Errant Star Tribune headline prompted momentary panic

ELY— A stunning headline in the Minnesota Star Tribune on Wednesday as the Timberjay went to press sent temporary shock waves through the area as the newspaper announced that the closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area had been extended to Oct. 1.
Had that been true, it would have been an unprecedented economic disaster for the many businesses that rely on wilderness visitors for their livelihood. Fortunately, it was in error. The Star Tribune revised its headline later in the day, suggesting the Boundary Waters could remain closed through Oct. 1, a claim that is technically true but also highly unlikely.
The headline and accompanying story appears to have resulted from a misunderstanding of comments made by Superior Forest Supervisor Tom Hall during a press briefing Wednesday afternoon on the status of the ongoing work to protect structures from the fires still burning in the wilderness and adjacent parts of the Superior National Forest. Responding to a question toward the end of the briefint, Hall was asked about the closure order and its duration. Hall noted that all forest orders have an expiration date and the original one he signed was set to expire on Oct. 1, 2026.
But he was not suggesting the wilderness would be closed that long. Indeed, moments earlier during his comments, he noted that the Forest Service was working with other state and federal agencies to develop a plan to reopen portions of the 1.1-million-acre wilderness that are at lesser risk from the fires soon.
He had also stated that the permits for overnight travel in the wilderness were being canceled through Friday, July 24, on a rolling basis, typically working 3-4 days out.
The Oct. 1 date, in other words, was little more than a formality, since every forest order requires an expiration. As such, the sudden reference to the Oct. 1 deadline was not newsworthy, since it reflected no change in Forest Service decision-making regarding the wilderness closure.
The newsworthy portion of Hall’s comments was that the agency is looking at a partial reopening on the wilderness in the near term, a possibility that offers at least some hope for the many businesses currently suffering from the closure.