Читать книгу Boundary Waters Canoe Area: Western Region онлайн

16 страница из 90

Establishing the BWCA

The use of wilderness lands has been debated ever since Minnesota achieved statehood in 1858. On one side are logging and mining interests that would draw on the natural resources. On the other are those who see recreation as the greater value. As decades passed, the wilderness area has benefited from legislation and court decisions. A summary of key decisions follows:

1909: President Theodore Roosevelt creates the Superior National Forest. 1926: Approximately one thousand acres are set aside as a primitive roadless area within the forest. This area is enlarged in the 1930s. 1938: U.S. Forest Service (USFS) establishes the Superior Roadless Primitive Area with boundaries similar to today’s BWCA Wilderness. 1958: The name of the Superior Roadless Area is changed by the USFS to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. 1964: Congress passes the Wilderness Act and the BWCA becomes part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. 1978: Congress passes the BWCA Wilderness Act and President Jimmy Carter signs it into law. The bill establishes the current boundaries, containing 1,075,000 acres. It eliminates logging and snowmobiling, restricts mining, and limits the use of motorboats to 24 percent of the total water area on just a few large perimeter lakes. 1993: The Superior National Forest BWCA Wilderness Management Plan is approved. Opponents appeal but the plan is upheld by the 8th District Court. Challenges and controversy continue as parties with varied interests try to shift the way the wilderness is used, enjoyed, and protected. 2008: The 30th anniversary of the BWCAW Act is celebrated.

Wildlife