Transcripts

GREG BARRON: Although opponents of the legislation refuse to characterize it as a compromise, the bill is an effort to reconcile major differences contained in two earlier bills, bills proposed by Minnesota Congressman Donald Fraser and James Oberstar, authored by California representative Phillip Burton and Saint Paul Congressman Bruce Vento. The so-called compromise bill was approved by a voice vote and now faces scrutiny by the full House interior committee.

Representative Oberstar, a strong opponent of the measure, did not attempt to amend the bill in subcommittee action, but an aide says the real fight will come later on the House floor. The Burton-Vento bill greatly reduces motor boating, limits snowmobiling, and ends all logging in the BWCA. Oberstar wants the bill amended to allow for greater recreational use and limited logging.

Another major point of dispute involves the proposed creation of a national recreation area within which roads leading to the BWCA would be placed under federal zoning authority. The Recreation Area or NRA would be located on the periphery of an expanded and fully protected BWCA wilderness. Proponents say the NRA would serve as a replacement for multiple use recreation no longer allowed in the BWCA proper. But opponents, many of whom own resorts along the access routes, say they want no federal zoning regulation. Oberstar aide John O'Connor explains.

JOHN O'CONNOR: Their fear is that this would impose further restrictions on the use of their property. At this point, it's unclear as to what those restrictions will be. I think some of them-- I can quote you from the bill as it was presented to the subcommittee yesterday, which goes into some of the things that the model zoning code can do. It says here the secretary, through the land management planning process, including public involvement, should develop a model zoning code for the recreation area. Such code may be amended from time to time.

In developing the model zoning code, the secretary shall strive to promote through acreage limitation type of use, frontage control, setback, density, height, or other requirements the protection and development of properties compatible with the purposes of this act. Well, the purpose of this act is a wilderness legislation. And I think the people up there are concerned because the zoning code is left to the authority of the secretary, to his discretion, can be amended from time to time. A concern of theirs is that this may lead to further restriction.

GREG BARRON: When you say further restriction, what do you have in mind?

JOHN O'CONNOR: Well, it's like an analogous to the '64 Wilderness Act. There were changes-- 15 years ago in the '64 Wilderness Act, they were guaranteed certain uses of the Boundary Waters. Now, 14 years later, most of those uses are being taken away in the form of legislation. I think there's sort of a fear that this is a continuing process. This is an expansion of federal control, a continuation of the growth of federal control over private property, the right to do business, of individual rights, of access to the Boundary Waters.

GREG BARRON: Efforts to amend the bill are continuing. But according to O'Connor, even Oberstar anticipates that the measure will probably get through the full committee relatively unscathed. O'Connor says opponents of the bill expect that their concerns will be best received on the House floor. He notes that in passing the 1964 Wilderness Act, Congress exempted the BWCA from full wilderness protection in part because the area has a long history of recreational use.

JOHN O'CONNOR: It recognized that the Boundary Waters was different from other wilderness areas. They acknowledged this history of multiple use. They acknowledged the right of the people of the area, and not just from the area, but throughout the state and outside of the state to use the Boundary Waters in a variety of ways. That same concern that was shown in '64 will lead them again in '78 to take a more open view of the legislation.

GREG BARRON: It's not yet clear when the full House will consider the bill, but it is now expected to pass out of the full committee soon. Congressman Vento's office says the bill is currently scheduled for full committee consideration next Monday. I'm Greg Barron.