BWCA Wilderness News - Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness

BWCA Wilderness NewsWinter 2003Rom Receives Friends' Conservation AwardBecky RomCelebrating her life-long commitment toprotecting the BWCAW, the Friendshonored outgoing Board Member BeckyRom at the organization’s annual gatheringOct. 17.Rom, who joined the Friends’ Board ofDirectors in 1985, received the BoundaryWaters Conservation Award, whichrecognizes “outstanding achievement in theprotection, preservation and restoration ofthe BWCAW and the Quetico-SuperiorEcosystem.” An estimated 130 peoplegathered at the midday event at theUniversity Club in St. Paul, where Rom washonored for her work in lobbying for theBWCA Wilderness Act of 1978 andfighting later plans to weaken restrictions inthe area.Rom was born and raised in Ely, where herfather owned and operated a canoeoutfitting business. In Ely, she witnessedthe tumultuous political debatesurrounding the Wilderness Act of 1964,which extended greater protection to theBoundary Waters.She lobbied Congress for passage of theBWCA Wilderness Act of 1978 andtestified in 1996 before a House panelagainst legislation that would haveweakened protections in the BoundaryWaters. As part of the latter effort, Romraised $250,000 to hire a staff person andlead a coalition opposing the bill.In addition to her work with the Friends,since 1996 Rom has served on the board ofdirectors at The Wilderness Society, aWashington, D.C.-based conservationorganization. In October, Rom assumedher duties as chair of the 225,000-membergroup, a position she will hold for threeyears.In addition, the annual meeting featured thekeynote address by Doug Scott, policydirector at the Campaign for America’sWilderness, an initiative started in 2000 bythe Pew Charitable Trusts to protectwilderness areas in the United States.Earlier, Superior National ForestSupervisor Jim Sanders gave a “State of theForest” address, and Friends’ staffprovided updates on policy issues affectingthe BWCAW and Quetico-SuperiorEcosystem.Election Casts Doubt Over Protection of BWCAWMid-term election results and the ensuingchange in Congressional leadership willundoubtedly create increased challengesfor the conservation community across thenation and here in Minnesota. Within aweek of the election, the BushAdministration renewed its efforts to openup the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge tooil and gas drilling. And, theAdministration has enacted a policy thatwill dramatically increase the number ofsnowmobiles in Yellowstone and GrandTeton National Parks. It raises the questionof whether logging and more motorboats inthe Boundary Waters is the next action.In the coming years, those of us working onbehalf of the environment will need to workharder than ever. But it’s also important toremember two things: first, the Americanpeople are behind us. For example, theNational Park Service received more publiccomments on the Yellowstone snowmobileissue than any other in the agency’s history.More than 360,000 e-mail messages andletters were received, and 80 percentsupported a ban on snowmobiles in thepark.And second, the election was not a landslidevictory. In fact, according to analysisprovided by The Wilderness Society, ifonly “50,000 votes among the million castacross the country [had] been castdifferently, the results would have beenvery different.”So the challenge today for those who careabout the environment — Democrats,Republicans, and Independents – is that wemust join together to ensure permanentprotection for our wild places, includingthe Boundary Waters Canoe AreaWilderness.One of the Friends' more pressing concernsis comments made by Minnesota’s newlyelectedU.S. Senator Norm Coleman.During his campaign, Coleman supportedlogging trees felled during the 1999blowdown in the BWCAW and increasingmotorboats in the area. He later reversed hisposition on motorboats.continued on page 6

Winter 2003BWCA Wilderness NewsFrom the Director's Chair2Dear Friends:In early October, I received an e-mailmessage from Friends member DianeHerman, who shared with me somethingshe received from another Friends member,Chuck Dayton. I read the e-mail, looked atthe pile of stuff on my desk, and thenbooked a trip to Greenland.Here’s what Chuck shared with us – a quotefrom Edward Abbey:“One final paragraph of advice: do notburn yourselves out. Be as I am—areluctant enthusiast...a part-time crusader,a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half ofyourselves and your lives for pleasure andadventure. It is not enough to fight for theland; it is even more important to enjoy it.While you can. While it’s still here. So getout there and hunt and fish and mess aroundBWCA Wilderness NewsA quarterly newsletter published by the Friends ofthe Boundary Waters Wilderness. The Friends'mission is to protect, preserve and restore thewilderness character of the Boundary WatersCanoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) and theQuetico-Superior Ecosystem. The organizationwas founded in 1976 and is joined by its taxexemptsister organization, the Boundary WatersWilderness Foundation.Honorary Board MemberHerb JohnsonChel AndersonDoug AndersonJeff EvansDick FlintLee FrelichDarrell KnuffkeBBoard of DirectorsStaffMelissa Parker LindsayDonna McNamaraSarah StrommenSean WherleyAmy WilkenlohJon NelsonMike MatzBecky RomBetsy SchmiesingSteve SnyderWever Weed401 North Third Street, Suite 290Minneapolis, MN 55401-1475(612) 332-9630 FAX: (612) 332-9624www.friends-bwca.orgwith your friends, ramble out yonder, andexplore the forests, encounter the grizz,climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run therivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet andlucid air, sit quietly for a while andcontemplate the precious stillness, thatlovely, mysterious and awesome space.Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in yourhead and your head firmly attached to thebody, the body active and alive, and Ipromise you this much: I promise this onesweet victory over our enemies, over thosedesk-bound people with their hearts in asafe deposit box and their eyes hypnotizedby desk calculators. I promise you this: youwill outlive the bastards.”So folks, it’s time to take Abbey’s advice,get out from behind our desks, and “explorethe fjords and encounter the whales,” witha group of friends who care aboutwilderness, who want to see new anddifferent places, and who want to supportthe Friends while paddling in anextraordinary environment.Please Give to Boundary WatersWilderness FoundationYou would be amazed to learn what youreceive in return for a 2002 gift to theBoundary Waters Wilderness Foundation:silence on a cool September morning in theBWCAW; the sight of a moose wadingthrough a lily-pad covered swamp; and thesounds of a long, mournful call of a loon orthe excitement of a 14-year-old paddlerwho sees her first bald eagle.Thanks to Steve Piragis at PiragisNorthwoods Company, the Friends issponsoring a sea kayaking trip to Greenlandnext summer, June 22-July 8 (see insert).And thanks to Steve’s generosity, theFriends could receive as much as $10,000as a contribution if we get nine people tojoin us (all participants will receive a taxdonation for a portion of the cost of theirtrip).Our journey will take us from Ottawa,Canada to Baffin Island to UummannaqIsland along the western shore ofGreenland, about 360 miles north of thePolar Circle. Uummannaq is one ofGreenland’s most northernmostmunicipalities, where 2,800 people maketheir home in one of seven settlements.Our trip will take us paddling beneath 3,500foot granite walls; hiking to the top of HareMountain with a view that will leave youbreathless; watching and photographing finwhales; and sleeping out under the sun(nope, not a typo, we’re in a land of 24-hourdays).I hope you will join Friends Membershipand Outreach Coordinator, AmyWilkenloh, and me. Call us, write us, e-mailus, and we’ll sign you up today as space islimited. Amy and I look forward totraveling with you.P.S. Never kayaked? No worries. I havekayaked only once in my life. I plan topractice over the winter and next spring.You cannot afford to take these things forgranted. Everyday, paid staff, volunteers,and grassroots organizers work hard toprotect the land and waters you love frommore motorboats, logging, and mining.When you receive the Foundation’s yearendappeal, please give generously. It is onegift that will give you something back manytimes over.

Winter 2003Education NewsBWCA Wilderness News3Friends Unveils Its Eye-Catching, Redesigned WebsiteFinding information about the Friends andtravel in the Quetico-Superior Ecosystemhas never been easier since the unveiling ofthe Friends’ redesigned website.The redesigned site, www.friendsbwca.org,premiered Oct. 26 and includesinformation about the Friends’ policypositions, programs, correspondence, pressreleases, publications, and membership.The site is accentuated by photographsdonated by Jim Brandenburg.The site also includes travel informationabout the BWCAW, Grand PortageNational Monument, Isle Royale NationalPark, La Verendrye Provincial Park,Friends' redesigned homepageQuetico Provincial Park, Superior NationalForest, and Voyageurs National Park.Maps, permit information, and hourlyweather reports for each area are provided.Other features include action alert lettersthat can be edited and forwarded online; joband internship postings; a system foraccepting online donations to the BoundaryWaters Wilderness Foundation; highresolution,down-loadable copies ofFriends’ publications; and links to federaland state government, national and stateconservation organizations, outfitters, andrelated groups.Members and allies are urged to check thewebsite regularly, as it is updated daily,Monday through Friday.MRR Hosts LectureSeries in DuluthArt and literature are an incrediblereflection of what society values, andMinnesotans for Responsible Recreation(MRR) is using that pretext in invitingartists, authors, and explorers to speakabout the need for 'peace and quiet' in ourlives.MRR is sponsoring lectures the thirdTuesday of every month, through May2003. The lectures begin at 7 p.m. and willbe held in the Arrowhead Place Building,205 W. 2nd St., in Duluth. Suggesteddonation is $5. For more information, call(218) 740-3175.Dec. 17 -Singer, songwriter Lauren Burton,of Two Harbors, Minn., celebrates thesolstice season with some of her work.Jan. 21 - Outfitter Steve Piragis, of Ely,Minn., shares stories of adventure in theBoundary Waters.Feb. 18 - The Friends co-sponsors artist andauthor Betsy Bowen. The Grand Maraisresident brings her woodcuts to life andreads from her book Antler, Bear, Canoe.Leave No Trace (low impact recreation) isthe focus of one unit in the Foundation'sBWCA Wilderness Kit.BWCA WildernessKit Ready for RentalExciting games and hands-on activitiesabout the Boundary Waters await teenagerswho may be planning a trip to the BWCAWor are eager to learn more aboutMinnesota’s only wilderness.The Boundary Waters WildernessFoundation last month unveiled the BWCAWilderness Kit, a curriculum for youthgrades 5-8 that is available for rental anduse in classrooms or youth groups. Theunveiling culminates 17 months ofplanning to redesign the kit, which wasoriginally created in 1994.The curriculum will help youth explore anddiscover the history, science and socialscience of the BWCAW. In addition toteaching about the wilderness, the kitincludes sections about the history of theOjibwe and Voyageurs, plants and animalsunique to the region, and the benefits oflow-impact recreation.The kit includes instructor backgroundmaterials and reference sheets to make it aneasy teaching tool, and activities correlateto Minnesota graduation standards.Five kits are available to schools, churchgroups, YMCA camps, Boy and Girl ScoutTroops, or anyone else interested inlearning about the area. The kit, madepossible in part by a grant from REI, is idealfor groups that are planning trips to theBWCAW and would like to familiarizethemselves with the people, history, andregulations of the wilderness. For moreinformation about the curriculum and itscontent, contact Sean Wherley at (612)332-9630 or sean@friends-bwca.org.For more information about kit rental,contact the Bell Museum of Natural Historyat (612) 624-9050 or bellreg@umn.edu.

Winter 2003BWCA Wilderness NewsConservation Policy Updates4Friends WeighsResponse toMotors DecisionThe Friends is weighing a response to theForest Service’s decision upholding theplan to triple motorboat permits on threelake chains in the Boundary Waters CanoeArea Wilderness (BWCAW).The Forest Service denied anadministrative appeal, filed by the Friendsand six other parties, that sought to overturnthe agency proposal which increasesmotorboat permits from 2,376 to 6,892 onthe Farm, Moose, and Saganaga Lakechains. The appellants have not decidedwhether to sue the Forest Service to stopimplementation of the plan.“The law established limited motorboat usein the Boundary Waters,” said Friends’Policy Director Sarah Strommen. “Bydenying our appeal, however, the ForestService has expanded that use and furtherdegraded the area’s peace and quiet.”In its Aug. 30 denial, the Forest Servicedismissed appellants’ claims that theproposal violates the 1978 legislationcreating the BWCAW. The appellantsfaulted the Forest Service for unnecessarilyincreasing motorboat quotas and creatingpollution and safety problems for otherusers in the wilderness. They also criticizedthe procedure used to calculate the numberof permits issued.The Forest Service issued its decisionfollowing a March 2002 appeal filed by theFriends, the Sierra Club Northstar Chapter,Superior Wilderness Action Network,American Lands Alliance, MinnesotaCanoe Association, Minnesotans forResponsible Recreation, and KevinProescholdt.Need a gift idea?How about giving someone a Friends'membership this holiday season? Seepage 7 for details.This map shows 30 prospective wilderness areas in Superior National Forest, totaling61,000 acres. These areas are being considered for increased protection under the newforest plan.Superior Wilderness Review ContinuesAs the U. S. Forest Service prepares torelease its draft Management Plan for theSuperior National Forest, the Friends isformulating recommendations to add landsfor wilderness protection. Under the planrevision process, the Forest Service mustdevelop a series of alternatives and presentthem for public review and comment.The Plan, scheduled for release in January2003, will include six preliminaryalternatives for Superior National Forest, inaddition to a “No Action” alternative. Eachalternative emphasizes a different theme,ranging from timber production torecreation to restoration. Three of theproposed alternatives include adding newwilderness areas, from a total of 4,000 acresto 61,000 acres.In preparation for providing input to thisprocess, the Friends created the WildernessInventory Project last fall. During the pastyear, the Friends and about 50 volunteersexplored, mapped, and photographed morethan 40 potential wilderness areas, rangingin size from 500 acres to more than 5,000acres. The areas, which represent the last ofour wild lands, are scattered from theeastern end of the BWCAW to the westernHow You Can HelpYour help is needed to ensure that theForest Service recommends morewilderness protection! To learn how andwhen you can submit comments, contactSarah Strommen at (612) 332-9630 orsarah@friends-bwca.org.end, and nearly all of the areas abut thewilderness.The Friends recently convened a committeeto review the results of the citizen inventoryand develop recommendations. Theserecommendations will be published in abooklet that describes the inventory processand provides up-to-date descriptions ofeach area, supported by photographicevidence of the areas’ features andwilderness qualities.The booklet will be used to presentrecommendations to the Forest Serviceduring the public comment periodfollowing the Plan’s release. The reportwill also promote public understanding ofthe importance of wilderness protectionand support future lobbying efforts.

Winter 2003BWCA Wilderness NewsConservation Policy Updates5Feds Rebuff Exchange of School Trust Lands; Friends ConcurFAttempts by the State of Minnesota toexchange 5,000 acres of state-owned landin the BWCAW received a discouragingblow in October from the U.S. ForestService. In a letter to Department of NaturalResources Commissioner Allen Garber, theForest Service said that it prefers to keepstate-owned lands in the BWCAW ratherthan initiate an exchange for federal landoutside the wilderness.The Forest Service response pleases theFriends, which favors a federal purchase ofthe 93,000 acres rather than an exchange.An exchange of state-owned lands in thewilderness would represent a significantchange in state policy, from one of jointmanagement with the Forest Service to oneseeking monetary gain from logging andmineral leases.In the letter, the Forest Service highlightedthe historic and positive partnershipbetween the state and the Forest Service.“The Forest Service values this cooperativerelationship, and feels that a continuedState ‘presence’ in the BWCAW would bepositive and significant,” wrote JackCraven, director of lands.Craven said that if the state wishes todispose of its holdings in the BWCAW, theForest Service prefers a “mix of purchasesand some limited land exchanges.” Henoted that while the proposed exchange of5,000 acres is small, the federal agency“must consider the cumulative effect” ofthe total 93,000 acres of school trust lands.The Forest Service response follows a Julyrequest by Garber to begin an exchange.The DNR supports an exchange because itwants to generate revenue from school trustlands, of which proceeds are deposited in afund for Minnesota schools.The State of Minnesota ownsapproximately 2.3 million acres of schooltrust land; 93,000 acres are in the BWCAW,where revenue generation is limited. Underan exchange, the acquired lands outside theBWCAW would be managed by the DNRfor timber production.In the 1999 session, the legislature passed aresolution asking the federal government toexchange 93,000 acres of state-owned landin the BWCAW for federal land outside thewilderness. Although the resolution is notbinding, the DNR says the proclamationreflects state policy and justifies the Julyexchange request to the Forest Service.In 1970, the State of Minnesota establishedrules mirroring Forest Service regulationsfor the BWCAW, including those applyingto campsites, food and beverage containers,motorized watercraft and other uses. Therules also direct the DNR commissioner toform an agreement with the Forest Servicefor management and enforcement in theBWCAW. Such an agreement existed until1992, when the state lacked funds toparticipate and withdrew.Support Advances for Apostle Islands WildernessThe Friends continues its support of aNational Park Service study to designatemuch of the Apostle Islands NationalLakeshore as wilderness. In a July letter topark officials, the Friends emphasized theneed to permanently protect the 22-islandchain, which is located near Wisconsin’snorthern border.Since 1989, Park Service officials havemanaged 97 percent of the lakeshore aswilderness. An official wildernessdesignation, however, is a formal andstronger protection which requiresCongressional approval.The Friends counters opponents’ claimsthat recreational activity in the islands, suchas boating, would change with a formaldesignation. Access to the islands’channels is unlikely to be affected becausethe lakeshore’s boundary extends only one-Apostle Islands National Lakeshorequarter mile from the shore of each island,making it impossible to create quiet zones.Ultimately, formal wilderness designationprevents the weakening of currentmanagement practices should Park Servicepolicies change or the lakeshore’smanagement plan be revised.Designation ensures the permanentprotection of the lakeshore’s old-growthforests, sandstone bluffs, sea caves, morethan 100 bird species, 800 plant species,and 35 mammals. Habitat protection isparticularly important to the wide-rangingwildlife that needs large connected tracts asthey move among the Apostle Islands, IsleRoyale National Park, and other regionalsanctuaries. The preservation ofinterconnected areas is a goal of theFriends’ Heart of the ContinentConservation Plan.The Park Service is considering severalalternatives for the lakeshore’smanagement and sought public commentsearlier this year. The draft wilderness studywill be available mid-2003, after whichthere will be an additional public commentperiod of several months.

Winter 2003CoFriends NewsBWCA Wilderness News6Plant Near Quetico Converts to GasYouth Essay ProjectLaunches in 2003Thank you to Friends members forsupporting efforts to convert a coal plantnear Quetico Provincial Park to cleanerburningnatural gas.The Ontario Clean Air Alliance initiated theeffort to convert the facilities last year, andthe Friends asked its members in January2002 to submit supportive comments to theOntario government.The Ontario Premier, Ernie Eves,announced Sept. 23 that the sale of theAtikokan and Thunder Bay coal-firedpower plants will be conditional on thebuyers' promise to convert the plants tonatural gas.Eves indicated that the Ontario governmentdenied sale of the plants earlier this yearbecause a prospective buyer refused toconvert the facilities. The governmentownedAtikokan and Thunder BayGenerating Stations were placed on saleJuly 23, 2001.Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxideemissions from coal plants contribute toacid rain that threatens the Quetico-Superior Ecosystem. Burning natural gaswill reduce the amount of mercury released,eliminate the release of cancer-causingsubstances, and preserve the beauty and airquality of the park.What motivates people to protect lands thatthey have never visited? What do peopleseek when they visit outdoor areas, whetherit is a neighborhood park or a national park?These are some of the questions theFoundation’s Education Committee willpose to teenagers through its essay project,“Project for the Wild.”Project for the Wild wants students ingrades 6-12 to express their thoughts about“wild” or “natural” places, and theirsignificance to the writer. By enjoiningstudents in such an activity, the Foundationhopes to foster a connection between theplaces teenagers seek out for comfort orrecreation and a general desire to protectlands and open places. In addition, theFoundation hopes to use the essays tobuttress arguments for increasingwilderness areas by illustrating tolawmakers the breadth of young people inMinnesota who cherish lands.The project launch is scheduled forSeptember 2003, to coincide with the newschool year. A postcard publicizing theproject will be sent to Minnesota schoolsthat month. The essay will be tied to acurriculum that includes student activitiesand background materials for teachers.Election Results Cast Doubt on BWCAWcontinued from page 1Coleman’s support for logging in thewilderness runs counter to the last 24 years,which prohibited logging and roadbuildingin the BWCAW. Last July, Colemandefended his position saying that theinterests of environmentalists must bebalanced with those of loggers,snowmobilers and other motorizedrecreation users. At the time, he alsosupported increased snowmobile use innational parks, including VoyageursNational Park, near International Falls,Minn.Norm ColemanThe change inCongressionalleadership, coupledwith a series ofactions by the Bushadministration tochange Clinton-eraenvironmentalp o l i c i e s ,underscores theneed to make ourvoices heard. Fortunately, Friends’members have an outstanding 26-year trackrecord of demonstrating the power ofgrassroots support, and in the comingmonths, we will need that show of supportmore than ever.Over the next several years, Friends’members will receive regular appeals towrite or call their elected officials toadvance Friends’ initiatives or opposefurther environmental degradation. Wehope that you will take these requests toheart and call or write your members ofCongress. It will be imperative that all of usmake our voices heard. You have done so inthe past and we applaud you. And we urgeyou to make your voices heard in the future.

Winter 2003Friends NewsBWCA Wilderness News7New Board Members Join Friends in JanuaryA physician, a chemist, a retired collegeadministrator, and a lawyer--all committedto wilderness preservation--will join theFriends Board of Directors in January.The four individuals are Friends memberswho responded to an August appeal to jointhe board of directors. Paul Aslanian, MaryProbst, Carolyn Sampson and KrisWegerson were elected to the board inSeptember. They begin their three-yearterms Jan. 1, 2003.Aslanian is a retired administrator fromSwarthmore College in Swarthmore, Penn.,where he specialized in finance andplanning. He owns a home in GrandMarais, Minn. and says it is his favoriteretreat in the Quetico-Superior Ecosystem.Probst is a lawyer at the St. Paul law firm,Leonard, Street and Deinard, where sheprimarily advises non-profit organizationson corporate and tax issues. In addition,Probst serves as a board member of the St.Paul Chamber Orchestra and the St. PaulConservatory of Music. She wants to serveon the Friends Board because of her love forthe BWCAW and her desire to make acontribution to the Friends.Friends staff and board members pose Sept. 21 at a landing near Hegman Lake. From leftto right: Bill Tefft; Dick Flint; Paul Aslanian; Jeff Evans; Sarah Strommen; Steve Snyder;Kris Wegerson; Mary Probst; Wever Weed; Melissa Lindsay; Jon Nelson; Doug Anderson;Chel Anderson; Sean Wherley; and Lee Frelich. Missing are board members DarrellKnuffke, Mike Matz, Becky Rom, Carolyn Sampson and Betsy Schmiesing, and staffmembers Donna McNamara and Amy Wilkenloh. Tefft was a visiting presenter.Sampson is a manager and chemist in theAnalytical Resources Department forGeneral Mills in Golden Valley, Minn.Outside of work, the Minneapolis residentis active in fundraising for breast cancerresearch and for the Fridley (Minn.) HighSchool Choir. She counts the Hegman Lakechain as her favorite place in the BoundaryWaters.Wegerson is a physician in Duluth, Minn.,where she focuses on family medicine,including obstetrics. She also serves on theboard of Northeastern Minnesotans forWilderness (NMW), and is an advisor to theOutdoor Program at the University ofMinnesota-Duluth. Wegerson is eager toserve on the Friends Board to protectwilderness areas and keep them a place toretreat from the activity of everyday life.Too many people? Don’t know what to buy? Want to give a gift that matters?Give a Friends' membership this holiday season!TO:FROM:Gift Level:Name:_____________________________________________________________Address:__________________________________________________________City:_____________________________ State:____________ Zip:________________________________________________________________________________$100 Patron __$75 Contributing __$50 Family __$30 Individual __$20 Student/SeniorCut out form, include check and mail to:Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness401 North Third Street, Suite 290Minneapolis, MN 55401-1475A letter will be mailed to the recipient detailing who gave them the gift, what level membership was given,what is included in the membership and when it expires.

Winter 2003Friends NewsBWCA Wilderness News8Camp Widjiwagan Hosts Annual Board RetreatFriends’ staff and board members venturedto the leafy and peaceful grounds of CampWidjiwagan for the organization’s annualboard retreat in September.large corporate logging operations whichcontrol millions of acres of timber andmanipulate market prices and workerwages.Camp Widjiwagan is a YMCA-operatedfacility on the Echo Trail, which is one ofthree major roads cutting through theBWCAW. Board and staff gathered to hearspeakers on various subjects, discuss policyand organization initiatives, and meet eachother in a relaxing setting.Seven board members, four staff members,and four prospective board members (seerelated story) attended the Sept. 21-22session. Invited speakers included BillHansen, owner of Sawbill Canoe Outfittersin Tofte, Minn. and a recent legislativecandidate in northeastern Minnesota, andBill Tefft, faculty member at VermilionCommunity College in Ely, Minn.Hansen, who lost the primary election for astate house seat, shared what he learnedabout the constituents of northeasternMinnesota during his campaign. Hansen,who is a Friends’ member, ran as anenvironmentalist committed to protectingBill Hansen, owner of Sawbill Canoe Outfitters,spoke Sept. 21 at the board retreat.the wilderness. Despite drawing attacksfrom his primary challengers for supportingthe BWCAW, Hansen is undeterred. Hespoke encouragingly of the growingsupport in northeastern Minnesota forconservation efforts and candidates likehim, who make the environment acampaign issue.Hansen also discussed the need foralliances between environmental groupsand small logging companies. He spoke ofthe potential for these alliances to stop theTefft, who teaches in the Parks andRecreation Department at VermilionCommunity College, discussed theimportance of wildlife viewing and the rolethe Friends can play in this burgeoningtourist activity. Tefft highlighted theeconomic impact of wildlife viewing inMinnesota and its compatibility withwilderness values. Fifty-four percent ofMinnesotans are wildlife watchers,yielding more than $523 million to the stateeconomy; a figure greater than hunting.Friends Board Member Lee Frelichconcluded the breakout sessions with aguided trip to some of the forested areasnear Hegman Lake, which is off the EchoTrail. Frelich, who has conducted researchin Superior National Forest for more thanten years, impressed visitors with hisknowledge and expertise of the area’sforests and fauna.Friends of theBoundary Waters Wilderness401 N. Third Street, Suite 290Minneapolis, MN 55401-1475Phone: (612) 332-9630Non-profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDMpls., MNPermit No. 4068Address Service Requested