REMINDER: 2011 BWCAW PERMIT LOTTERY

[Lee Borgersen]

REMINDER: 2011 BWCAW PERMIT LOTTERY
The lottery for Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) permits opened December 1, 2010 and will continue through January 15, 2011. The lottery provides the first opportunity for visitors to reserve a BWCAW permit for the coming season.

Applicants must set up an account on www.recreation.gov to enter the lottery. It is a quick and easy process. Application results can be viewed online between January 16 and January 20.

Remember, faxed or mailed applications, and payments made by check and money order ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTED. Only successful applicants will be charged a non-refundable $12.00 reservation fee and applicable overnight user fees.

Beginning January 20, 2011, first-come first-served wilderness permit reservations can be made online at www.recreation.gov. Reservations may be made by phone beginning February 1, 2011 by calling the NEW National Recreation Reservation Service toll free at (877) 444-6777.

The hours of operation for the toll free number will be:

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

Please visit www.recreation.gov for additional information.

The BWCAW lottery was established to fairly distribute available quotas for entry dates and entry points where demand exceeds availability. For those who know their desired entry date and location well in advance, the lottery offers an early opportunity to make a reservation. In the lottery process, permits are awarded through a computer-generated, random selection.

The purpose of the wilderness permit quota system is to distribute visitors and use in a manner that protects the natural resources and wilderness values, and limits the social encounters to which are appropriate for each management area.