the language of programming.

"Can we play games before the other people come?" asks one youngster, bouncing up and down on a computer desk chair.

Instructor Keith Atkinson smiles, patiently explaining that they’ll all be creating a holiday snowfall game once everyone has gathered. He doesn’t mind the rowdier element or the challenge of keeping active young people engaged. "I’m pretty high energy myself and I like thinking on my feet," said the computer science major, who started with the Coders in 2015. He also clearly enjoys serving his community -- for his directed study class this semester, Atkinson created an inventory system for Michigan Tech’s Husky Food Access Network pantry.

Atkinson is co-leading one of the middle-school teams with fellow computer science major Galen Resh Chimner, who was enrolled in the program as a youngster. "It was fun to come and learn and get challenged," he said.

Today’s project is a holiday snowfall game. Students learn to program a snowflake -- to draw it and make it move. Every click of the computer mouse adds a new snowflake.

Programming is the Universal Language

Trevor Good, like many of the Huskies in Copper Country Coders, is in it for the fun of both learning and teaching. (Photo © Wes Rantamaki and courtesy Michigan Technological University)

Across the hall, Parker Young is at it again -- this time teaming up with computer science major Trevor Good to introduce ninth-grade and middle-school students to the popular, easy-to-use programming language that inspired their tongue-in-cheek team name: the Python Boiz. Young has been doing both BASIC and Coders for three years; it’s Good’s second year and second time co-leading with Young.

"Last year, we did Minecraft," said Good. "We picked Python because it’s the number-one programming language in the world; it’s used for AI, machine learning, automation ... logically it makes a lot of sense. I wanted to learn it myself."

Young was also new to Python. "Teaching others helps me learn," said Young, who is also a coach in the College of Computing Learning Center.

The College of Computing is piloting a course to teach Python to non-computing majors across campus. For today, though, the focus is on the half-dozen younger students situated at monitors in the lab.

"What’s up man? Oooh, you’re so close!" Young moves between computer stations, checking out the ongoing project. "Let’s go, you guys! I wanna see some cool tic tac toes."

 "I love coming here every Saturday and I love teaching," said Young.

The vibe is sedate in comparison over at the Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC), a short walk from Rekhi Hall, where high school-aged students are working with two graduate students, Marissa Walther and Shaun Flynn. Walther has been with Copper Country Coders for five years, Flynn four.

Marissa Walther, left, and Shaun Flynn's group works on hardware coding. (Photo © Wes Rantamaki and courtesy Michigan Technological University)

Walther, who earned a bachelor’s in computer science in 2019, is studying for her master’s.

Flynn, who earned a BS in computer engineering, is working toward his master’s. In 2018, their lesson plans focused on teaching young coders Java development and how to create games using JavaFX morphed into the book The World of Java Programming.

The two instructor-mentors said that the goal this year is to introduce students to hardware and the work that goes into building it.

"They can choose what it can do. They can do a lot of hardware prototyping," said Flynn.

"I like teaching students. It’s fun to watch them develop," he said, as the pair watches students work intently at their lab monitors. "They chose to spend two hours with us, programming. I came to Michigan Tech not knowing any of this."

Time and again Huskies involved in the programs mention the joy of both teaching and learning.

It’s Not You, It’s the Technology

Place the responsibility where it belongs. On the technology. Both Copper County Coders and BASIC give participants the confidence to deploy digital tools to do desired and necessary tasks. That benefits both the students teaching and the students who are learning from them.

Copper Country Coders organizes young people from local schools into teams of six to eight, depending on enrollment fluctuations and the level of difficulty of each team. Two Huskies co-lead each group -- each group compiles its own lesson plans, learning objectives and means to measure outcomes. Sessions are adjusted as the academic year moves along to keep pace with student progress. If more time is needed, the group stays with a project longer. If something doesn’t go over well, it’s documented for future Coders planning their own programs.

Last year the group presented its first Computer Science Expo.

At the Saturday BASIC sessions, coaches often work with people who are familiar with some tasks, but are continually challenged by the pace of technology -- if you’re retired, for example, you aren’t required to adapt to the latest program or process being used in your workplace. Things like running out of space on a smart phone or other roadblocks with apps and social media present have the potential to present discouraging or demoralizing roadblocks. BASIC eliminates the blame game.

"Our approach is meeting people where they are," said Kelly Steelman, BASIC tutor and researcher. "Tutoring is more about empathy and compassion. We're paying attention and mirroring the words. What are the things that freak people out about computers? How can we alleviate those concerns?"

BASIC offers one tutor training session every semester; the interdisciplinary program is open to students from all majors. Beyond résumé building, "it feels good, making differences in lives," said Steelman. The regionally and nationally recognized service-learning opportunity aspires to expand; beyond Michigan Tech outreach Wallace has shared the concept with other libraries and organizations who could bring BASIC to their communities.

Portage Lake District Library announces the free computer assistance program on Saturday mornings, resuming on Jan. 18, 2020. (Poster courtesy Portage Lake District Library)** 

Eliot and Naomi Haycock are on their own until the student coaches return January 18. Given the skills they’ve acquired, and the knowledge that help will be available again in the new year, they don’t appear to be particularly worried.

"We miss them when they’re not here," Naomi said.

"But they deserve a vacation," Eliot said.

Editor's Notes:

* Guest author Cyndi Perkins is a feature writer for Michigan Tech University Marketing and Communications. Learn more about her here.

** See Portage Lake District Library Facebook page on events for updates on Saturday BASIC sessions. Learn more about Copper Country Coders on their Facebook page.

Group formation of new Isle Royale wolves leads to territorial aggression

From National Park Service
Dec. 20, 2019, Press Release

Female Wolf at Night. Trail camera photo of the first female wolf released on Isle Royale. Captured 9-27-18. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

HOUGHTON -- The National Park Service (NPS) and research partners from the State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) are using data from GPS collars on introduced wolves to monitor associations between individuals and identify possible pack formation. As researchers and NPS staff anticipated, new wolves immediately began interacting with each other. Researchers confirmed introduced wolves were feeding, traveling, sleeping in proximity to each other, and forming groups.

A trail camera photo of the first male wolf relocated to Isle Royale dragging off food. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

A wolf "group" is characterized by two or more wolves traveling and feeding together. Wolf groups are further defined as a "pack" if groups of two or more wolves are traveling together and/or defending a territory, and if a breeding pair reproduces. Individual preferences for mating and group or pack formation can be quite variable for a social animal like the wolf. Mate selection and pair bond formation can occur at any time, but wolves only breed and produce pups once per year. Consequently, pack formation can take time. Based on these definitions, there are currently no wolf packs on Isle Royale.

Staff unloads a wolf in a crate from the seaplane on Oct. 4, 2018. (Photo by Jim Peaco and courtesy National Park Service)

GPS collar data shows three wolves, 1 female and 2 males, have been traveling, feeding, and bedding together since March, 2019 (W001F, W007M, and W013M). This is the first wolf group to form and remain associated since introduction efforts began. Additionally, two male wolves shared bed sites and carcasses over the summer with several different female wolves, but their associations lack consistency and are currently not defined as wolf groups. Two female wolves shared bed site areas over the summer (July), but are also not considered a group. Loose associations are common when smaller prey items like moose calves, beaver and snowshoe hare are abundant on the landscape. These animals are easy prey for a single wolf.

Dr. Jerry Belant, Campfire Conservation Fund Professor at SUNY-ESF and project collaborator, said, "Wolves are a highly social species and we continue to monitor their movements to document groups, and ultimately pack formations as demonstrated by reproduction. We developed a public online tool, https://belantlab.shinyapps.io/wolf-networks/ based on these analyses to understand potential associations among these wolves and the areas they occupy."

From left, Ashley Lutto, a research associate with the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry; National Park Service veterinarian Michelle Verant; Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) veterinary specialist Dan O’Brien; and Michigan DNR wildlife technician Brad Johnson collect and record data on a gray wolf captured Sept. 8, 2019, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. (Photo courtesy John Pepin, Michigan DNR)

Researchers monitoring the GPS collar signals identified two wolf mortality events this fall. In September, researchers and NPS staff detected a mortality signal and recovered the remains of female W004F. Field evidence and subsequent necropsy at the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis., determined W004F died from wounds caused by another wolf or wolves. In October just prior to island closing, NPS staff came across the remains of male wolf, M183, one of the two remaining uncollared resident wolves inhabiting Isle Royale prior to introduction efforts. Necropsy revealed that M183 had also been killed by another wolf or wolves. These events are not uncommon as wolves defend and establish their territories and social hierarchy. With many wolves on the island sorting out their relationships with one another, the dynamic nature of wolf social organization, territoriality, and wolf-on-wolf aggression during group and pack formation is not unexpected.

Rolf Peterson, research professor at Michigan Technological University and long-time wolf and moose investigator on Isle Royale, commented on the death of M183, one of the two remaining uncollared resident wolves inhabiting Isle Royale prior to introduction of the new wolves.

"With the death of the island-born male, travel patterns of the remaining wolves are likely to change significantly, and probably dependent on whether or not the island-born female is still alive, whether she is territorial and how she gets along with the newcomers, both males and females," Peterson said. "She is the final native wolf, never radio-collared; and searching for her will be a priority during the upcoming winter study."

Summer wolf location cluster investigations documented 122 instances of two or more wolves with overlapping space use. Twenty-nine cases (23.8 percent) of space use overlap were associated with prey remains and feeding behavior, 68 percent were associated with bed sites, and wolf use for the remaining 7.4  percent of sites was unknown or could not be determined.

Researchers continue to monitor location data weekly for evidence the three newest wolves, released on the island in September 2019, are adjusting to their new homes, interacting and forming associations. These wolves are interacting with each other (W017M and W018F were traveling together in late November) and with the wolves released last spring (W018F and W016M traveled together in early November).

NPS and its collaborators will continue to monitor the interactions, group formation, and genetic diversity of new wolves over winter and spring to document breeding (January/February) and denning (April/May) activity in Isle Royale’s wolf population. Closely monitoring social organization will provide insights into the genetic health of the population. The NPS has partnered with Dr. Kristin Brzeski, wildlife geneticist at Michigan Tech, to sequence the Isle Royale wolf genome for long-term monitoring of genetic health of the population.

"We have a unique opportunity to look simultaneously at the past and future of Isle Royale wolves’ genetic health," said Dr. Brzeski. "With the death of M183, we can now more fully understand how genetic isolation and inbreeding impacted the historic wolf population and use that to better monitor the new founders. This is an exciting time and we will be using cutting-edge genetic tools to track reproduction, inbreeding, and genetic change through time, hopefully providing a piece of the puzzle for maintaining a thriving Isle Royale wolf population."

According to Mark Romanski, NPS project coordinator and Division Chief of Natural Resources at Isle Royale, multiple lines of investigations regarding this population will help the NPS evaluate the success of the project over the next few years.

Fall 2019 First Wolf: Observation 6. Mark Romanski, Isle Royale National Parks’ division chief for natural resources and project leader for wolf relocation efforts, center, gets ready to record gray wolf information from Michigan DNR wildlife technician Brad Johnson, left, and Michigan DNR veterinary specialist Dan O’Brien. (Photo courtesy John Pepin, Michigan DNR)

"We are using everything we can in our toolbox to track how this population interacts with each other, prey and the landscape," Romanski noted. "We’ll continue to learn as much as we can moving forward to help with the decision to add wolves as needed to meet project objectives and document ecosystem effects."

The first wolf introductions on Isle Royale occurred in September 2018.

Isle Royale Superintendent Phyllis Green, left, and Ecologist Lynette Potvin prepare to open the crate to release the first new wolf relocated to Isle Royale in September 2018. (Photo courtesy John Pepin and National Park Service)

This video captures the first new wolf release:

A female wolf emerges from her crate on Isle Royale to begin exploring her new home on Sept. 26, 2018. (Video by Jacob W. Frank, courtesy National Park Service)

Isle Royale Ecologist Lynette Potvin speaks about the first wolf release:

Lynette Potvin discusses the work that went into preparing for the first wolf release on the island in September 2018. (Video by Jacob W. Frank, courtesy National Park Service)

The current population includes 7 females and 8 males. All introduced wolves are from the Great Lakes Region, translocated from northeastern Minnesota (W001F), the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (W017M, W018F, W019M), mainland Ontario, Canada (W005F, W016M), and Michipicoten Island in northeastern Lake Superior, Ontario, Canada (W007M, W009M, W010M, W011F, W012M, W013M, W014F and W015F).

Inset photo: Rolf Peterson (File photo courtesy Michigan Tech University)

Editor's Note: Learn more about Isle Royale National Park by visiting their Web site.