The U.S. Forest Service is tightening rules for storing food in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area preserve to prevent black bears from viewing campers as a food source.
Forest officials have long recommended that campers hang food and other scented items high to the ground, away from trees, or store them in bear-proof containers.
And several times over the past few years, the Forest Service has issued temporary orders targeting limited areas of the BWCA where bear-human encounters have flared up.
But now authorities are asking visitors to store food properly throughout the reserve or risk being cited and fined.
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“The main thing we're trying to accomplish with this food storage order is to protect bears and not habituate them to humans,” said Kathy Quinn, acting conservation program manager for the Superior National Forest. explained.
“We're trying to prevent bear-human contact. That's the very basis of what we're trying to do. We're trying to deal with this proactively rather than reactionarily. is.”
The order went into effect last month and will last until April 19, 2026.
Food, food scraps, and other scented items (such as toothpaste and soap) are hung at least 12 feet above the ground and 6 feet from tree trunks or in bear-resistant containers certified by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. Must be kept.
Quinn said there has been an increase in bear-human encounters in the Boundary Waters over the past three years.
Last year, rangers discovered a cache near a campsite frequented by the bear where the bear had stored food and other equipment stolen from multiple groups of campers, Quinn said.
“This is a really smart move,” Quinn said.
Quinn said bears sometimes stole food packs along transport routes while groups were moving gear between lakes. As a result, the Forest Service has included language in its order asking campers not to leave food unattended.
“We understand that the majority of most portages don't fit that scenario. And we don't blame people who leave food in portages,” Quinn said. “We just put it into the order so that we have the tools in case we need them.”
The rule change generated a lot of buzz on social media from avid Boundary Waters paddlers.
Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness called the rule “draconian” because failure to comply could result in up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine. is.
Gear packed in Boundary Waters bear-resistant barrels and portage packs.
Cody Nelson | MPR News 2016
Friends spokesman Pete Marshall said in a statement that the organization is working hard to “make the great outdoors more attractive to a diverse range of people and open it up to those who have never been to the Boundary Waters.” He said he was able to do it.
“This unrealistic order, with the very real threat of jail time and large fines, is a major setback,” Marshall said.
Forest Service officials said the first year of the order will focus on education and only issue warnings, except for serious or repeat violations.
Mr Quinn said violations could result in a $50 fine.
“I think we can boil down to the prison drama and the $5,000 fine discussion,” Quinn said. I don't think that should be the focus of what we're trying to convey. We really want to protect bears and give people a good experience in the great outdoors without impacting wildlife. ”