Moose sheds, artifacts and other materials should be left alone in BWCA

WTIP recently shared a report from the U.S. Forest Service about a ceramic cooking utensil found in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness that is approximately 1,700 years old.

The location where the artifacts were discovered is at a BWCA campsite on a lake near the Canadian border, according to the Forest Service.

And while the artifacts are making news across the state and amongst the paddling community, the notion of what visitors to the BWCA should do if they find interesting objects in the Boundary Waters has come to the surface. For example, what should visitors to the BWCA do if they come across moose sheds, old mining or logging materials, old cabin foundations or other interesting materials?

The short answer is: Admire, and leave things where they are, according to the Forest Service.

Christine Kolinski is a public information officer with the Superior National Forest. She spoke with WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs about this topic. Audio below.

Joe Friedrichs March 3, 2022