4/27/24 – The Forest Service is continuing along the timeline for updating the BWCA management plan. They have a good website where you can follow along with updates and information as this process plays out – you can find that info here.

If you missed the informational meetings, they were recorded. Here is the information from the Forest Service:

Dear interested parties, A recording of the virtual open house for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) Forest Plan Amendment public engagement that was held on April 18, 2024 is now available for viewing and download from our project webpage. The Superior National Forest is seeking comments on developing the BWCAW Forest Plan Amendment by May 17, 2024. If you have any questions, please contact Peter Taylor, Forest Planner at peter.r.taylor@usda.gov

At this stage, they are seeking general comments about BWCA management. What do you think is working well? What has changed in the last 30 years? Where do you see areas for improvement? Some examples of management issues they may be looking at are towboats, permit quotas, management designations within the Wilderness, etc. Later on, perhaps as soon as winter 2024, there will be an opportunity to comment on a more concrete proposed Forest Plan Amendment.

The BWCA is the most visited Wilderness area in the country. It holds a special place in all of our hearts, and also serves as one of the main economic drivers for the region. While I certainly understand the desire to further restrict the Boundary Waters to only those who already live and breath the Leave No Trace principles, I remind myself and others that these are public lands that belong to us all. I’ve made a career out of teaching and introducing people to the BWCA Wilderness experience. I’ve seen first hand the transformational effect that a canoe trip has on folks. It is no overstatement to say that it changes lives. I also know that the BWCA needs champions. In order to advocate for and protect our favorite corner of the world, we need to bring more people into the club. It is this ethos that I will bear in mind as I give input for future management of the BWCA. We need an updated quota system that reflects current travel patterns. We desperately need a more robust education protocol. I’m encouraged by the care with which the current Forest Service leadership team is listening and I know that Sawbillians near and far have valuable and thoughtful insight – I encourage you to submit comments before May 17th.

Clare

4/24/24 – If one picture could sum up early season at Sawbill it would be the following…

Also of note; the canoe landing dock has been returned to it’s open water home.

Wind has been the norm lately, but this mornings view from the landing was nice and calm, although chilly with a low that dipped down to 18°F. -Jessica

4/17/24 – It’s official, the ice is out on Sawbill Lake! Some persistent ice remains in front of the canoe landing, but from our vantage point more than 90% of the lake is now open water.  Lakes and ponds along the Grade are open as well, including Baker and Crescent. Brule is usually one of the last in the area to go out, so my guess is it will need a few more days before it’s ice free.  Also of note; many of the gravel roads are still quite soft, so proceed with caution as major rutting has been seen on access roads such as the Kawishiwi Lake Road, Baker Lake Road, and Brule Lake Road.

We aren’t open quite yet, but are happy to rent canoes by appointment if you’re itching to get out on the water (just give us a call to set something up). This time of year conditions can turn miserable and dangerous quickly, so it’s worth checking the forecast before making the trek up. Here’s a link to the National Weather Services 7-day forecast for Sawbill Lake, which we’ve found to be the most reliable for our area. -Jessica

4/16/24 – Todays howling wind has pushed the remaining ice to our side of the lake and open water is increasing by the hour. With rain in the forecast tonight, my bet is we’ll be able to call “ice out” in the morning. Only time will tell…stay tuned! -Jessica

4/15/24 – The majority of the lake is still covered in ice, but it doesn’t look long for this world with new pockets of open water starting to reveal themselves away from the shoreline. -Jessica

4/14/24 – Things look about the same today, minus a little ice around the shoreline. -Jessica

4/13/24 – Yesterdays wind and this evenings rain continues to do a number on the ice. Dan braved the lake this afternoon, with support crew at the ready, and measured 9 inches of ice. Also of note; rumor has it Kawishiwi Lake is ice free as far as can be seen from the landing.

-Jessica

4/12/24 – This morning I headed down to lake with auger and measuring stick in hand. Upon reaching the landing I noticed a human sized hole in the ice not far from shore…I stayed put on dry ground.

The ice hasn’t broken away from shore yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens sometime next week.

For more condition updates head over to our Instagram page. -Jessica

4/7/24 – Recently, the USDA Forest Service has indicated that they are looking into updating the management plan for the BWCA Wilderness. Understanding the world of federal agencies and how it affects the public lands we all love is something people spend their whole careers attempting to navigate. It’s a complex world of bureaucracy and we frequently hear confusion about Parks vs Wilderness, DNR vs USFS, National Forest campgrounds vs State Park campgrounds. However, we know that Sawbill customers have a wealth of experience and knowledge about the history and use of the BWCA. We value your opinions and know that there is immense value in sharing that input with the Forest Service.

The Forest Service is charged with managing the Superior National Forest. To do so, they operate under a Forest Plan. Within the Superior National Forest is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Similarly, within the Forest Plan is a management direction for the BWCA Wilderness. The mechanism for updating this management plan is to implement a Forest Plan Amendment, focusing on the BWCA Wilderness management. The last time this was updated was around 30 years ago.

Here is the letter to the public released by the Forest Service:

Here is the link to more information from the letter above: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/superior/?project=65777

There will be two open houses – an in person event on Thursday April 11th from 4:30 – 7pm at Superior National Forest Headquarters at 8901 Grand Ave Place in Duluth. A virtual open house will be held on April 18th from 4-6 pm. Send us an email at info@sawbill.com if you’re interested in attending virtually and we can send you the meeting link.

We will keep you posted as the process carries on. We look forward to chatting with you about your thoughts and ideas when you visit us this summer!

Clare

4/3/24 – Progress toward ice out has come to a screeching halt as of late. This afternoon the dogs and I ventured out onto the windswept lake to see what was what. We found a very solid 13 inches of ice with about 7 inches of snow on top of that. -Jessica