A common theme throughout the numerous threads talking about the impact of the high usage in the BWCA is the need for more enforcement by Forest Service personnel. An understaffed, underfunded FS is not capable of providing much more than they already do. One possibility to help ameliorate the lack of education might be wider use of volunteers.
All the major agencies involved in wilderness resource management at the Federal and State level have programs for volunteers. The FS website highlights the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, a volunteer group that maintains 2,000 miles of trails. In Maine, the State DWR supports a program of volunteers at boat landings that check for invasive species. The folks in Maine are members of the Maine Lakes Alliance and wear sporty T-shirts. They have State-provided printed brochures they hand out concerning invasive species as well as they physically check your boat. This past summer I routinely met a nice young man who was getting credit for his public service hours which is an education requirement in the state. I see the MN DNR has a similar program. Many of the National Parks are heavily dependent on summer volunteers and provide camping/RV permits for folks to volunteer in the parks all summer.
Granted there are a lot of hurdles with this system, but even some volunteers at the most heavily trafficked EP's would help advance education process. Just checking permits as part of a usage "survey" would be helpful. The people that frequent this forum would be the perfect candidates to help spread the gospel of LNT. (Maybe a free permit for X number of volunteer hours?)
Understandably in the time of Covid, we are all trying to limit interactions with people, but this might be something for the FS to consider as a way forward.

Humans: The Original Invasive Species
Best to all
Doc

I suspect that you'll find many volunteers here, Doc. I'm amazed, however, at the disparity within the USFS use of volunteers around the US. My local USFS district is Pisgah District of Pisgah National Forest. Pisgah District has over 400 volunteers who do a wide range of jobs including trail maintenance, visitor center staffing, user surveys, invasives eradication, etc. The District has a well-organized training program that includes chainsaw safety instruction, FA/CPR/AED certification, TCL (Trail Crew Leader) training, trail machine training, and others. Volunteers are from a wide variety of user groups, including Wild Turkey Federation, Trout Unlimited, Backcountry Horsemen, Carolina Climbers Coalition, Pisgah Area SORBA (mountain bikers), Carolina Mountain Club, and The Pisgah Conservancy. Pre-COVID we had monthly TCL meetings with District staff to discuss trail needs, projects, District efforts (including LNT objectives) and to let each user learn more about other users' expectations for District activities. It's been a very successful program in recent years, but enthusiasm peaks and wanes with some changes in District staffing.

Staffing also appears to have major impacts on the volunteer programs on nearby USFS districts. A couple districts in north Georgia had excellent chainsaw training for qualified volunteers until the Chattahoochee/Oconee NF assigned a new Saw Program Coordinator who felt there were too many sawyers in the Forest. Those districts are now losing volunteers.

So, I would encourage all USFS districts to promote volunteerism whenever possible, but would insist that each such program have an enthusiastic and knowledgeable Volunteer Coordinator leading the effort.

TZ

Friends of the BWCA have a volunteer info site. I think this is the way to go, help clear a portage after a storm, tidy up an empty camp site or an entry point are all helpful and may allow more time for rangers to patrol . Civilian volunteers checking permits or inspecting camp sites are a VERY,VERY bad idea. I know my reaction to someone not a USFS ranger wanting to check me would not be well received.

Here’s the disparity: the size of the Superior National Forest is 3.9 million acres, of which 1.1 million makes up the BWCAW. The population density of the surrounding counties is quite low with about 215,000 people in 13,000 sq miles. About half of those people live more than 75 miles away from any entry point.

This was talked about at some point in the last six months. No idea what the thread was called. I recall many being concerned with apparent authority and actual authority (which they wouldn't have). Some posters mentioned overzealous volunteers (in places that have such volunteers) wanting to run their own values, which were typically more restrictive than the actual law. I don't see it as a bad idea, but I don't see it as a great idea either.

Volunteer trip leaders for youth that aren't involved with organizations, I could get behind that idea. Many ways to volunteer to help the BW, other than setting up a lawn chair at the entry point.

TrailZen: "I suspect that you'll find many volunteers here, Doc. I'm amazed, however, at the disparity within the USFS use of volunteers around the US. My local USFS district is Pisgah District of Pisgah National Forest. Pisgah District has over 400 volunteers who do a wide range of jobs including trail maintenance, visitor center staffing, user surveys, invasives eradication, etc. The District has a well-organized training program that includes chainsaw safety instruction, FA/CPR/AED certification, TCL (Trail Crew Leader) training, trail machine training, and others. Volunteers are from a wide variety of user groups, including Wild Turkey Federation, Trout Unlimited, Backcountry Horsemen, Carolina Climbers Coalition, Pisgah Area SORBA (mountain bikers), Carolina Mountain Club, and The Pisgah Conservancy. Pre-COVID we had monthly TCL meetings with District staff to discuss trail needs, projects, District efforts (including LNT objectives) and to let each user learn more about other users' expectations for District activities. It's been a very successful program in recent years, but enthusiasm peaks and wanes with some changes in District staffing.


Staffing also appears to have major impacts on the volunteer programs on nearby USFS districts. A couple districts in north Georgia had excellent chainsaw training for qualified volunteers until the Chattahoochee/Oconee NF assigned a new Saw Program Coordinator who felt there were too many sawyers in the Forest. Those districts are now losing volunteers.


So, I would encourage all USFS districts to promote volunteerism whenever possible, but would insist that each such program have an enthusiastic and knowledgeable Volunteer Coordinator leading the effort.


TZ"

I Mt Bike there and I'm on their Facebook Page. The trail maintenance building and maintaining group is incredible

I can see where a volunteer would be suited for maintenance, visitor information centers, and as hosts, guides, visitor counters, and such. I don't think it's a good idea to utilize them for enforcement unless they were paired closely with a highly trained and licensed officer. The purpose there would be to provide assistance and an extra body.

In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Ottawa National Forest the Friends of Sylvania Wilderness , a small but active group provide trail/campsite maintenance, invasive species removal and even volunteer rangers. On a number of occasions I encountered the Colemans, a friendly husband/wife team working as volunteer rangers complete with USFS uniforms bearing a Volunteer badge.

Blatz: "I Mt Bike there and I'm on their Facebook Page. The trail maintenance building and maintaining group is incredible"

Currently, Pisgah Area SORBA, the regional mountain biking club, fields several volunteer crews on the Pisgah District. While COVID reduced volunteer efforts in 2020, District volunteers still managed to contribute almost 8,000 hours of volunteer time between October 1, 2019, and September 30, 2020. Small crews have been allowed back on District trails since late June, 2020, using District and club COVID protocols. Great to hear you enjoy the local mountain biking and appreciate the local volunteer efforts--perhaps we'll cross paths on a Pisgah trail some day. I may be the guy carrying a chainsaw!

TZ

THEGrandRapids: "This was talked about at some point in the last six months. No idea what the thread was called. I recall many being concerned with apparent authority and actual authority."

https://bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=forum.thread&threadId=1214062&forumID=12&confID=1

Once in the 1970's the Superior National Forest had 350 USFS employees, now it has a skeleton crew. Barely enough to keep the door open.

I'd be curious to know if anyone on this forum has had experience volunteering per the guidance of the Superior NF (link below). And if so, some details on the experience would be informative. I believe the contacts listed on this website are the same as those recommended by the Friends of the BWCA for volunteer opportunities. I'm a recently retired 54 yo and would be interested in exploring...

Superior NF Volunteer Info

I have not done any of these but many of them sound fabulous! I do know that the “projects” will most likely make you sweat and taste yummy to the bugs.
If you have the time and enjoy manual labor, I say go for it!

plander: "I'd be curious to know if anyone on this forum has had experience volunteering per the guidance of the Superior NF (link below). And if so, some details on the experience would be informative. I believe the contacts listed on this website are the same as those recommended by the Friends of the BWCA for volunteer opportunities. I'm a recently retired 54 yo and would be interested in exploring...


Superior NF Volunteer Info "

I have worked with a few volunteers in the USFS, Tofte Ranger District, but not in the back country, volunteers usually get a stipend of around 20+ bucks a day for their service.
I personally was a volunteer for the US Fish and Wildlife Service right after I retired in Alaska. I volunteered for that agency for 2 weeks before moving back to Duluth upon retirement.

Sorry , I can't help you much, but follow your dreams and go for it.

Pinetree: "Once in the 1970's the Superior National Forest had 350 USFS employees, now it has a skeleton crew. Barely enough to keep the door open."

Pinetree, do you know the approximate number of the skeleton crew? I'm trying to understand the issue better and wondering how far are they down from 350.

Also, do you know what has driven the reduction? Without getting political, is this just a reduction in gov't size in general? Or has the staff's mission been reduced and that is what is (mostly) driving the reduction in staff?

Again, I don't want to get into politics, but most posters on this board seems to agree that there should be more staff in the BWCA and I'm trying to understand the big picture of why there used to be and aren't any longer.

Thanks.

I had a great volunteer opportunity with the Forest Service working at the Coronado National Forest in Arizona. Here is the website where the FS posts volunteer opportunities.

Passport in Time