Can the BWCA survive its own popularity?

The quiet lakes of the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota have been bustling with visitors, even as fires, development and international relations threaten the fragile area. Last summer, nearly 166,000 people paddled and camped across the watery borderland, up 16 percent from previous summers, according to the U.S. Forest Service. 

The BWCA was designated as a wilderness in 1964. Motorized boats are not allowed, so the only sounds you hear are the dip of a paddle and the occasional call of a loon. It’s a magical place. Walleye, lake trout, northern pike and bass swim in more than a thousand lakes, streams and back bays. Forests of pine, fir, spruce and cedar rise out of granite outcrops. 

On Wednesday, guest host Dan Kraker will talk about how we can protect its isolated beauty as it’s used by more and more people. 

Guests:

• Ann Schaller oversees the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness as program manager for the U.S. Forest Service's Superior National Forest.

• David Seaton has run Hungry Jack Outfitters on the Gunflint Trail with his wife Nancy Seaton for nearly 30 years. 

• Matt Poppleton is executive director of YMCA Camp Widjiwagan, which sends groups of young people on canoe trips into the BWCA from a base camp on Burntside Lake near Ely, Minn.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.