Photos: School trust land inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area

Bill Hansen
Bill Hansen, owner of Sawbill Canoe Outfitters, portages between Sawbill Lake and Alton Lake, Wednesday, May 2, 2012 in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The veteran outfitter grew up on the edge of the Boundary Waters, at Sawbill Lake. He says the economy of Northeastern Minnesota benefits from the wilderness and the semi-wilderness surrounding it, in the Superior National Forest.
Derek Montgomery for MPR

More than three decades after the controversial deal that established the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota, relatively small plots of land in the wilderness continue to generate big disputes.

Known as school trust lands, these plots were set aside to generate income for schools, primarily through logging or mining.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.