First Paddler of 2008!

We have open water on Seagull as far as we can see! It is a great sign for the weekend. It rained most of the night last night and the sun is breaking out this morning. We have 41 degrees at 9am. Our first paddler of the season is going to Round Lake this morning with a destination of Tuscarora Lake. From what I hear, Round Lake is partially open and Missing Link is looking good as well. Sun is predicted tomorrow so that also helps. Seagull Lake water level is rising daily and water levels are at our October 2007 high. Stay tuned! Fishing opener is May 10th.

Spring is just around the corner!

The snow is melting rapidly and the ducks are gathering in the bay by the Seagull dock where we have a patch of open water. Despite the efforts of our local beavers, water is rushing through the culvert under our road to the lake. With some warm weather, wind and rain; we will soon be looking at open water. I am hoping it comes this month!

A couple of return staffers, Shira and Chris will be arriving next week. The t-shirts have started coming in and we just delivered the new Sag Jon Boats to Seagull. By May 3rd, we will have 5 staff on board and you will see us busily working to get the business open and ready. After many months with no change on the webcam, you will see the daily progress of our efforts.

For anyone going into the Quetico or fishing the Canadian side of Saganaga this summer, you may get your fishing license in advance through the mail if you wish. This will get you through the Cache Bay Ranger Station faster and on your way to your favorite fishing holes. If you are interested, follow this link to learn all about the Ontario Fishing Licenses.
http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/198219.pdf . You may call them at 800-677-1940 and process your fishing license over the phone. They will then put it in the mail to you.

Don't forget about our monthly photo contest on our discussion board this year. This is the first month of the contest. Tom and Johnse have worked hard at it and we would love to have your participation.

There are lots of permits for both the Boundary Waters and Quetico left for the summer. Let us know how we can help plan your trip!

Deb

Monthly Wilderness Photo Contest

New this year, we will be hosting a monthly wilderness photo contest on our Seagull Discussion Board. Each month there will be a new contest with a different photo theme.

As we all know, the North Country lends itself to some fantastic photo opportunities. We're all fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to capture some of these "priceless" moments. Whether it is a sunset, eagle, rainbow, thunderstorm, moose, etc. we'll have a month dedicated to all of these themes, and many more.

To view pictures entered in the contest, and to enter the contest yourself, you can visit the discussion board that will host the contest. Contest rules and the theme for the month will be posted on the discussion board. Remember to return on a monthly basis to catch the latest photo theme, so you can dig into your archives and share with us all.

We hope that you'll get involved and share the "priceless" moments you've caught on film and enter to have a chance to win the monthly prize, and the year end prize.

Enjoy and Good Luck.
Seagull Outfitters

Photo Contest link

2008 BWCAW Quota Adjustments

Our District Ranger, Dennis Neitzke from the Forest Service Office in Grand Marais has just issued the following letter as it applies to some of the Boundary Waters Quotas on the Gunflint Trail effective Feb. 25, 2008.



"The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) near the upper end of the Gunflint Trail has gone through a myriad of changes over the past few years, some more dramatic than others. Two separate but somewhat related issues have arisen over the past few years that I believe are timely to address. Both have to do with our entry point quotas for areas along the Gunflint Trail from about Mid-Trail to the upper end of the Trail.

The first issue resulted from the Alpine Lake, Cavity Lake and Ham Lake fires that caused us to temporarily close portage trails and campsites. Since fewer campsites were available, we also reduced overnight paddle quotas for several entry points from the Granite River, up around the end of the trail, down to Round Lake. All portages were rehabilitated within days of the conclusion of each fire and we are now at a point where we expect to have all but possibly 10 campsites reopened by June of this year.

While it will take years for campsites to regain the “forested” condition campers experienced prior to the fires, we have determined they are stable and suitable for use. Further, we have noticed this past summer, during the busiest part of the season, campsites that were open but had been deforested by the fires were being used by wilderness campers. Therefore I have considered returning fire affected entry point quotas to their normal, pre-fire levels.

The second issue comes from another situation that has been observed over the past several years. The Forest Service has been aware of overcrowding issues related to the western end of the Vento Unit of the BWCAW. Our Wilderness Rangers have often encountered angry visitors who could not find a campsite due to crowding, especially at the height of the summer on heavily used routes. We have recorded (illegal) offsite camping and found that it is common for visitors to leave their wilderness trip sooner than planned due to the lack of campsites. Over the past couple of years, we have stepped up our conversations with visitors and outfitters to get a better picture of the crowding and it has become clear that the situation is chronic.

Our simple analysis demonstrated how this situation has likely come about. The average stay of a BWCAW party is four days and the quota for Duncan Lake Entry Point is four permits per day. Therefore in the busy season, we have 16 parties in an area that contains only 12 campsites. Of course, there are other factors that need to be taken into account such as the type and pattern of travel visitors are doing, the size and shape of the Vento Unit, etc.

As the quotas stand now, the frequency of visitor encounters does not meet Forest Plan standards for solitude. Existing use exceeds the allowable frequency of visitor encounters. Forest Plan direction states: “The purpose of quotas is to distribute visitors and use in a manner that protects the natural resources and wilderness values, and limits the social encounters to that which is appropriate for each management area.... The Forest Service reserves the right to make immediate quota changes if necessary to meet changed conditions” (Forest Plan, ppg 3-54 & 55).

From our review of the situation, I have considered lowering the quota for a few entry points to mitigate overcrowding issues in the Vento Unit. However, before doing so, I wanted to hear from the businesses that would be affected by such a decision. On January 17, 2008, I sent a letter to East Zone BWCAW Cooperators requesting their input on our proposal.

We received several telephone calls and eight outfitters responded by email with comments. As expected, the range of comments received went from no reduction of the quota anywhere at anytime to most outfitters acknowledging that a modification of quotas was needed to address the concerns of disappointed visitors who complained of overcrowding.

Based on a compilation of information from our Wilderness Rangers observations, discussions with visitors and comments from our Cooperators, I have decided to implement the following:

· The Duncan Lake Entry Point 60 quota will be reduced from 4 permits to 3 permits per day.
· The Clearwater Lake Entry Point 62 quota will be reduced from 4 permits to 3 permits per day.
· The East Bearskin Lake Entry Point 64 quota will be reduced from 5 permits to 4 permits per day.

Also at this time, I am resetting the quotas for the following entry points to their pre-fire levels:

· The Seagull Lake Entry Point 54 quota will return to 11 permits per day.
· The Seagull Lake Only Entry Point 54A quota will return to 2 permits per day.
· The Saganaga Lake Entry Point 55 quota will return to 17 permits per day.
· The Magnetic Lake Entry Point 57 quota will return to 3 permits per day.

One final adjustment to the quota system that will be implemented this season is my decision to allow the booking of Seagull Lake Only Entry Point 54A, Saganaga Lake Only Entry Point 55A and Brule Lake Only Entry Point 41A permits to be made at any time in the permit application process instead of issuing these permits only after the regular quota for these lakes have been filled.

These adjustments will take effect February 25, 2008. I feel that the adjustments outlined here are necessary and desirable for the management of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness."


DENNIS D. NEITZKE
District Ranger

2008 BWA Committee Trail Clearing Official Press Release

The Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWA Committee) and its friends has announced plans to clear scenic hiking trails in the beautiful Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) this coming May. The BWA Committee welcomes you, your friends, family and other interested people to volunteer for either two or three days between Thursday, May 1 and Sunday, May 4.
Last yearʼs project successfully cleared the Brule Lake Trail (BLT) and provided excellent hiking for people on their way to Brule Lake and Eagle Mountain, Minnesotaʼs highest point which features a spectacular view of the forests and lakes of canoe country and Lake Superior. The volunteers performed fantastic service in preparing the trail for hikers and the United States Forest Service displays their group photo at the Brule Lake trailhead in appreciation of their efforts.
This yearʼs group of volunteers will maintain the BLT and expand their efforts to a neighboring trail, further increasing the recreational opportunities for visitors. The trail clearing will provide an opportunity for the past yearsʼ veterans to meet up with old friends and make new friends. In addition, new volunteers are invited to join in the group effort to help do tremendous work for the Boundary Waters.
The BWA Committee invites hikers and outdoor enthusiasts to volunteer to help clear these trails. There are several opportunities to participate including our occasional, short planning meetings; training as a trail clearing crew leader, or volunteering for two or three days in May. Planning meetings take approximately three to five hours per month; these meetings resolve the logistics and preparations for the trip. Interested individuals are welcome to help the BWA Committee with its publicity and developing sponsors as well. The BWA Committee will hold a training session for crew leaders and interested volunteers in April, with a time and location to be announced. Previous experience is useful, but not required. Most importantly, volunteers are needed to clear trails in the forests of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area for a two, three or four day detail, as desired.

BWA Committee was founded by Martin Kubik in 2002 with the intent to preserve intrinsically beautiful historic hiking trails in the BWCA in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service. Martin Kubik is the recipient of the 2007 Great Lakes Region Volunteer of the Year award as presented by the American Hiking Society.

Contact Martin Kubik, BWA Committee president at 651-214-5849 or e-mail at HELPclearEAGLEmtn@yahoo.com , OR visit the BWACommittee website www.bwac.homestead.com to reserve a place.

The Passport Issue Revisited

Johnse has researched the latest on the passport issue for paddlers this summer returning to the US from the Quetico. Here is what he found.

Where do things stand for Land and Sea Travel?Currently, most travellers only require a driver's license (or other government-issued photo I.D.) or a birth certificate, though customs officers don't always request to see them. Verbal declarations of citizenship are still accepted, but travellers should carry proof just in case.However, stricter requirements for Land and Sea entry will come into affect on January 31, 2008 – but don't panic about getting a passport just yet. This date is when border patrol will stop accepting verbal declarations of citizenship and start asking you for documentation. Government-issued photo I.D. (such as a drivers' license) and a birth certificate will suffice for most travellers. Unlike current requirements, you will be asked to produce both documents, not just one.When will a passport be required for Land and Sea? According to media reports, a bill was passed in congress on December 20, 2007 that delays the passport requirement at least until June 2009. Ultimately, it's up to the U.S. government to decide the final date. The U.S. Homeland Security website notes that 60 days notice will be given before new legislation comes into effect to allow people time to obtain required documentation.The link for the entire article is here: http://www.allsafetravels.com/travelarticlespage.aspx?articleID=34&gclid=CKPh8cP5iJECFQIUPAoda3ZIGASo for all of 2008, you will not need a passport for land or sea travel to Canada. An RABC will suffice just like in the past.

Let's hope this brings some closure to this question for summer 2008. Thanks Johnse for your help!

Deb

Gunflint Green Up May 2-4, 2008

As many of you know, May 5, 2008 is the first anniversary of the "Ham Lake Fire" on the Gunflint Trail. In recognition of the first anniversary of the Ham Lake Fire,which burned more than 35,000 acres at the end of the Gunflint Trail, and in celebration of Minnesota's 150 years of statehood, the Gunflint Green Up will bring folks of all ages together for a weekend of education, tree planting, and a food and music celebration.

Gunflint Green Up Schedule:

Friday 5/2

Boreal Forest talks and walks
Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department demonstrations
Dinner & Special presentation
Renowned wilderness photographer Layne Kennedy will share his experiences in the BWCAW and along The Gunflint Trail

Saturday 5/3

Training and planting
Thank You Dinner & Dance with live music at Gunflint Lodge

Sunday 5/4

Gunflint Green Up Ham Run Half Marathon

Visit www.gunflintgreenup.com for more information.