News Release

Environmental Review Complete for Mukooda Lake Development

Date: April 25, 2019
Contact: Tawnya Schoewe, [phone]
Contact: John Snyder, [phone]

Environmental Review Complete for Mukooda Lake Development
 
INTERNATIONAL FALLS, MN: Voyageurs National Park has completed the environmental review process for the development of new recreational facilities at Mukooda Lake. The final Environmental Assessment and the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) can be found on the NPS’s Planning, Environment and Public Comment website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/Mukooda and on the park’s website at https://www.nps.gov/voya/learn/management/publicinvolvement.htm.
 
Public scoping for this project began in July, 2017 and the Environmental Assessment was on review from February 4, 2019 through February 15, 2019. The park analyzed two alternatives and selected the alternative that will redesign the existing campground and add a day use area and hiking trail. The campground will consist of two small campsites, each with two tent pads and one large campsite with four tent pads. A new day use area will be separated from the campsites and a trail system will connect all the sites to the existing well and comfort station.
 
Approximately 3 miles of newly-developed trails will also connect the campground to the historic Filben Cabin ruins to the south and provide day hiking opportunities via a looped trail to the north. The existing dock on Sand Point Lake will also be redesigned to accommodate more boats.
 
Mukooda Lake is located near the southeast end of the park, north of Crane Lake. The small campground on the eastern shore of Mukooda Lake was established by the State of Minnesota and pre-dates the establishment of the park, and is now managed by the National Park Service. This project will improve upon and add to the recreational opportunities in the Sand Point Lake area of the park.
 
www.nps.gov