Forest Service won’t issue Boundary Waters canoeing permits at busy Ely and Grand Marais ranger stations

Forest Service won’t issue Boundary Waters canoeing permits at busy Ely and Grand Marais ranger stations

U.S. Forest Service officials have informed Boundary Waters permit holders and cooperating businesses that they won’t be issuing canoeing permits this coming season at popular ranger stations in Ely and Grand Marais, Minn.

Forest Service Ends Permit Issuance at Ely and Grand Marais Amid Budget Cuts - Modern Campground

The U.S. Forest Service has halted the distribution of Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness permits at two major ranger stations in northern Minnesota. A brief advisory indicates that the Kawishiwi Ranger Station in Ely and the Gunflint Ranger Station in Grand Marais will no longer provide this service. Ongoing budget constraints and staffing shortages, according to cooperating businesses, are the primary reasons for the change. This decision i…