MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports on Obertstar-Vento compromise over motor use in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wildnerness. Northern Minnesotans hope the compromise will settle long standing disputes over the region. Congressman Jim Oberstar's proposal to allow trucks on two wilderness portages has been entered into the transportation bill now under consideration by a Congresional Conference Committee. It has Congressman Bruce Vento's reluctant support after the addition of a provision removing some lakes from motor access.
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area was declared a Wilderness in 1978, but the debate continues over what that means. A limited use of motors was grandfathered into the region's wilderness status. But environmental groups have been fighting, at times in the courts, to further limit motors and force management of the region more in line with wilderness values. Their efforts culminated in a 1993 court ruling which pulled trucks off portages.
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BOB KELLEHER: The Boundary Waters Canoe Area was declared a wilderness in 1978, but the debate continues over what that means. A limited use of motors was grandfathered into the region's wilderness status, but environmental groups have been fighting at times in the courts to further limit motors and force management of the region more in line with wilderness values. Their efforts culminated in a 1993 court ruling which pulled trucks off portages between motorized lakes. The trucks were used to pull motor boats between fishing lakes, allowing easy access to anglers, a year long negotiation effort before federal mediators collapsed a year ago without compromise between competing factions.
The Oberstar Vento Compromise takes motorboats off to wilderness lakes, where they're now allowed, and reopens two of the four portages to trucks. Congressman Jim Oberstar, the ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, may have found a surefire way to get trucks back into the Boundary Waters by attaching enabling language to the massive transportation bill. With voter-pleasing road projects in almost every congressional district, the transportation bill is almost certain to pass.
Some environmentalists have vowed to fight the compromise. Kevin Prescott with the group Friends of the Boundary Waters, says his group will keep working to eliminate motors from all lakes in the BWCAW. Isaac Walton League of Minnesota President Mike Fertman says he's unhappy with the compromise, which gives wilderness supporters little in exchange for returning trucks to portages. But he says he can't accept it to end the long standing dispute over motor usage.
MIKE FERTMAN: I think the near consensus agreement in mediation was a fairer compromise, but this looks like one that people will have to live with.
BOB KELLEHER: Wilderness outfitter Bill Hansen with the group Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, says his group will continue battling trucks and portages by talking with senators on the Transportation Bill Compromise Committee who are known to support wilderness issues.
BILL HANSEN: It's not anywhere near what was talked about in mediation. It's just not a satisfactory solution. I don't think it's going to solve. I know what congress and Oberstar hope is that it will solve the controversy and make it go away. And I'm just afraid that's not going to happen. It's going to continue.
BOB KELLEHER: Motor use supporter, State Representative Tom Bock of Cook Says he's happy with the compromise, but he's not convinced the measure will settle the decades long dispute. He's concerned that wilderness supporters will continue working against motor use.
TOM BOCK: I think everybody gets a little something, but nobody gets everything they want. And oftentimes that's what lawmaking and public policy is, is all about. I just hope that people on both sides of the issue now can get together and get this legislation passed. And hopefully we can put this very, very divisive issue of the BWCA behind us for some period of time.
BOB KELLEHER: The Oberstar Vento Compromise leaves in place a phase out of motors on Sea Gull Lake in the Eastern Boundary Waters. It leaves untouched other issues raised during federal mediation, such as the use of tow boats to pull canoes across motorized lakes. Oberstar says it carefully balances the interests of Boundary Waters visitors. Vento calls it a balanced approach that will put to rest the fight over the Boundary Waters. Minnesota US Senator Paul Wellstone says he regrets the way the agreement's been reached. In Duluth, I'm Bob Kelleher, Minnesota Public Radio.