Wednesday, Feb. 27, Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., introduced legislation to return the Boundary Waters Canoe Area reservation portal on recreation.gov for nonmotorized and motorized boats back to the lottery system.
Currently, the U.S. Forest Service operates on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Letting Outdoor Tourism Thrive for Every Recreation Year Act, or LOTTERY Act, would require the Forest Service to switch the current first-come, first-served reservation system back to a lottery system by 2020. Originally set for a re-launch Wednesday, the Forest Service delayed the reservation system for another week.
"Many people were concerned when the USFS made the ill-advised decision to forego the successful lottery system for a first-come, first-serve online system, and rightfully so," Stauber stated in a news release, regarding his legislation. "When the new reservation system crashed, my office was inundated with calls from constituents who were worried about the severe impact on their small business and the local economy, which is heavily dependent on tourism. The small businesses also expressed frustration that the USFS didn't listen to their initial concerns and weren't taking the users seriously."
"The haphazard change to the BWCA reservation system is yet another example of unelected government bureaucrats making decisions that hinder rather than help small businesses and our way of life," Stauber added in the news release. "Federal agencies should always put the needs of the people first. I am proud to introduce the LOTTERY Act to address this undue burden. This is what the people of Minnesota's 8th Congressional District want, and I am happy to deliver."
