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BWCA Wilderness Act The BWCA Wilderness Act was passed in 1978 by the 95th Congress. It was an act to make the Boundary Waters a designated wilderness area and stated that it is necessary to provide protection, enhancement, and preservation of the natural values of the lakes, waterways, associated forrested areas. This act also prevented further road and commercial developement within the BWCAW, as well as a transition from motorized recreational use of the lakes, streams, and portages in the BWCAW to non-motorized recreational use.
The Wilderness Act was a very large step for the preservation of the BWCAW. One of the greatest draws to the Boundary Waters is its tranquility. Once you travel a mile or so in, you will not hear or see a motorized vehicle until you come out. Natural wildlife sounds take over, which make the BWCAW such an extraordinary place to visit. All of this would be ruined by the hum of motorboats flying through the water, and ATVs speeding past your camp site. Besides being a noise pollutant, motorized vehicles would pollute the water and tear up the land. It is essential that the BWCAW remains protected under the Wilderness Act to ensure the same wilderness experience for generations to come. To read more on the Wilderness Act, click here. |
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Congressman Oberstar's Attack on the BWCAW
Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN) introduced a bill, HR 3297, which seeks to completely turn around the Wilderness Act of 1978. HR 3297 strives to make four large changes to the BWCAW. The first change would be to allow trucks, jeeps, or any other type of motor vehicle to haul boats across trails within the BWCAW. The 1978 Wilderness Act terminated any use of motorized vehicles within the BWCAW, but the US Forst Service refused to implement this provision. Conservation organizations were finally able to get federal courts to enforce this regulation in 1992, but now Congressman Oberstar is attempting to change it back. The second point of this bill is to open lakes to motorboats. If this bill is passed, four lakes will be fully opened to motorboats. These four lakes are Birch Lake, Basswood Lake, Lac La Croix, and Saganaga Lake. All of these laks fall on the border of Minnesota and Canada. The Canadian side of each lake allows the use of Motorboats, except for Birch Lake, which allows no motorboat use at all. If this bill passes, the amount of motorized use of the wilderness would rise from 24% of the water surface area to 38%. This would be a dramatic rise, being that this area is already the most motorized wilderness in the nation.
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The third aspect of this bill would be to create a local-control management council. If this bill passes it will take the control of the BWCAW from the U.S. Forest Service and give it to local pro-motor advocates. This bill would deny the general publics ability to be represented on the Council as well as people from outside the state. The council would be dominated by two local state legislatures, both of whom have expressed their support for motorboats and snowmobiles within the BWCAW.
The fourth component of this bill is to evade motor quotas. Bill HR 3297 would re-define the term "guest" and in order to allow motorboat users to evade quotas set in the 1978 Wilderness Act.
It is vital to the BWCAW that this bill does not get passed and that future bills of this sort are shot down just as quickly as they are brought up. We are depleting the natural wilderness areas within our nation on a daily basis and we need to stand and protect the few pieces of wilderness left. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is an example to the rest of the world of how to protect a wilderness area from motorboats and other motor vehicles. We need to continue to set an example for the world by not giving in to motorist demands. The BWCAW is the pride and joy of Minnesota, and I would hate to see it ruined by motor vehicles.
For more information on bill HR 3297 click here.
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