Fall 2012 - Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness

FOTBW_NL_FALL2012_Layout 1 10/31/12 2:23 PM Page 1
F A L L 2 0 1 2 • V O L U M E 3 4 • I S S U E 3
The Friends’ mission is to protect, preserve and restore the wilderness character of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
and the Quetico-Superior Ecosystem. The organization was founded in 1976.
Northern Minnesota’s Changing Community Landscape
By Ian Kimmer, Northern Communities Director
The conversation about conservation is as much a part of northern
Minnesota as trees and lakes, towns and mines–and the conversation
is changing. We are in a moment of both intense debate and unprecedented
cooperation on conservation issues in this region. As the
Northern Communities Director, I am honored to be in the middle of
much of it, representing the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.
For many of my neighbors in
the Arrowhead, issues like sulfide
mining are proving importantly different
from past environmental debates
in the area. People who have
historically supported motorized
use and logging are just as concerned
about clean water as the
Friends. Conversely, some of those
who enjoy the wilderness also support the perceived economic development
possibilities of the proposed sulfide mines.
Some of the lines in this debate are old (resource extraction versus
resource conservation), but the sulfide mining industry’s history and
potential for negative environmental and economic consequences has
fostered a large group of people in the middle. This debate is, at times,
represented in the over-simplified environment-vs.-jobs dynamic, as
lawn signs and political rhetoric polarize communities. But for the majority
in the region, the “right” decisions for our future are still unknown.
Different areas in the region are clearly divided on these issues. For
example, Ely is well-informed and split on the issue, with the dichotomy
of a broad Twin Metals presence and a growing number of citizens
vocally concerned about pollution. In Grand Marais, while there are
certainly folks who support the new mine proposals going forward,
most citizens are comfortable expressing opposition to the projects’
potential pollution and negative economic impacts.
Communities on the Iron Range are generally supportive of the
projects and many residents are frustrated by what they see as outsiders
influencing decisions for their communities. However, some influential
“For many of my neighbors in the
Arrowhead, issues like sulfide mining are
proving importantly different from past
environmental debates in the area.”
writers and community leaders are questioning whether the enormous
amount of time and money being put into advancing sulfide mining
proposals is the most effective way to create new jobs in the region.
The Duluth area, the hub of the Arrowhead in many ways, has
many individuals and organizations actively working for clean
water and sustainable development. But plenty of residents support
the mining projects, and others
remain uninformed or undecided,
creating an incredible opportunity for
education and organization within the
Duluth community.
The Friends is one of many organizations
leading discussions toward a
respectful and informed decision on
what is best for northern Minnesota’s
natural treasures and community development.
As a part of this effort, the Friends spends a great deal of time working
with new and sometimes surprising partners, and presenting conservation
information to community groups including those advocating
for sulfide mining projects and motorized use, as well as loggers and
elected officials not presently allied with conservation.
In my experience, listening and respectfully working with individuals
and groups that do not always agree with us is how we can build
relationships and open doors which lead to positive long-term outcomes.
In addition to improving our outreach to non-traditional community
members, we have grown our efforts to work with allies – improving
cooperation and letting each organization play to its respective strengths.
We work with and support many community members putting their
own time, effort and resources into conservation in new ways. And there
are folks, such as outfitters, who have a vested stake in the issues and
need help addressing these very large, divisive issues with their
customers and their neighbors.
The Friends is also developing relationships with new communities
not historically associated with conservation work. In particular, the
Changing Community continued from page 4.
Masthead photo: JimBrandenburg.com • Printed on paper using 100% post-consumer waste, processed chlorine free.

FOTBW_NL_FALL2012_Layout 1 10/31/12 2:23 PM Page 2
Message from the Executive Director
In my last column, I talked
about the multiple, very real
threats to canoe country
today. This time I would like
to highlight some positive
development items that may
get overlooked in the heat of
advocacy but mean something
crucial over the long
run. The Friends understands,
and indeed has built
into our core work, the development
of new wilderness Executive Director Paul Danicic
stewards. Our commitment to achieving this goal has not waned due
to our heavy advocacy burden.
In my work on the steering committee of the Heart of the Continent
Partnership, I am excited to see the enthusiasm for collaboration with
the National Geographic Society to create a region-wide geotourism map
covering the Boundary Waters, Voyageurs National Park, Quetico
Provincial Park, and other public lands in northern Minnesota and
southern Ontario. This enthusiasm extends beyond conservationists to
agencies and local business owners as well. A Heart of the Continent
project of this kind really shines a spotlight on the beauty and value of
the region to both global and local citizens. It connects communities to
their neighboring 5 million acres of public lands. It shows stewardship
can be a priority and serve economically.
The Friends has made a significant investment in hiring a northern
communities staff person. Ian Kimmer has become the face of the
Friends in northern Minnesota and has put conservation on the agenda
in countless media stories, community meetings and conversations
around the region. Being a part of groups like the East Range Community
Advisory Panel allows him to better understand conservation issues
in people’s backyards, bring their perspective to our work, and respectfully
bring our perspective to theirs.
Our commitment to youth continues with the tenth year of our
partnership with YMCA Camp Menogyn to sponsor BWCA
wilderness trips for urban youth who may otherwise never be able to
afford a trip to see its lakes and portages. During the summer of 2012,
40 youth became inspired by the same canoe trails that inspired Sigurd
Olson, Ernest Oberholtzer, and Calvin Rutsrum.
The Friends continued the successful Superior Wilderness Volunteer
Connection in 2013 despite decreased funding for the program. This
keeps volunteers in canoes with rangers, cleaning hundreds of BWCA
campsites, pulling invasive plants, digging new latrines (a favorite!) and
brushing thousands of rods of portages to keep the wilderness in good
shape for the next visitor. (See page 5)
This is how we give back and pay it forward. Thank you for allowing
us to continue this work while also maintaining a fierce and effective
advocacy agenda.•
Message from the Board Chair
By Pete Fleming
It continues to be a rewarding and
exciting time to be leading the
Friends’ Board. The Board is a talented
and dedicated group and is
fully engaged with our staff. We
have just added two new members,
Mark Hennessey and Curt Yoakum,
who bring strong professional leadership
skills and a commitment to
the Boundary Waters Canoe Area
Wilderness (see page 7). Beyond this
Friends’ Board Chairman, year, there is the challenge of adding
Pete Flemming
four members in 2013 due to normal
rotation. I have no doubt that we will continue to strengthen our
Board through new additions. Our goal is to have a Board size that
allows for diverse ideas and also development of personal relationships
which will lead to deep involvement of every member.
In the same way, we look forward to growth in base membership,
financial strength and capability. This will continue the strong trend
lines of membership growth of 80 percent over the last three years and
individual contribution growth of 130 percent over the same period.
We are on solid financial and membership footings, but need to do
more to be able to meet our challenges.
Meeting the threats from sulfide mining is our primary challenge.
It’s clear that we are representing the concerns of many Minnesotans
and people across the country about the potential negative effects of
new mine proposals on the waters of the BWCAW. Imagine the
Boundary Waters with noise, air and other degrading mining
operations close by and accompanied by acidified water carrying
increased levels of toxic heavy metals. The destructive effects seem
obvious. It’s just not an appropriate land use next to a water intensive
wilderness area.
We will continue building awareness of the dangers associated
with sulfide mining through the Mining Truth coalition with the
Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy and Conservation
Minnesota, and through leveraging the strengths of new partners,
including national environmental groups. It is critical that as many
interests as possible work together to challenge the mining threat.
Look for the Friends to be leaders in pulling these cooperative
efforts together.
At the same time, we recognize the important economic arguments
and will be working to understand them better and
bring that knowledge to you and policy-makers. Our position is
a positive one: a protected and sustainable wilderness area and
surrounding community. •
Friends’ Wish List
• Laptop computer with Windows 7 or newer
• iPad2 or newer
• Portable Digital Projector - for Northern Communities use
• Lightweight camera tripod
02 —

FOTBW_NL_FALL2012_Layout 1 10/31/12 2:23 PM Page 3
Policy Updates
By Betsy Daub, Policy Director
Minnesota’s Senators Consider
Companion to H.R. 5544
In September, despite strong public opposition, H.R. 5544, the Minnesota
Education Investment and Employment Act, passed the U.S.
House of Representatives. This bill, introduced by Minnesota Congressman
Cravaack, would push through a transfer of at least 86,000
acres of National Forest lands to management by the State of Minnesota.
Should the transfer occur, the State would place these lands
in a special category mandating intensive management such as mineral
development, logging and leasing. The bill would almost certainly lead
to more intensive mining activity in the heart of northern Minnesota
and at the edge of the Boundary Waters.
Despite strong opposition from the Friends, our members and
many other constituents, both Senators Franken and Klobuchar are
still considering a Senate companion bill. The Friends continues to
share information with their offices about the dangers of such a
bill. We have also heard that the many phone calls and emails they
have received from our members and others are having a real impact.
Please contact both Senators and ask them to not introduce
a companion bill.
Bad Mining Bill (H.R. 4402)
and a Possible Senate Companion
In July, H.R. 4402, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production
Act of 2012, passed the U.S. House of Representatives. This
very bad bill has real implications for Minnesota and for precious lands
across the country. The bill defines nearly every hardrock mineral as
"critical," allows permitting agencies to exempt mining from meaningful
environmental review for projects on federal lands, and strips away
public participation key for understanding mining projects' impacts to
water and public health.
Efforts are now underway in the Senate to fast-track similar legislation
(S. 1113/H.R. 4402) which could be voted on in the "lameduck"
session after the election. Please let both Senators Franken and
Klobuchar know you oppose this bill and any similar legislation.
Regional Haze
To fulfill requirements under the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has developed regulations designed
to improve visibility in our nation’s largest national parks and wildernesses
(“Class I areas”). Minnesota has two Class I areas: the Boundary
Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park.
States are responsible for developing an implementation plan that
identifies sources that contribute to visibility impairment, contains
strategies for reducing those emissions, and lays out a plan that will
show reasonable progress toward reaching visibility goals. Minnesota’s
plan was submitted to the EPA on December 30, 2009, with
more information sent in May 2012.
Two Minnesota taconite plants (Minntac and Utac) have been
identified as the largest contributors to hazy days in the BWCAW and
Voyageurs National Park. The Clean Air Act requires these facilities
to install the "best available retrofit technology" to reduce smoggy
pollution. But the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)
issued a plan that required no new pollution control equipment and
would have let the taconite industry continue to pollute at existing
levels. The Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, along with
partner groups, argued that this was not an adequate plan. In August
2012, the EPA agreed, rejecting the MPCA’s regional haze plan for
taconite facilities and issuing a federal plan in its place.
In response to the EPA’s action, Congressman Cravaack introduced
H.R. 6507, the Promoting Nuanced Taconite Regulations
Act. This bill would reinstate the MPCA’s inadequate haze plan and
put in place a 10-year “pause” on new haze-related EPA taconite
regulations. Please contact your congressperson and urge them
to oppose H.R. 6507. •
Congress Contact Information:
Senator Al Franken: (202) 224-5641
http://www.franken.senate.gov
Senator Amy Klobuchar: (202) 224-3244
http://www.klobuchar.senate.gov
Find your Representative's information at: www.house.gov.
AT&T cleared to build massive
tower next to BWCAW
The Boundary Waters suffered a blow this summer when the
Friends’ legal challenge to AT&T’s proposed 450-foot cell tower at
the edge of the wilderness was rejected. Despite winning a conclusive
victory at the district court level last year, the Minnesota Court
of Appeals overturned the decision and the state Supreme Court
denied our request to review it.
This year’s action clears the way for AT&T to build the monstrous
tower, which will be visible for miles inside the wilderness.
This development is particularly disheartening because AT&T had
viable alternatives to expand service in the area without impairing
the Boundary Waters.
Despite the painful court loss, the Friends is only more dedicated
to making sure this tower does not represent a slippery slope for the
BWCAW’s wild horizons. Because of how the Court of Appeals
filed its ruling, the case will not carry much legal precedent in the
future. We will analyze any and all tower proposals near the wilderness
and work to ensure no more are allowed which would harm
its wild character.
The Friends is also interested in working with counties and communities
with zoning authority over lands next to the wilderness.
We want to make sure that consideration of future tower proposals
includes accurate information about the available options, and ensure
policy-makers have the authority to require AT&T and other
companies to balance wilderness stewardship with their business
and coverage needs. •
FRIENDS OF THE BOUNDARY WATERS WILDERNESS • FALL 2012 — 03

FOTBW_NL_FALL2012_Layout 1 10/31/12 2:23 PM Page 4
Welcoming new leadership to the
Superior National Forest
A few key positions were recently filled at the Superior
National Forest, which manages the Boundary
Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. New personnel
include the Forest Supervisor and two District
Rangers.
Brenda Halter was named as the new Forest Supervisor
earlier this year. Halter has worked for the
Forest Service in Minnesota previously, and was a member of the joint
Forest Plan Revision team for the Chippewa and Superior National
Forests while working on the Chippewa National Forest. A hydrologist
by training, Halter should be well-suited to the water-rich Superior National
Forest. She replaces Jim Sanders, who retired in 2011 as Forest
Supervisor after a tenure of more than 10 years, one of the longest-serving
supervisors of the Superior National Forest.
In August, the National Forest announced that Mark Pentecost
would be the new District Ranger for the Kawishiwi (Ely) ranger district,
and Andrew Johnson would be the new District Ranger for the
La Croix district, based out of Cook.
Pentocost comes to Minnesota from Alabama, where he served as
the Deputy Director of the Alabama and Georgia Land Trusts. Previously,
he served as an officer in the U.S. Army for 26 years, where he
was awarded the Bronze Star and numerous other medals and was inducted
into the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame.
Johnson previously worked on the Manti-LaSal National Forest
in Utah, the Coconino National Forest in Arizona and most recently
as a Recreation Specialist on the Flathead National Forest in northwest
Montana. He has a Master’s Degree in recreation resource management
and planning from the SUNY College of Environmental
Science and Forestry.
The Friends welcomes Brenda, Mark and Andrew to the Superior
National Forest and the Boundary Waters and look forward to working
with each of them! •
Changing Community continued from page 1.
business community presents an opportunity for inspiring levels of
advocacy and input. Making connections with local Chambers of
Commerce where we can, presenting to business networking
groups, meeting with key business leaders throughout the region,
and developing economic research is an emerging and critical part
of the conservation dialogue. The sulfide mining issue is the biggest
conservation issue of our generation in northern Minnesota. We are
being presented with two very different paths forward, and in many
ways, the community as a whole needs to guide our direction.
The Friends, as part of this dialogue, will make every effort
to work with the broad spectrum of stakeholders in this issue.
Listening, engaging and working with these communities is the
most important job we may ever take on. •
Glencore increases ownership of
PolyMet mine proposal – company’s
history is cause for concern
The Mining Truth coalition – of which the Friends is
one of three lead organizations – made sure the
media, the public, and policy-makers were aware of
just what Minnesota is dealing with when news broke
in October that controversial Swiss commodities
giant Glencore acquired significantly more of a financial
stake in the PolyMet sulfide mine proposal.
Mining Truth issued a press release with background information
about Glencore, and made a significant push on the Web and social media
to disseminate in-depth information about the company’s track record.
PolyMet’s continued existence depends on regular infusions of cash
from Glencore. In addition, Glencore has the exclusive right to market
all materials mined and processed at the PolyMet mine. Although Poly-
Met characterizes Glencore as merely an investor, PolyMet’s dependency
on Glencore’s financing and Glencore’s control over all minerals
PolyMet produces gives the company tremendous control over the future
of the proposed mine. Glencore will be in a position to deeply influence
decisions about how the mine is operated, what types of
environmental mitigation is performed, and conditions for workers.
Glencore was founded by Marc Rich, the international commodities
trader who was indicted by the United States government on
charges of tax evasion and illegally making oil deals with Iran.
Examples of Glencore’s troubling record include:
• The CIA named Glencore as having paid over $3 million in
kickbacks to Saddam Hussein to obtain oil during the
United Nations’ embargo on Iraq.
• In 2011, Grant Thornton, an internationally renowned
accounting consortium, unveiled Glencore’s scheme of
inflating costs and diverting profits to overseas tax havens,
costing the Zambian government hundreds of millions of
dollars in tax revenue
• In 2012, a BBC investigation uncovered evidence that
Glencore funded paramilitary operations in Columbia to
conduct a massacre of a local Indian tribe so Glencore could
acquire the land and expand its mining operation.
• According to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Glencore has
the highest employee fatality rate amongst its closest peers.
In Mining Truth's press release about the news, Friends' executive
director Paul Danicic said, “Partnering with a company like
Glencore seriously weakens PolyMet’s claims it would mine
responsibly in our state. Promising to operate the first sulfide mine
in history that won’t pollute surrounding lakes and rivers is a steep
enough claim – but proposing to use Glencore’s money makes it
doubtful that PolyMet will be able to do it.”
By the time you read this newsletter, several more Mining
Truth initiatives should be reaching the public.
Visit www.MiningTruth.org for details. •
04 —

FOTBW_NL_FALL2012_Layout 1 10/31/12 2:23 PM Page 5
Gratitude for a season in
the wilderness
By Ellie McCann,
Superior Wilderness Volunteer Connection participant
I had the honor of serving this past
summer in the volunteer program coordinated
by the US Forest Service and the
Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.
My fellow volunteers and I spent
the season paddling and working alongside
Forest Service crew leaders in the
BWCAW, camping for up to a week at a
time while we talked with visitors and
completed campsite maintenance and
erosion control projects. The program
has been an incredible opportunity to experience
the beauty of this wilderness
landscape, to gain invaluable skills in
Ellie McCann
wilderness travel and stewardship, and to
reflect on the depth of our connections with the natural world.
One of the things that I appreciate most about the Superior Wilderness
Volunteer Connection is the chance it gives participants to develop
a deeper understanding and connection to the BWCAW. The time that
I spent traveling its woods and waters exposed me to a more profound
beauty than I could have imagined: towering white pines, deep clear night
skies, the quietest breeze moving across a slope of aspens, the delicate
swoop of pitcher plants, dawn over still water. When immersed in this
landscape it is difficult to imagine not falling in love with it. Having the
chance to work here for the summer has been an unbelievable privilege.
The volunteer program has also been an incredible opportunity to
learn more about the ecology, stewardship, and history of the Boundary
Waters from the wilderness rangers who return here season after
season. Their knowledge and passion for the BWCAW is inspiring,
and I am grateful to have had the chance to spend the season working
with and learning from them. Throughout the season the Forest Service
employees that I had the chance to work with, both in the field as
well as in the office, have made me feel like a valued part of the crew.
They have provided the other volunteers and me with the same training
and opportunities as they do their regular seasonal staff and have
made our summer of service both meaningful to us as well as contributive
to the wilderness program as a whole.
This season of working in the BWCAW has also solidified my career
goals and reinforced my desire to pursue wilderness work in the future.
The experiences and skills that I have developed over the past four
months will no doubt help me along this path, as will my familiarity
with some of the challenges of managing wilderness areas. Coming out
of this season I have a fresh perspective on what is meaningful to me
and how this might apply to future career decisions, and am grateful
for this clarity as I look forward to the coming months and years.
Yesterday morning I woke up in the wilderness for the last time this
season. Paddling out of the woods with autumn in the air I was struck
again by how deep of an impression the experiences of these past few
months have made on me. I would like to thank the Friends of the
Boundary Waters Wilderness for enabling volunteers such as myself to
have this opportunity, and also for the contribution that this program
has made over time in the stewardship of our beautiful Wilderness. Having
the chance to work, learn, and live here has truly been an honor.•
Long-distance kayaker makes
conservation a priority
Long-distance kayaker Daniel Alvarez
Daniel Alvarez embarked on a wild adventure this year when he decided
to paddle a kayak from the northernmost tip of the Lower 48
states to the southernmost tip. That trip started on Lake of the Woods
in Minnesota and will end sometime this winter at Key West, Florida.
The 4,000 mile trip was ambitious enough to earn Daniel a $10,000
grant from Outside magazine. And Daniel paid it forward by donating
$500 to the Friends and three other organizations working on behalf
of the waterways along which he is paddling.
Daniel’s route took him through the Boundary Waters along the
Border Route, where he learned a thing or two about portaging a kayak,
before doing the Grand Portage to Lake Superior. From there he decided
to make a detour around Isle Royale, and then another side-trip
to the Apostle Islands.
The next stage was perhaps the most daunting, going up the St.
Louis River and over the little-used, unmarked Savanna Portage into
the Mississippi River system. Daniel made it, though, and then stopped
in Minneapolis for a few days.
During his Minneapolis stop, Daniel was the Friends’ guest of honor
at a fun event at Indeed Brewing, a new brewery in Northeast Minneapolis
(and a 1% for the Planet member, pledging to donate one percent
of their annual sales to environmental causes).
About 40 guests enjoyed a pint of beer while seeing Daniel’s photos
and hearing his many entertaining stories. If you want to hear about
such events in the future, make sure to sign up for e-mail updates on
our website at www.friends-bwca.org or “Like” us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/BWCAW.
As this newsletter goes to print, Daniel is paddling somewhere
in the Iowa or Illinois area, with winter chasing him downstream.
He is a wonderful writer, and you can follow along on his blog at
www.predictablylost.com. •
Leave A Legacy
Include The Friends In Your Estate Plans
If you or your advisor would like information on how to
name Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness as a beneficiary
of your estate or about the benefits of a planned gift, please call
612-332-9630 or email the Friends at info@friends-bwca.org.•
FRIENDS OF THE BOUNDARY WATERS WILDERNESS • FALL 2012 — 05

FOTBW_NL_FALL2012_Layout 1 10/31/12 2:23 PM Page 6
Recycle your phone,
reduce demand for mining
Wildfire updates
By Greg Sietz, Communication Director
Only 10 percent of cell phones today are recycled. This means more
mining for metals like copper, and more toxic waste ending up in
our landfills.
The Friends offered free electronics recycling in our office building
for several years, and we sent significant amounts of phones to a recycling
facility until the facility discontinued the program.
Now, there is a new way to recycle your old phones from our friends
at Earthworks, a national organization which works to protect people
and the environment from irresponsible mining.
Visit http://rmcp.earthworksaction.org to learn how you can recycle
your old phones. Please consider collecting old phones at your
workplace or in your community – if you have more than 20 phones to
recycle, Earthworks will send you a free shipping label. •
Speak up at the Minnesota
Environmental Congress
This fall, the members of the Minnesota
Environmental Quality Board will be
traveling around the state to hear from
citizens about current environmental and
conservation concerns.
This will be a key opportunity for
Minnesotans to help guide our state leaders
in shaping our environmental and
economic health, and creating a long
term vision for clean air, clean water, and clean energy in our state.
• November 27 – Rochester, Wood Lake Meeting Center,
9:30 a.m. – noon
• November 27 – Bloomington, Normandale Community
College, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
• November 28 – Duluth, Lake Superior College,
5:30 to 8 p.m.
• December 10 – Worthington, Worthington High School,
3:30 to 6 p.m.
• December 12 – St. Cloud, Stearns County Service Center,
5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• December 14 – Moorhead, Minnesota State University,
3 to 5:30 p.m.
http://mn.gov/EnvironmentalCongress/ •
Pagami Creek Fire grows back, but includes invasives, and a change in
policy for fire management.
A year after the Pagami Creek Fire burned 93,000 acres, largely in the
Boundary Waters, the forest is already regenerating in burned areas,
and so are invasive species.
In a September story by Minnesota Public Radio’s Dan Kraker, the
reporter visited areas burned by the massive fire and described a landscape
of blackened trees amidst lush green underbrush. New aspen
trees already stand four feet tall in places. The unique Bicknell’s geranium,
the seeds of which can remain dormant in the soil for decades
until a fire, was also thick.
Unfortunately, not all the new growth is healthy. Non-native invasive
plants have also been spotted in the fire area. Knapweed and hawk
weed are not food for any native species, and thus can quickly
dominate fire areas.
The Forest Service spent the summer pulling as many of the weeds
as possible, and will continue the work next spring. The agency also
intends to accelerate implementation of a plan the Friends helped review
to use small amounts of herbicides to prevent the spread of
invasive plants.
Although fire is a healthy and necessary part of nature and important
to the Boundary Waters ecosystem, this summer the Forest Service
moved quickly to put out wildfires before they grew. The change was
the result of massive wildfires in the western United States consuming
not just millions of acres, but also the budget for firefighting.
This change in policy was seen in the response to several small fires
in the BWCAW this year. The Wooden Leg Fire resulted in closure to
visitors in the Ensign Lake area. Fires near Cummings Lake, Fire Lake
(near Lake One), Crooked Lake, Hoist Bay of Basswood Lake, and
several other small lighting-ignited fires were also aggresively put
out in late summer.
Keeping fires small was necessary this year, but will not be
a sustainable solution. Continued suppression will ultimately
increase the risk of large, expensive fires, and create unhealthy
forest conditions in the wilderness.•
06 —

FOTBW_NL_FALL2012_Layout 1 10/31/12 2:23 PM Page 7
Save the date
Give to the Max!
Join us on November 15 for Minnesota’s annual “Give to the Max
Day,” and help the Friends raise money to continue our work protecting
the wilderness character of the Boundary Waters.
Sponsored by GiveMN.org, this exciting, one-day event allows
thousands of Minnesotans to come together and support their favorite
organizations. Last year, in 24 hours, over $13 million was raised for
non-profits across the state. Give to the Max Day also provides opportunities
for your donation dollars to go further. Through matching
grants, your donation on November 15 could help the Friends acquire
an additional $1,000; $5,000; and potentially $10,000 gift.
We’ve had an important year and we are poised to do even more in
2013. Please mark your calendar for this tremendous opportunity to
support the Friends.
For more information about Give to the Max Day, visit GiveMN.org
and follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
We’ll see you on November 15! •
Midwest Mountaineering
Winter Adventure Expo
November 16 – 18
Join the Friends again this fall at Midwest
Mountaineering’s big festival of all things
outdoors. We will have a booth in one of
the exhibit tents and executive director
Paul Danicic will present about sulfide
mining and more at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 17.
Find more information at www.outdooradventureexpo.com. •
Get more BWCAW news online
Here are some highlights from the Friends’ digital communications.
Follow our blog, Facebook or Twitter to stay up-to-date:
Entry Point blog – http://blog.friends-bwca.org
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/BWCAW
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/FriendsBWCAW
• Many questions but few answers about mineral exploration
impacts – Betsy Daub writes about lack of transparency about
impacts on special resources
• An article from Eau Claire, Wis. about a group of college
students who went to the Boundary Waters to study science
and came away with an appreciation for the wonder
of wilderness.
• A link to the recent FRONTLINE special about the Pebble
Mine proposal in Alaska, which bears remarkable similarities to
Minnesota’s sulfide mining issue.•
Board of Directors changes
The Friends was pleased to welcome two new directors to our board
on October 1. Curt Yoakum and Mark Hennessey bring tremendous
professional expertise and passion for the Boundary Waters Canoe
Area Wilderness.
Curt Yoakum
Curt is the Director of Communications and Legislation at Minnesota
Department of Administration. Previously he worked in the office
of Minnesota Management and Budget and at the Association of
Minnesota Counties. He was also the legislative director for Congressman
David Minge. He has a master’s degree in Public Policy, Public
and Nonprofit Management from the University of Minnesota - Twin
Cities and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota - Morris.
Curt visited the BWCAW first as a young man and the experiences
left an indelible impression upon him.
Mark Hennessy
Mark is the Resource Director at YMCA of the USA. He served 15
years as CEO at the Red Wing Family YMCA. Before that he worked
as a camp Executive Director for the Minneapolis YMCA. He received
a BA of Applied Science from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Mark has professionally guided Boundary Waters trips for youth and
has taken countless personal trips there. His wilderness experience includes
trips in all seasons and with many different people.
The Friends also said goodbye to two departing board members,
Craig Aase and Katrina Zabinski. The whole organization is grateful
for their service! •
Welcome Cori Mattke
to our team
The Friends is excited to
welcome Cori Mattke as our
new Membership and Administrative
Coordinator.
Cori earned a degree in
Environmental Studies and
Community Organizing/Outreach
from Northland College
in Ashland, WI. Her
professional interests lie in
the intersection between ecology,
communities, and conservation
initiatives. While at
Northland Cori developed
and self-published a booklength
community writing
New Friends staffer Cori Mattke project focused on sense of
place and individuals’ relationships to landscapes across the country.
At home, she is an avid vegetable gardener, printmaker, and outdoor
enthusiast who enjoys paddling, backpacking, and snowshoeing
throughout Minnesota. •
FRIENDS OF THE BOUNDARY WATERS WILDERNESS • FALL 2012 — 07

FOTBW_NL_FALL2012_Layout 1 10/31/12 2:23 PM Page 8
401 N. Third Street, Suite 290
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1475
P: 612.332.9630
Address Service Requested
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
Twin Cities, MN
Permit No. 4068
friends-bwca.org
100%
From well-managed forests
www.fsc.org Cert no. BV-COC-940655
© 1996 Forest Stewardship Council
The Friends of the Boundary Waters newsletter
is printed on paper using 100% post-consumer waste,
processed chlorine free.
Design and production donated in part by
Mike Tincher, T DESIGN, Minneapolis.
Donation envelope artwork courtesy
of Heron Dance: www.herondance.org
Staff:
Paul Danicic, Executive Director
Betsy Daub, Policy Director
Ian Kimmer, Northern Communities Director
Cori Mattke, Membership and Administrative Coordinator
Greg Seitz, Communications Director
Board of Directors:
Nick Banovetz
Reid Carron
Dodd Cosgrove, Treasurer
Pete Fleming, Chair
Mark Hennessey
Steve Hoffman
Tom Mahlum
Matt Poppleton
Nicole Rom, Secretary
Sue Schurke
Rolf Thompson, Vice Chair
Barbara West
Curt Yoakum
Honorary Board Members:
Richard Flint
Becky Rom
Advisory Council:
Chel Anderson
Lee Frelich
Darrell Knuffke
Steve Piragis
The Firegate Review, Volume II
Purchase your copy of the Friends’ canoe country chapbook starting November 19!
This volume of poetry, stories and essays contains work by more than a dozen writers
who have generously shared their work.
Just the right size for your back pocket or your Duluth Pack, we hope you will consider
buying copies for yourself and your canoeing friends and family this holiday season.
All proceeds will support the Friends’ work on behalf of the Boundary Waters.
Visit www.friends-bwca.org/firegrate-review to purchase.
Minnesota Environmental Fund
Helps Protect the BWCAW
Ensure more of your support goes toward our work!
Printing and mailing this newsletter is a significant cost. Please consider signing up
to receive it only via e-mail. Contact us at info@friends-bwca.org to let us know if
you are interested. Thank you!
If your company does not have MEF as a giving option,
please contact Friends at 612-332-9630.