Preservationists at it again

[BDub]

Motor-Use Violations in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Documented in New Report


Today four conservation organizations released the results of a year-long study entitled "Wilderness Between the Cracks." The report shows a troubling pattern of motor use violations in the eastern part of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Snowmobiles, ATVs, chain saws, and high horsepower outboards have all been used illegally in the BWCAW. Volunteers documented the violations with photos taken over several seasons from a variety of areas in the eastern BWCAW.

The BWCAW is the largest wilderness in the eastern United States and is the most-visited area in the entire National Wilderness Preservation System. The BWCAW attracts visitors from across the country who come to experience the area's unspoiled wilderness character. Motor use violations are documented for the Border Lakes and connecting portages, Stairway portage, Daniels portage, Clearwater and Pine Lakes, Saganaga Lake, and North and South Fowl Lakes.

"We know law enforcement can be difficult in a remote wilderness," said Clyde Hanson of Lutsen, representing the Sierra Club. "But it makes me sad to see this illegal motor use in the wilderness. It's senseless vandalism like drag racing on the Capitol Mall. It shows a lack of respect for law and nature."

The four sponsoring organizations are scheduled to meet with the Forest Service to discuss the report and the implications of budget cuts facing the Superior. "The documented violations have degraded the qualities that people seek in wilderness," noted Kevin Proescholdt of the Izaak Walton League, the report's main author. "Compounding the problem, the Bush Administration has scheduled more cuts in the budget of Superior National Forest, including its Recreation, Wilderness, and Heritage funds. Our report demonstrates the need for more Forest Service staff on the ground, not fewer."

The four organizations that collaborated on this report include the Izaak Walton League of America, Sierra Club North Star Chapter, Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, and Wilderness Watch. A copy of the full 20-page report, including more than 20 photos, can be obtained on the web at:

http://northstar.sierraclub.org/campaigns/forests/WildernessBetweenCracks.pdf
http://www.iwla.org/publications/wilderness/wildernessbtwcracks.pdf
www.nmw.org

[UncleDave]

I'm no fan of tree huggers, but I don't mind them documenting illegal activities.  I'm sure in most cases these were accidental misuse in not knowing the laws or wandering in a part of a lake that is restricted, but for once these lunies sound level headed in this article.  Just my 2 cents.

[JackpineRob]

Most of the pictures were of snowmobile tracks on a frozen lake.  A number of these lakes allow snowmobile use, but the allegation is that the snowmobiles crossed an imaginary line. 

OK sportsfans - what damage has been done?  The lake ice is melting, the tracks will vanish.  By May, no evidence remains.

Big problem?

Or how about the snowmobile tracks on a portage paralleling the recently re-cut international borderline?  Who made the tracks?  Forest Service?  Border Patrol?  DNR?  None of this is very clear.  Also, if you notice the machines took a summer portage trail and moved away from the water.  Seems like common sense to me!

Or the allegations of snowmobiles that are wider than 40"...... 

Big problem?  The new machines are wider, but most are also a whole lot quieter and cleaner than the old 1969 Olympic Ski-Doo we used to run around with.

How about chain saw use on the border portage?   Someone (most likely either Forest Service or Border Patrol) cut some deadfalls out of the way.    Big problem?

Also, don't kid yourself a bit about the towboat controversy.  The enviro-whacks have been after the towboats since Day One, and will say or do anything to get rid of them.  Take any allegations regarding towboats with at least a pinch of salt.

[thunderpout]

Yeah...its good to have the watchdogs, to have a little balance where there isnt enough enforcement, but this stuff dosent appear to be flagarant, are we also going to stop the forest service planes from dropping water on BWCA fires? they have internal combustion engines...it seems we used to let nature have its way when fire was concerned...I sometimes find it amusing to see how we humans decide when crossing our own guidelines is appropriate....      -thunderpout 8)

[thunderpout]

or.......not......        -t-pout

[shaneydan]

A little old in reading this but figured I needed to comment on it. I grew up on Seagull Lake at the end of the Gunflint Trail and have witnessed this issue first hand for many years. Now I love the outdoors and agree we need to protect our wilderness as much as we can. My problem with many of these "save the wilderness" groups is that they want it their way and only their way. I'm talking about paved roads right to the lake but once they drop their canoes they want absolutely no motors from that point on. Or their campsites to be set up with latrines and fire grates – if you’re going to rough it then rough it. Or when there is a fire or medical emergency then of course allow a motor in for that purpose. During the wind storm of 1999 there were several million trees that blew down and no motorized vehicles were allowed to go in to clean it up. Well then why were they allowed in to fight the fire? To think of the natural resources that could have been salvaged but weren’t makes me sick. Had machines been allowed in to clean up the blow down not only would have there been billions of dollars recovered in timber but the Ham Lake fire would have never gotten out of control nor would have it been so costly. Furthermore all signs that machinery had been there would have since vanished. I grew up camping in the BWCA and there are so many lakes and such a large area that rarely sees humans that it is truly unbelievable. So many lakes are not even touched it is simply amazing. Problem is that they are trying to take more and more even though so much of the BWCA is not used now. In all reality there are relatively few lakes a person can use a motor on up here - most of the lakes are in the BWCA or have regulations restricting their use. A limited amount of motor permits are issued daily to certain lakes and forget it if you try and get an overnight one as the environmental groups reserve them years in advance just so they can not be used by motor boaters. It is extremely hard to make it living up here and many people work 2-3 jobs just to survive. On those rare days that you do get off one of the joys is to be able to get out for a couple of days just fishing or camping but without being able to obtain an overnight or day motor permit sure limits the lakes you can go to. In my opinion if you can drive your vehicle to the lake then motors should be allowed on it as well. As far as snowmobiles go – tracks melt. In the pictures posted on the websites of snowmobile tracks in the BWCA – I question if a couple of these pictures don’t appear to be taken below the 4000 foot limit that planes can fly. Now that being said, I am all for saving the wilderness and must agree with something my dad once called himself – I am a “Realist Environmentalist”.

[Lee Borgersen]

 Well said shaneydan,
 
That's why organizations such as the CWCS ( Conservationists With Common  Sense) are so important.


                                        http://cwcs.org/

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[greatoutdoors]

I find it totally amazing that the enviros condone use of "covert agents" (volunteers to them) to spy on others.

They justify it by saying that people have broken the law, and they want to document it.

Fine.

Clyde Hanson is an attorney, and IMHO, an ACLU type!!

He would be the first to complain about illegal wire taps and surveilance of terrorists.

But let the greater threat to the country, the snowmobiler, try anything and the end will justify the means.

Give me a break!!!