Boundary Waters Canoe Area

Question 1

what is BWCA

Answer 1

• forested region in Minnesota broken by numerous lakes and streams
• ideal canoeing area - over 1200 miles of canoe routes
• covers 1075000 acres
• quetico provincial park

Question 2

historical uses

Answer 2

• human use began about 9000 BC and has been used ever since
• fur trading
• small deposits during gold rush
• homesteading and mineral exploration 1869 - 1900s
• logging and mining operations began in the 1880s
• long history of multiuse and use use of technology

Question 3

1956 wilderness bill

Answer 3

banned motorized travel

- took 8 years to pass

Question 4

1964 wilderness bill

Answer 4

compromise : logging and motorboat use can be continued

- bill promised continuing establishing uses including motorized travel

Question 5

1978 wilderness bill

Answer 5

reduced motorized use by 50% and snowmobiles were banned except for on 2 routes

Question 6

resolution for 1978 wilderness bill

Answer 6

court battles before and after this bill

• three bills filed and compromised bill passed in favor of canoeists
• motorized use decreased to 24% of the area
• 2 permanent snowmobile routes
• financial assistance to local businesses

Question 7

conflict of 1978 wilderness bill

Answer 7

• conflicts intense between motorized and non motorized travel
• conflict was between multiuser v primitive use only
• canoeists/skiers - national interest, they said motors are advanced civilization and you don’t need that in a wilderness area, preserve the unique area, and economy has adjusted to wilderness use
• motorized travel - local interest, banning motors is selfish, area is large enough for both, it is a select use of technology to allow canoes but not boats, economies rely on logging and tourism, already compromised in the 1964 bill and the federal government was backing out of it

Question 8

media attention for wilderness bill

Answer 8

• jack ford: came on a float plane (motorized vehicle)
• Lynda johnson: wouldn’t drink the water there so a float plane (motorized vehicle) flew in water, also doused the (wilderness) area in insecticides
• snow mobile blockade: first day of fishing season to get signatures

Question 9

lawsuits with wilderness bill

Answer 9

motorized users:
- violation of private property rights
- threatened economic interest
state of Minnesota:
- bill violates states rights to regulate use of water surfaces within its boundaries
- motorized users 2nd suit - failure to file impact statement

Question 10

what did economics contribute to the situation

Answer 10

• impact statements
• property rights definition
• paradigm/model to analyze such problems