The one million acres of land and water bordering Minnesota and Canada called the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, or BWCA, began to be set aside for preservation purposes in 1902. And since then, further regulations have brought more restrictions, drawing the ire of industrialists and others who advocate for development, motorized traffic, and other uses of the area. MN90 producer Marisa Helms tells us that each year, more than 200,000 people visit the Boundary Waters, and while controversy continues to this day, the BWCA has become one of the largest protected wilderness areas in the United States.
First Air date: 3/18/11