Stauber to Forest Service: Do Not Cut Permits for Entry to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Upon learning that the Superior National Forest intends to make significant cuts to quotas for entry to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) penned a letter to the United States Forest Service demanding that they not cut permits citing the negative economic repercussions that this decision could have on the surrounding communities.

Of this decision, Stauber stated, "Following a record-breaking year, I am incredibly disappointed to learn that the Forest Service plans to cut permits for entry to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, especially since they did not consult those who would be most impacted in this decision: the residents of northeast Minnesota. Cutting permits could deprive up to 40,000 individuals from enjoying America's most visited wilderness, meaning that there will be fewer tanks of gas purchased in our gas stations, fewer lodging reservations, and less patronage of our restaurants. This is the last decision that should be made as my constituents continue to struggle with the impacts of the Biden Administration's inflation crisis. Many residents of Minnesota's Eighth Congressional District have built their livelihoods around the Boundary Waters, so the Forest Service must reconsider this incredibly harmful decision."

Read Stauber's letter, HERE.

Estimates from news reports and conversations with constituent stakeholders estimate a net loss of around 32 permits per day.

Stretched out across a five-month season for most cooperators, that amounts to roughly 4,800 permits per year. Permits can cover groups ranging from one person to parties of nine, meaning that cutting these permits could prohibit up to 40,000 from visiting the Boundary Waters.

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