Forest Service to relaunch balky BWCA permit system March 4

Updated: 12:45 p.m. | Posted: 10:33 a.m.

The U.S. Forest Service announced this week that it plans to relaunch a new Boundary Waters Canoe Area reservation system early next month.

The reservation system crashed when it first went live Jan. 30, on the first day to apply for permits. Only a few people were able to reserve permits before the system failed. The Forest Service says the technical issues have now been addressed.

The Forest Service had said earlier this month that they expected the system to reopen by Feb. 27, but pushed it back to March 4 in an announcement this week.

Willy Vosburgh runs Vosburgh's Custom Cabin Rentals resort on Moose Lake near Ely, Minn. He said the delays have made some customers less willing to book their cabins because they haven't been able to confirm the BWCA reservations.

"Our hands are kind of tied," Vosburgh said. "How can we disagree with somebody who wants to make sure they can go fishing on their vacation?"

Outfitters use the system to obtain permits for customers for popular entry points and dates. They warned officials that the crush of first-come, first-served online reservations would overwhelm its capacity. Permits for an area where motors are allowed are especially coveted.

The new first-come, first-served reservation system replaces a lottery system for BWCA permits. Vosburgh is concerned that further delays combined with the unfamiliar new system could put a damper on tourist season.

"The economic implications are far greater reaching than just the few businesses that acquire and issue permits," Vosburgh said. "The trickle-down effect is going to be pretty wide felt if these mistakes continue to happen."

The Forest Service said in a statement it's confident that issues with the reservation system have been addressed.