BLMA History
The forest lands within the BLMA have been managed for
timber since the beginnings of white settlement into the region. The timbered lands,
therefore, have been previously harvested in the past.
The Boulder Lake Reservoir was formed in 1919 and flooded
Otter Lake, Boulder Lake, and Little Boulder Lake.
In 1930, the Emil (pronounced Aymo) Beyer family began to
develop the Beyer's Beach Resort on Boulder Lake Reservoir, and began operation in 1931.
Emil had a twin brother Ernie who operated the Beyer Brother's Resort on Wild Rice Lake
Reservoir, closer to Duluth. Emil's son Ernie (now living in Washington State) says that
the brothers were identical twins who were nearly indistinguishable from one another, and
he relates the following story as an example: Emil helped Ernie develop and operate the
Beyer Brother's Resort on Wild Rice Lake Reservoir. So Ernie helped Emil in developing
Emil's resort project at Boulder Lake. If Ernie wasn't able to accommodate his patrons on
Wild Rice Lake Reservoir, he would direct them up to Emil's resort on Boulder Lake
Reservoir. No phone service was available to the Beyer's Beach Resort at the time.
Apparently, many of these unsuspecting people would step out of their Model A's and be
astonished to meet who appeared to be the same person from Wild Rice Lake Reservoir, and
he somehow beat them to Boulder Lake Reservoir.
During the 1950's and 60's, MP leased lakeshore lots for
cabins on Boulder Lake Reservoir and other nearby reservoirs. Fourteen leases were
established on the shoreline of the reservoir. In addition, Silver Fox Lodge, was
established on Boulder LAke Reservoir. We have history of Christian Solem owning the lodge
until 1961, but we don't know when the resort was originally constructed.
In 1988, while fishing on the Otter Lake end of the
reservoir, a conversation between John Paulson (MP employee) and his childhood friend,
Mark Berg, spawned the idea for setting the shoreline of Boulder Lake Reservoir aside from
development. MP Land and Water Supervisor Tom Houghtaling and John Paulson refined the
idea into the concept of establishing an area around the reservoir to demonstrate to the
public full-scale natural resource management.
In 1991, MP, St. Louis County Land Department and MDNR
officials met at Silver Fox Lodge to discuss their mutual interests in the area around
Boulder Lake. The area was formally established as the Boulder Lake Conservation Area
(BLCA).
MP Forester Blake Francis, and Real Estate Specialist John
Paulson, (with assistance from MP's Jim Atkinson and Rocky Anderson) drafted the BLCA
Management Plan. The St. Louis County Land Department Area Forestry Supervisor John
Thompson and Forester Gene Becker, as well as the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources Joe Gummerson provided their respective editing and drafting of the BLCA Plan.
The plan was finalized in 1993 and submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) as part of MP's relicensing efforts for the St. Louis River Project.
In 1994, the BLCA name was changed to the Boulder Lake
Management Area (BLMA) and the Management Plan became known as the Stewardship Plan.
Formal environmental education programming, natural
resource research and teacher training was begun in 1994 through a cooperative effort
among the BLMA partners and the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) and the
Department of Education, both of the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
In 1997 MP and the MDNR executed a Memorandum of
Understanding for their common interests in providing a cooperative platform for
environmental education upon their respective lands within the BLMA. Minnesota
Power, Minnesota DNR, St. Louis County Land Department, and Natural Resources
Research Institute provide funding for the Environmental Education Program.
BLMA Setting
The BLMA contains 18,250 acres of forested land surrounding
the 3,750 acre Boulder Lake Reservoir.
Boulder Lake Reservoir is a water storage reservoir used
in association with electric power generating dams on the St. Louis River. The reservoir
was developed in 1919 by Minnesota Power's parent company, the Great Northern Power
Company. The reservoir dam is located on Otter Creek, and raises the water level to merge
the natural lakes of Otter Lake, Boulder Lake and Little Boulder Lake as one reservoir.
Boulder Lake Reservoir contains 27 miles of shoreline of
which 98% is undeveloped.
A variety of wildlife uses the BLMA, including moose, wolves, eagles, osprey and loons to name only a few.
Lands within the BLMA include a diversity of species
composition; pine, aspen, birch, maple, black ash, black spruce, cedar, and tamarack forest types can all be found within the BLMA. With forest
management activities in place, these cover types are also spread across a wide range
of age classes.
Formal environmental education focuses on the middle-school to college, post-graduate level and adult education. This focus fills a
necessary role in the upper-midwest region, since area environmental education providers
tend to focus on the kindergarten to sixth grade level students.
Public recreation opportunities within the BLMA includes 21 kilometers of hiking/cross-country skiing trails,
primitive campsites, fishing for walleye, northern pike, and crappie, canoeing,
hunting and snowmobiling.
BLMA Staff
The BLMA daily staff includes:
 |
John Paulson, BLMA Project Manager
John is an employee of Minnesota Power on behalf of the BLMA
Partners, it is John's role to oversee the entire BLMA program operations, including
oversight of legal agreements and contracts, program focus and content, funding, public
relations, and public recreation. You can contact John at (218)722-5642, extension 3569,
or E-mail him at jpaulson@allete.com. |
 |
Dave
Marciniak, BLMA Site Manager
Dave is the BLMA's resident expert ski trail groomer, grounds
manager, and facility operator. Dave does it all! Dave is an MP employee and is stationed
out of the Island Lake Reservoir Hideaway Recreation Area Field Office. You can contact
Dave at (218)721-5078. |
BLMA Partners
Minnesota Power
| Minnesota Power (MP) is a diversified private utility company
headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota. The company is diversified into electric, gas and
water utilities, large scale auto auctions, and coal mining. |
| Key contact people for MP are: |
John Paulson
Land & Real Estate Manager
Minnesota Power
30 West Superior St.
Duluth, MN 55802
(218)722-5642, extension 3569
E-mail: jpaulson@mnpower.com |
Matthew Radzak
Land Management Specialist
Minnesota Power
30 West Superior St.
Duluth, MN 55802
(218)722-5642, extension 3543
E-mail: mradzak@allete.com |
St. Louis County Land
Department
| St. Louis County Land Department
manages 1,000,000 acres of county tax-forfeited land in St. Louis County, Minnesota. The
department manages the lands based on sound economic return and proper environmental
stewardship. Programs include timber management and sales, gravel sales, recreational
leases. |
| Key contact people for the County are: |
Jason Meyer
Area Forestry Manager
Land Department Area Office
5713 Old Miller Trunk Hwy.
Duluth, MN 55811
(218)625-3700 |
Gene Becker
Forester
Land Department Area Office
5713 Old Miller Trunk Hwy.
Duluth, MN 55811
(218)625-3700 |
Minnesota Department
of Natural Resources
| The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR)oversees the State of Minnesota's natural resources. The department manages, creates
policy and enforces the state natural resource laws. The MDNR manages natural resource
subjects including forestry, ecological services, wildlife, fisheries, public recreation,
environmental education, and waters. |
