2003 - 07  Use of State Lands in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW)

Whereas, the State of Minnesota has about 116,000 acres in the Boundary Waters Wilderness; 76% of these lands are School Trust Fund or University Trust Fund lands,

And whereas, the State of Minnesota has a fiduciary responsibility to the school trusts,

And whereas, these lands have been in a wilderness category for seventy-five years or more, and only in the last decade has the management of the school trust lands become a political issue,

And whereas, the DNR in 1997 proposed that the Federal Government buy out the State trust land interest over time; however, this option was rejected by the Iron Range legislators,

And whereas, the fact of lack of revenue from the wilderness trust lands is being used by some politicians as a reason for either selling the state lands in the wilderness to private individuals or, alternatively, to require that the U. S. Forest Service trade the bulk of their lands outside the BWCAW to the State (DNR) for the state lands inside the BWCAW,

And whereas, Congressional leaders have indicated that there is not money for either a buy-out or a land trade; moreover, the transaction costs for both are far too great,

And whereas, the residents of Minnesota derive much benefit from the state lands in the BWCAW because 64% of the users of the wilderness are state residents and 12% of the campsites are on state land,

And whereas, a surcharge on the user fee already implemented by the Forest Service for overnight visitors to the BWCAW would give a reasonable yearly return to the School Trust and extinguish the political arguments for sale of the state lands to private parties or a land exchange for the most of the federal forest land outside the BWCAW,

Therefore be it resolved that the Minnesota Division supports a user fee for BWCAW visitors.

And, further be it resolved that the Minnesota Division supports a study by the DNR which analyzes the costs and benefits of all proposals for the state lands in the BWCAW.