National News

“Trusted Travelers” urged to enroll in NEXUS program to facilitate border crossing
A “Trusted Traveler” Enrollment Center is opening in the former state travel information center in International Falls.
The center is designed to make obtaining a NEXUS border-crossing card easy and convenient for nearby residents on both sides of the border.

U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman on Thursday introduced the Small Marine Business and Fishing Guide Relief Act, legislation that would exempt fishing guides, charter captains and other small boat operators from needing an additional Transportation Worker Identification Credential.
The bill was a cause for concern in the area as an unnecessary requirement for the charter industry.

A federal grant will make the north woods in central Koochiching County easier to reach in an emergency.
U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar announced that the city of Big Falls will receive a $14,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program to purchase an off-road rescue vehicle for its fire department.

NPS Report

Mike Ward has been selected as the new superintendent at Voyageurs National Park.
Ward, now superintendent at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in St. Louis, Mo., will report for his new assignment on Aug. 17. He follows former Superintendent Kate Miller, who retired from service earlier this year.
Ernest Quintana, regional director of the National Park Service's 13-state Midwest Region, said Ward has proven himself to be an effective leader and will be a real asset at Voyageurs.

The U.S. Department of the Interior is accepting comments on a proposed change in regulations for carrying concealed weapons into national parks.
The current regulation for a majority of parks, including Voyageurs National Park, states that a person can carry a weapon into the park if it is inoperable and inaccessible, such as in the truck of a car, according to Chris Paolino, of the National Park Service.

U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman is concerned high passport fees could impact travel across the border, which in turn could affect the economic vitality of a border town.
Coleman shared his remarks about the fees with The Daily Journal Tuesday following his testimony in a Committee of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on the passport issue.

The St. Paul office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued new guidelines in an attempt to streamline the process to determine if a water falls under the federal agency’s jurisdiction.
The new guidelines are in response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Corps of Engineers Headquarters’ guidance to implement several Supreme Court decisions.

The Koochiching Forest Legacy Project will receive nearly $3.5 million in federal funding, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The announcement was made Monday during a news conference at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Central Office in St. Paul.
These federal funds, combined with state funds, will protect the forest economy and the recreational and ecological resources on more than 76,000 acres of forest land owned by Forest Capital Partners in Koochiching County.

Senate bill doesn’t include center and House bill doesn’t yet include it

A request for $6.5 million from the state to help International Falls develop a Voyageurs Heritage Center on city-owned property along Rainy River is not yet included in the House or Senate bonding bill.
Rep. Tom Anzelc, who described himself Wednesday at frazzled, fried and busy, said he’s disappointed that neither bill include any money for the center.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The State Department is planning to open a new passport processing office in the Twin Cities area.
Last year Senator Norm Coleman asked the U.S. State Department to open a passport office in Minnesota following publicity over massive passport backlogs. Passport processing offices issue passports on the spot, and the closest one to the Twin Cities currently is in Chicago.
Coleman’s office says the new office will be able to issue passports on the spot to more than 600 customers per day. It’s not yet known where in the Twin Cities it will be located.