New wolf plan
Walz support for hunting nuanced
Minnesota wolf management took a new turn in 2022. Action came in the form of an updated wolf plan developed by the Department of Natural Resources. The plan didn't advocate for a return of wolf hunting and trapping in the state, which most recently occurred in 2012-2014. But it did lay the groundwork for establishing such seasons when the Fish and Wildlife Service delists wolves (again) from the Endangered Species List, an action some observers expect in 2023. If that occurs, the politics of wolf management will pit, in many cases, rural vs. urban Minnesotans — and, in some instances, moose advocates against wolf protectionists.
Experts believe northeast Minnesota moose are being suppressed by wolves, and only through wolf control will moose have a chance to recover. Asked last summer if Gov. Tim Walz supported wolf-hunting possibilities included in the new DNR wolf plan, a Walz spokesperson said, "The Governor and Lieutenant Governor support the DNR's thoughtful, comprehensive approach to wolf management, including the framework for determining if and when hunting might be an appropriate management tool." Cynics say such nuanced verbiage was crafted with the governor's re-election bid in mind. If the wolf is delisted again in 2023, Walz will have an opportunity to be more definitive.
Dennis Anderson
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
No further permit reductions for 2023
After making a sizable cut this year in the availability of permits to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA), the U.S. Forest Service said it will make no changes in 2023 to the quota system that governs visitor traffic. As announced by the Superior National Forest, BWCA permits for the upcoming paddling season go on sale at 9 a.m. Jan. 25. This year's announcement came with a reminder that stockpiling permits is a violation of the "one permit per day, per permit holder'' rule.
Twelve months ago, BWCA outfitters were adjusting to an overall 13 % reduction in the availability of entry permits, mainly on the east side of the 1.1-million acre wilderness. That meant 23,000 fewer people were allowed to enter from May 1 to Sept. 30. In all, the number of available permits sank from 285 per day to 248. The cut was made to remedy crowding and damage that escalated in 2020 and 2021 during COVID-19 lockdowns. From 2019 to 2020, traffic boomed from 143,140 people to 165,918, a 16% increase. The surge was sustained in 2021. Data for 2022 is not yet available.
Tony Kennedy
Camping
Surge of newcomers pressures sites
The Dyrt camping application has information on 50,000 campgrounds and 2 million campsites and, yet, one of its creators says a key topic entering 2023 is that users say it's hard to find an available space outdoors to settle in. Kevin Long, who with his wife, Sarah Smith, introduced The Dyrt in 2017, said the number of users surveyed who said finding a campsite is difficult is five times larger today (58%) than it was in 2019 (10.6%). Part of the cause is the surge in campers year to year and owing to the COVID pandemic, he said.
According to The Dyrt's camping survey this year, more than 8 million were first-timers and the overriding motivation to get out was family and friends. Long doesn't expect that to change.