Changes in the BWCAW Reservation System

[Lee Borgersen]

2/28/2011 4:33:00 PM 
 
New Phone Number and New Rates: Two of Several Changes in the BWCAW Reservation System
As part of its ongoing service to the public, managers on the Superior National Forest have been working with a contractor over the past few years on several changes to increase efficiency of the wilderness permit reservation system.

One of the outcomes is a reduction in the reservation fee charged by the contractor to process Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) permits. Effective March 1, 2011, the fee to reserve a BWCAW permit will drop from $12.00 to $6.00.

The reservation fee is separate from the user fee. User fees are utilized by the Forest Service for improving and maintaining portages and campsites in the Wilderness as well as for educational activities. There is no change in the user fee for the BWCAW.

Some of the changes that contribute to a more stream-lined service include:

- Merging the BWCAW reservation service with the National Recreation Reservation System, which is the one-stop on-line reservation service for all federal lands in the United States.

- Reduced paper work by eliminating requirements for printing, mailing and carbon copies.

- Increased efficiency in operating the annual BWCAW permit lottery. For example: It now takes about 30 minutes to run, versus an entire day previously, and confirmation letters are emailed instantly.

- Ability of Forest Service staff to now enter information directly into the system rather than involve contract staff.

- Eliminated "no pays" equaling thousands of dollars each season through instant credit card processing.

- Cooperator access to issue walk-up permits (formerly "quick permits") via computer.

- Customer ability to cancel reservations on-line, change group size, and make payments prior to permit pick-up.

Another change merged the BWCAW call center and customer service numbers into the centralized National Recreation Reservation System number. This actually extended the hours of operation significantly.

National Recreation Reservation Service: 877- 444-6777

March 1 to October 31, from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm, Central time

November 1 to February 28, from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, Central time.
 
 

[Lee Borgersen]

I just received this reply from the resort owner where I stay at the edge of the BWCA after I questioned the new ruling on permit fees. So, because I got my permit requests in early to assure my dates I get charged $12.00 daily while others only get charged $6.00 for the same permit during the same year 2011. This is not the resort owners fault since he don't make the rules.


Hi Lee,

 

I just found out about this late last week with one day to call anyone before it went into effect.  You would have thought as co-operators in issuing permits we would have had a little bit of input/heads up about it, but that didn't happen.  The way it works is that the permits that have been reserved in the lottery and from Jan. 20-Feb. 28 (ie all of the day use permits that we have reserved) were charged the $12 fee.  Permits that are reserved from March 1st and onward will be charged the $6 fee.  

 

The permit system is part of a real big call center/reservation center now and the USFS in each area supposedly doesn't have as much control over timing/contracts etc.  I told them it is pretty confusing to people and especially to us to have to explain this and have different permits in the same year treated differently.  As is the case with much that I say, it doesn't matter.  Of course it would have been best to do this prior to the lottery 1 ½ months ago or after this season is done.

 

Decision making processes like this one gets everyone more excited for more big programs from the government doesn't it?

 

Let me know if  you have any other questions.

[snow]

Well that sucks!I sure am glad I made my trips throughout the BWCA long before they imposed the reservation system,actually towards the end of our traveling up there "free permits" were required but we never bothered with them~I hate to imagine what our outdoor activeities will come to in the next 5 to 10 years.