Superior National Forest officials will no longer hold a lottery to distribute Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness permits for the most popular dates and entry points.
The StarTribune has the story HERE.
Starting in 2012, all reservations for BWCAW permits for overnight travel between May 1 and September 30 will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis starting on January 25, 2012.
Officials said that there are only a few dates when there isn’t permit availability but very few entry points where demand is high enough to warrant the lottery. Technological improvements to the reservation system make the lottery unnecessary, they added. Officials acknowledge that the opening day for reservations could see high traffic.
Roughly 250,000 people visit the BWCAW each year.