Certain fees to change for BWCA permits in 2019

There are some changes coming regarding permits to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The United States Forest Service recently unveiled the changes to the National Recreation Reservation System. This includes privacy, security, financial and program requirements of the new, nation-wide recreation.gov website that launched Oct. 1.

Beginning in 2019, the $10 reservation fee is changing to $6 for every quota permit. That means whether an individual or group reserve a permit ahead of time or purchase a walk-in permit, the fee will be $6. This includes day-use motor permits.

Another change is that all group leaders (permit holders) are required to have a valid email address to reserve a permit. In addition, each alternate permit holder is required to have a valid email address to be listed as an intended alternate at time of reservation.

Alternates must respond to the recreation.gov email sent at the time of reservation and accept being an alternate within 72 hours of reservation, or the permit will not have alternates.

If an alternate does not have a recreation.gov account, they will be required to create one at verification when they respond and accept being an alternate. Alternates can log on to recreation.gov and create their account any time prior to a reservation.

All participant names must be entered for the permit to print at issuance. Participant names may be added to a reservation any time prior to the permit pick-up.

For reservations made by a cooperator, permit holders will receive a copy of the confirmation email.

WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs spoke with Kris Reichenbach, a spokesperson for the US Forest Service on Superior National Forest, about the changes to permits in the BWCA.