BWCAW visitor use study revealing

[Lee Borgersen]

BWCAW visitor use study revealing



      I recently was made aware of a 2007 study of visitors to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Perhaps these results have been published or widely distributed before, but I don't recall seeing them and thought I'd share them.



     The results are based on 1,432 surveys returned by visitors to the wilderness area between May 1 and Sept. 30, 2007. The study was funded by the U.S. Forest Service, which administers the BWCAW; the Rocky Mountain Research Station; and the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute.



     Here are some of the most interesting categories:






Average age -- 45 for overnight visitors, 49 for day-use visitors


Gender -- 75 percent male for overnight visitors, 64 percent male for day-use visitors


Education level -- 73 percent of overnight visitors had an undergradute degree; 67 percent of day-use visitors had an undergraduate degree.


Household income -- 49 percent of overnight users had household incomes between $60,000 and $120,000; 55 percent of day-use visitors had household incomes of $60,000 to $120,000


Group size -- Average group size for overnight visitors was four; for day-use visitors, between three and four


Outfitter use -- 39 percent of overnight visitors used an outfitter's services for all or part of their equipment needs; the figure was 38 percent for day-use visitors



Visitors who fished on their trips -- 76 percent of overnight users fished on their trips; 63 percent of day-use visitors fished. Thirty-four percent of overnight visitors and 53 percent of day-use visitors said fishing was the major reason for their trip. 


Visitors were asked if they felt the BWCAW was too crowded. Among overnight visitors, 51 percent said the BWCAW was too crowded in a few areas and 9 percent said it was too crowded in most areas. A total of 38 percent did not think the BWCAW was too crowded.