The Minnesota DNR has been using motors inside the federally protected BWCA Wilderness for many decades. The uses of motors range from the stocking of fish by airplane to the studying of fish populations using boats and nets on the many scattered lakes across the Boundary Waters. The DNR is allowed to use motors in the nation’s most visited wilderness. This permission comes from the U.S. Forest Service.

In this episode, we hear from DNR and Forest Service officials about the use of motorboats in the Boundary Waters, and how the research impacts things like wilderness character and the user experience for those visiting the canoe-country. 

This episode is supported by:

Sawtooth Outfitters

Ely Outfitting Company

Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness

Tuscarora Lodge and Canoe Outfitters