Transcripts

GREG BARRON: The bill in question is authored by California representative Phillip Burton and Minnesota Congressman Bruce Vento. Supporters of the Burton-Vento bill are optimistic that the measure will pass, but passage is by no means guaranteed. Opponents led by Eighth District Congressman James Oberstar have vigorously opposed the bill, arguing that it's far too restrictive. Because the BWCA is in Oberstar's district, his opposition could carry a great deal of weight with House members.

It's in that context that the bill's supporters have moved to sweeten the pot. In a letter sent to House members, Congressman Donald Fraser, Bruce Vento, and Richard Nolan said they'll offer amendments which, among other things, would relax the bill's restrictions, limiting the use of motorboats. The amendments would allow motorboat use over a somewhat greater area.

And while such use would still be phased out, the phase-out period would be increased. On some lakes, motorboat use could continue until the year 2000, on others until 2010. The current bill calls for a five-year phase-out. Restrictions on motorboat use have been a particularly hard-fought issue with area resort owners, and Fraser says he hopes that amendment will ease objections. At the same time, he says liberalization of motor use won't threaten the concept of wilderness protection.

DONALD FRASER: The problem with motorized use is the conflict it presents to the canoeist. And under our amendments, the motorized use would be cut back. Our estimate is that motorized use would be cut back by roughly 60%. Under our amendments, that 40% would continue, then, for a phase-out period of 20 or 30 years and then be cut back substantially more.

We've never felt that motorized use does any permanent damage to the wilderness. What it does do is to reduce the area in which the canoeist can get away from the sights and sounds of civilization. But eventually, the wilderness will be expanded as these phase-outs occur over the next two or three decades.

GREG BARRON: Fraser emphasized that the greatest measure of wilderness protection came recently when Congressman Oberstar agreed to drop his insistence on continued BWCA logging. Fraser's long-standing efforts to legislate full wilderness protection for the BWCA have cost him votes among residents of northeastern Minnesota. Those votes could be crucial in his bid for a Senate seat. But he says his involvement in this latest compromise effort was not politically motivated.

DONALD FRASER: No, actually, we've tried to keep these matters separate. The changes that I've just identified that we are proposing come about through consultation with the leadership of the Friends of the Boundary Waters. They recognize that to the extent that there's a lot of controversy associated with this measure, it makes it harder to pass both the House and the Senate. And there was a general agreement that some further modification would make sense in trying to facilitate passage through both houses of Congress.

GREG BARRON: Are you saying that the environmental interests who have supported tough regulation for the BWCA are in support of these amendments?

DONALD FRASER: Oh yes. We've been working with the leadership, and they'd like to have the legislation this year. I don't think anybody involved in this wants to see this matter left until next year.

GREG BARRON: Environmental leaders are supporting the compromise amendments, but they say, only reluctantly. Miron Heinselman, chairman of a national coalition working for full wilderness protection for the area, said he is deeply disappointed that it's necessary to weaken the Burton-Vento bill. But he urged supporters to understand the need for compromise. Another compromise amendment would eliminate the creation of a national recreation area on the periphery of the BWCA. The NRA provision was vigorously opposed by resort owners, fearful of excessive federal regulation. Heinselman says dropping that provision is no small compromise.

SPEAKER 1: It means that whatever development occurs in those corridors is strictly up to local zoning authorities. And frankly, I'm a resident up there. I own property up there. Local zoning codes are very weak and often, not enforced. And so I think the area is vulnerable to adverse development.

I would think that the local citizens would have appreciated the National Recreation Area and the kind of protection it might have offered. And I guess I'd like to point out that even with these amendments, the bill still bans all logging and mining and does continue the present snowmobile ban. And it still gives us a large motor-free wilderness. But, of course, it's unfortunate that many persons that have worked so hard to protect the area now have to face the fact that for the rest of their lives, they'll be taking canoe trips, starting out on motorized lakes, competing with motorboats in our country's only canoe area wilderness.

Miron Heinselman, chairman of the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. Congressman Oberstar was not available for comment. However, Oberstar aide John O'Connor said the changes are not substantial. He said, we don't reject the amendments as bad, but it's unfortunate that they aren't more significant.

The Rules Committee will allow Oberstar to offer a substitute bill. That bill would halt timber harvesting, but allow significantly more motorboat and snowmobile use. A total of two hours' debate on the issue has been allowed, and although there is no final word, the matter is expected to reach the House floor as early as next Monday. I'm Greg Barron.