It would be difficult to name something more important to northern Minnesotans than the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the unique recreational opportunities it affords. Unfortunately, on Jan. 30 when we opened our new online reservation system for reserving Boundary Waters permits, we quickly had to shut it down. We realized our reservation system was not providing equitable access to permit reservations. This is not the level of service our public and local communities deserve, and I am sorry for the inconvenience and disappointment so many of you experienced.
Permit reservations will reopen to the public on Monday on the Recreation.gov website.
Immediately after shutting the system down last month, the USDA Forest Service worked to identify the problem and is confident the system is now fixed. We also took this opportunity to further engage our permit cooperators, outfitters, guides, and resorts in local communities with testing and training sessions that helped us make additional improvements to the usability of the site. We also notified people who successfully made reservations on Jan. 30 that their reservations would be canceled and refunded. I made that difficult decision because allowing those visitors to keep their reservations would have been unfair to those who couldn't access the system that day.
Online reservation systems have been operating across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for almost two decades. Over these years, we have continuously worked to update and improve the system to provide better service to the public. The national system was updated this year and now provides stronger security controls and better protection of personal information. It also allows visitors to immediately make reservations on a first-come, first-served basis for all entry points. This update was implemented to ensure a secure, consistent, and equitable opportunity for the public and our cooperators to make reservations.
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The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is one of the most popular wilderness areas in the United States and for good reason. Its beauty is unsurpassed, and the communities and businesses that support recreation in the area are exceptional.
As land managers entrusted with the care for this special place, we will continue to place great importance on maintaining the natural resources, wilderness character, and important economic benefits this landscape provides for local communities and businesses.
With the support of our communities and assistance from our permit cooperators, the Forest Service will continue to work toward improving the permit reservation process and encouraging the use and enjoyment of the Boundary Waters and our national forests for many years to come.
Connie Cummins is forest supervisor in Duluth for the Superior National Forest.
