Quote from the USFS Smokey the Bear
"9 out of 10 wildfires nationwide are caused by people."

My opinion is that the principal cause of the disastrous effects of the Pagami Creek Fire include mismanagement by careless people; namely the USFS forest service managers. I have used the canoe county and BWCA for outdoor activities for over a half a century. Now vast areas have been destroyed by the careless action of the government agency that is suppose to be caring for it.

It will take decades for the forest to recover!

It's time to throw out the old management and replace it with someone with some common sense.

Exactly right Solus.

Just spent the weekend with my brother who is a crew chief for the USFS in Ely.  He's been on every fire since 1999.  FWIW, that numbered lake corridor has been treated with kid gloves for years and this fire was going to be no different until it took on a mind of it's own.  This thing went from 9 acres to 90,000 acres in a matter of days with virtually no way of having the man power available to keep it at a minimum.  Local crews have very little say in the fighting of fires anyway as those decisions are handed down from higher gov't agencies -decisions that can take days to reach the ears of those on the ground.  Fire is big business for Ely - all of those local outfitters were handed gov't "S" contracts for food supply to the fire crews.  Millions of dollars for the area and local outfitters were made in food alone - not to mention all the canoes and gear they had to rent as well.  If you were wondering what those Cub Foods semi trucks were doing in Pamida parking lot all October - now you know.

Wilderness?? Who are we trying to kid?  The BW is simply MN's free backyard for boy scouts and out-of-towners.  Fire is where the money's at.

there's no middle ground.  Some group will always be unhappy.
FWIW....the forest wasn't destroyed.  Personal property was.

and now it's time for the critters that depend on a young forest.  Old growth?...at what cost?

It's all a teeter-totter

PJ offered a really an interesting comment:
"Fire is where the money is." I heard 14 million on this one recently. Let's see, <+-~250,000 visitors times $16 a head = 4 million? Huh.

The lightening strike vs camper ignition is a difference that makes little sense to me too.

Ummm, starwatcher - I read both your links and my takeaway was I think, different. Short term vs long term views were mentioned in both.

Quote:

Has anyone seen a teeter-totter in real life anywhere lately? Aren't those like Jarts?

I've helped with a few controlled burns on different friend's properties over the years. Can we fool mother nature every time and/or for how long?