Volunteers declare victory after finally moving part of monster bog near Brainerd

BRAINERD, Minn. (KMSP) - In the age old conflict of man versus nature, it almost seemed as if nature had won.

But Sunday, after weeks of scheming, volunteers finally succeeded in moving the monster, free-floating bog that had terrorized North Long Lake near Brainerd, Minn.--or at least part of it.

The nearly 300-yard long piece of wetland originally broke off from the shore on North Long Lake last October and finally came to rest at Legionville Safety Camp, an historic site which serves as a training center for school patrols and other public safety jobs. The camp was forced to cancel its early-summer activities while crews attempted to move the bog.

Video taken by American Legion Department Adjutant Randy Tesdahl shows volunteers moving roughly one-third of the land mass with several boats Sunday, while plans remain to remove the rest in the coming days.

The DNR and other crews resorted to chopping the bog into several pieces after failing to move the entire thing last month, using a pipe to thread a rope underneath and ultimately around the bog before pulling the noose-like contraption with high-powered boats.