The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Collaborative

The back of a person in a canoe in a channel of water surrounded by forest with rocks on the banks.

Background

In 2022, the Superior National Forest (SNF) began a new effort to engage individuals and groups with interests in recreation, conservation, and environmental advocacy, or commercial use in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW or Wilderness) in exploring current issues, concerns, and possibilities for collaboration with SNF. To support this initiative, SNF engaged the John S. McCain III National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution (National Center), a program of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation (Udall Foundation*), to conduct a confidential assessment with a wide variety of individuals and organizations that have an interest in the BWCAW.

A BWCAW Situational Assessment report was completed in June 2023, showing that most participants supported new engagement opportunities with both SNF staff and other parties who care about the BWCAW. Participants also felt any collaborative effort must be built around a compelling purpose and tangible objectives. The following purpose statement is meant to guide collaborative effort in its development. The Collaborative was formalized with membership and began meeting in March of 2024.

Collaborative Purpose

To create a forum that brings together a wide variety of interest groups to exchange ideas and diverse perspectives, and to foster shared learning and discussion with the Forest Service on the stewardship of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the context of wilderness laws, regulations, policy and guidance.

Collaborative Reference Materials (notes, reports, ect)

May 2024 - BWCAW Collaborative April Meeting Release

April 2024 - New BWCAW Collaborative Kickoff

November 2024 - Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Collaborative "Next Steps" Webinar

June 2023 - BWCAW Situational Assessment Press Release

Collaborative Selection Process

Interested parties were invited to review the November webinar materials and the Selection Criteria for identifying members. The facilitation team also compiled a resource with introductory information about key aspects of Collaborative and SNF provided the reference document Understanding Collaboration, produced by the USDA’s Forest Service Collaboration Cadre. Interested parties contacted the National Center team and were offered an opportunity to connect further. Selected members participated in interviews with the facilitation team.

If you are interested in being a future member of the Collaborative group or have other questions about the BWCAW Collaborative process, please contact the facilitation team at bwcawcollaborative@udall.gov.

If you are interested only in receiving updates on what the collaborative is doing and other action on the BWCAW, please sign up for the Public BWCAW information list below.

BWCAW Collaborative Constant Contact

In an effort to engage our visitors, communities and partners, we will periodically send E-newsletters to help inform stakeholders and the public on various project, volunteer and career opportunities.

 

Additional Related Resources

*The John S. McCain III National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution (National Center) a program of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation (Udall Foundation*) is an independent, nonpartisan Federal agency of the Executive Branch. www.udall.gov. The National Center team operates as an independent, neutral partner.