Some 500 volunteers plant trees along Gunflint Trail

Along the Gunflint Trail, Minn. (AP) — An overnight snowfall complicated but did not stop a major reforestation project along the Gunflint Trail in northeastern Minnesota.

An estimated 500 volunteers from around the state gathered for the Gunflint Green Up, a project to plant around 75,000 pine seedlings in areas burned by a wildfire that broke out one year ago this weekend.

Two inches of new snow covered the target areas Saturday morning, making for slippery walking over the rocky terrain. But forestry experts said the added moisture will be good for the seedlings, and most of the snow melted as they day went on.

Finishing it off

The Ham Lake fire burned nearly 120 square miles in northeastern Minnesota and western Ontario. It was rated the most destructive forest fire in Minnesota since 1918. It damaged or destroyed more than 130 structures in Minnesota, including six permanent homes and 22 seasonal cabins. But no one was killed or seriously injured.