[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23797]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 BOUNDARY WATER CANOE AREA WILDERNESS NAMED AMONG THE TOP 50 MUST-SEE 
                           SPOTS IN THE WORLD

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                          HON. BRUCE F. VENTO

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 4, 1999

  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, after a 2-year study, the National Geographic 
Traveler magazine identified the 50 ``must-see'' places to visit in its 
October issue. It is a very impressive list, and not surprisingly, some 
of the most spectacular and well known locations in the world are 
included.
  The United States boasted a number of historic, cultural and natural 
must-see sites. I was most pleased to note that the Boundary Waters 
Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) was included in this exclusive list. I 
rejoice with all the Minnesotans and Americans who have worked for the 
better part of this century to maintain the natural state of the over 
one million acres of pristine wilderness. As one of the top natural 
attractions in the nation, the BWCAW will hopefully be enjoyed by many 
more in the near millennium.
  I submit for the Record an October 2 article from the St. Paul 
Pioneer Press commemorating the BWCAW.

     [From the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Saturday, October 2, 1999]

               BWCA Makes Listing of 50 `Must-See' Spots

                             (By Sam Cook)

       The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of northern 
     Minnesota is among 50 ``must-see spots ''in the world, 
     according to the October issue of National Geographic 
     Traveler magazine.
       Two years in the making, the list names the 50 ``places of 
     a lifetime--the must-see spots for the complete traveler.''
       The magazine is available on newsstands.
       ``We are celebrating these places as the century turns, the 
     places you should visit in your lifetime if you are a real 
     traveler,'' said Keith Bellows, editor of the travel magazine 
     published by the National Geographic Society. These places, 
     ``capture the spirit and diversity of our world.''
       Ely polar explorer Will Steger wrote the text that 
     accompanies the Boundary Waters listing; renowned 
     photographer Jim Brandenburg added a first-person anecdote.
       Brandenburg, who sells his photos in a retail gallery in 
     Ely, was pleased to see the Boundary Waters on the list.
       ``There are two ways to look at it,'' Brandenburg said 
     Friday. ``For those of us who live here and cherish the 
     pristine and quiet nature, we're all happy to see new 
     business come to town--but not too much.''
       Unlike some more developed or spectacular places on the 
     list the Boundary Waters must be experienced firsthand, 
     Brandenburg said.
       ``You have to work to love the Boundary Waters,'' he said. 
     ``It isn't for sissies. It isn't for people who travel down 
     the road and look for vistas.''
       The 50 winners--plus one bonus destination--were picked 
     from more than 500 nominations by National Geographic writers 
     and editors and outside advisers.
       The Boundary Waters, designated the Boundary Waters Canoe 
     Area Wilderness by Congress in 1978, is 1.1 million acres in 
     size and is adjacent to other wildland areas. Quetico 
     Provincial Park, 1 million acres in Canada, and Voyageurs 
     National Park, 218,000 acres in Minnesota.

     

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