They spent decades building a successful Nordic ski center. Now, they’re giving it away to preserve it for future generations.
The owners of ABR Trails in Ironwood, MI created a foundation to donate their business to. The change is to ensure ABR Trails remains a cross-country ski trail system for generations to come. Listen to their story here.
Wisconsin DNR approves septage disposal on Lac du Flambeau tribal lands, leading to condemnation from tribe
On Indigenous Peoples Day on the 14th, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources approved a permit for Howard Bros. Inc. to spread septage within the exterior boundaries of the Lac du Flambeau reservation.
The tribe released a statement strongly condemning the move as “both a deep irony and a blatant violation of our sovereignty under the Treaty of 1854”. Read more.
Ice skating trails bring visitors to Canadian communities. Boulder Junction hopes to see similar success with the one it’s creating.
The Town of Boulder Junction is creating an ice skating ribbon to offer people in the region a new way to get outdoors during the winter. Learn how they're making turning the idea into reality.
Emerald Ash Borer is here to stay. These researchers are working to control the population and protect ecosystems.
Emerald Ash Borer is a shiny green beetle first found in southeast Michigan in 2002. Since then, the invasive species has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees across North America. Scientists are working to minimize the impact in different ways. Learn more.
A Lac du Flambeau tribe child was violently bullied at school. Now his mother is speaking out.
A mother says her son, an enrolled member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, had faced years of bullying and racism at school, much of it surrounding his Native identity. Studies have shown that Native American students experience systemically high rates of violence and threats at school — a long lasting problem. Listen to their story.
DNR & DHS issue new fish consumption advisories, including two water bodies in Oneida County
The Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources and Health Services are recommending people limit themselves to eating no more one meal a month with fish caught from the Moen Chain of Lakes. The fish consumption standard from the Great Lakes Consortium, which the DNR bases its advisories on, limits consumption to one meal per month when PFOS levels in fish are between 50 to 200 parts per billion [ppb]. Read more about it.
Oneida County Board passes advisory resolution on enhanced wake
The Oneida County Board is urging the Wisconsin Legislature to “engage in meaningful discussion” when it works to adopt enhanced wake regulations. Learn more.
Copper Peak Transformation: What it will take to bring international ski jumping back to Ironwood
Long before it was a tourist attraction, Copper Peak hosted ski flying events. Copper Peak received $20 million from the State of Michigan through the American Rescue Plan Act. That will cover phase one of construction to get Copper Peak up to standards to hold competitions once more. Learn more about the effort.
Wisconsin winters have been getting warmer, then came this year's strong El Niño
The above normal temperatures and below average snowfall was predicted in the 2023/24 winter due to a strong El Nino. We’ve had El Nino winters before, but many people WXPR has spoken to in recent weeks can’t remember a winter like this one. Read more.
Biosolids in Oneida County: What we know and what we’re still learning
On January 16, the Oneida County Board passed a resolution calling for the Wisconsin DNR to offer PFAS testing of private wells within a six-mile radius of sites where biosolids, sometimes called sludge, have been spread. See the map WXPR built.
State organization honors Vilas County couple for ‘tremendous’ leadership in land conservation
For their work, the Hovels were named this year’s winners of the Land Legacy Award by Gathering Waters, a leading Wisconsin conservation organization. Read more about their work.
