A decline in Minnesota’s moose population over the last five years has prompted further research by state and federal officials.

“The worry is if the trend continues, by 2021 or 2022, we could be down to zero. That’s why people are concerned,” Ron Moen told a group brought to Voyageurs National Park Headquarters in International Falls Friday for a Heart of the Continent Partnership meeting.

Moen, a biologist with the Natural Resources Institute and University of Minnesota Duluth, presented findings of large joint project that includes four areas of northern Minnesota and several agencies operating on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border.

Over the past few years, GPS collars have been placed on 60 moose, including 19 in Voyageurs National Park. The collars should provide information on movement and habitat over the next two years.

Moen said the mortality rate of adult moose is higher than expected, and the moose-to-calf ratio lower than expected. In addition, moose sightings and hunter success has been declining adding credibility to the decline.

The cause of death of about one third of adult moose is unknown, Moen said. Tissue deterioration has made the cause of death difficult to pinpoint, he added. The GPS collars should help researchers find the carcasses more quickly and initiate testing.

In an effort to provide even more information about moose, people may report moose sightings on the website at www.nrri.umn.edu/moose/general/sightings.html where.

Because moose are popular among the public, Moen said additional funding may be secured to do further research.

“Do we just give up because the moose may be gone in 20 to 30 years? How much effort do we put into keeping them in Minnesota?” he asked. “The advisory group and the state believe we should put the effort in now because in the foreseeable future they will be here, and at some point, they probably won’t.”

Heart of the Continent

The Heart of the Continent Partnership, which refers to an area on the Ontario and Minnesota border, is a nonpartisan forum where diverse groups can meet and seek new ways to work together, Douglas W. Franchot, chairman explained to The Journal. The partnership was developed in 2007 and includes organizations with a stake in the region’s economic and ecological health.

The group focuses on issues involving the border lakes area that stretches from Fort Frances and International Falls to Atikokan, Thunder Bay and to Duluth.

“There are lots of different perspectives and that’s what’s important,” Franchot said.

As an example, Franchot noted that several of the people who attended Friday’s moose session are concerned about how the moose population may impact other facets of life in the northland, ranging from other wildlife and habitat to tourism.

Critical to the partnership is that it does not take or advocate for positions, said Franchot. “As a result, the value is a place where people who traditionally haven’t talked together have a chance to start to do that,” Franchot said.

Franchot said the partnership has brought together people on different sides of issues, including mining and recreation and motor sports and wilderness.

“We find that after spending time together, they share many of same dreams and goals and need to work together,” he said.

The partnership will host in October an International Community Congress in Thunder Bay and Grand Portage for people who have close ties to public lands.

Several Borderland officials took part in such a workshop several years ago that brought members of communities that serve as gateways to national parks together to find common ground.

Several new initiatives and partnerships have been developed in Borderland as a result of that forum, noted Franchot.

The Heart of the Continent Partnership isn’t just for state and federal agencies, Franchot stressed

“We are very, very interested in have representation from other constituencies get involved, specifically from private industry and the recreation industry,” he said.

For more information on the organization, see the website at www.heartofthecontinent. org.