Somebody from the Twin Cities wanted me to sign a petition
banning sulfide mining. I couldn't help myself. These tourists need
to know the other side of the story:
Geez, Dan.
The whole town of Ely is economically collapsing. Last year (2012) 156
people were in the obituary and the New Year's Baby was born on Feb. 10.
Resort bookings for May and June were substantially off and I'm pretty
sure they will be down for July and August. The anecdotal estimate is
that Ely business is OFF by about 25 - 30%. Boundary Waters Canoe Area
use is in fairly steep decline. I should know, I've been an outfitter
and resorter for my entire life in Ely. The parking lots at the entry
points were rarely full, most seeing 25% occupancy for the majority of
summer.
As America ages, nobody wants to come and
sleep on a rock only to be restricted to paddling a canoe. They want to
jump in a boat/snomobile and go fishing without having the government
breathing down their necks requiring permits, allowing dog sleds but not
motors, no cans or bottles but 2 liter plastic bottles are OK. However,
burning plastic is illegal. It is illegal to leave the BWCA to go
shopping in Ely because it voids one's permit. These are only a
smattering of the rules that the vast majority of twin cities tourists
can't even get right so they laughably remain in constant violation of
the laws they support so strongly. When they come from out of state,
it's even harder to get them to comply.
So, Ely is
slipping. Everything is for sale and nobody's buying. A liquor store
that was successful since the early 70's has been up for sale for 5
years now. Nobody is even looking at the building. Another liquor store
has the same story. A restaurant has been sitting empty for years on
end, rotting, because no one will buy it. Back when the mines where
humming along in the 60's and 70's it, too, was a successful business.
The first decline for Ely began in 1964 when the government closed 17
resorts under eminent domain. The mines were still running at full speed
then so it was harder to notice. When the so-called "wilderness
goldmine" came to be (final, most restrictive phase of the Boundary
Waters law PL 95-495 in 1978), we began to witness the second decline as
several resorts sold out again in a government buyout and closed their
doors for good in the early 80's. With the introduction of the internet
and electronic "toys" in the 90's, we began to see business drop off
again. Then the economy began to really falter in the mid to late 2000's
and we've lost an entire generation of young kids being brought to the
woods to enjoy the outdoors. Their young parents were products of the
internet and shopping malls. They didn't have the interest or the money
to go and be uncomfortable in the Boundary Waters by Ely. Plus, with
very aggressive advertising for the Disneylands and pampered cruises of
the world to the well-connected online, we've lost some more ground.
Some families simply can't afford anything and grow up like I did in Ely
- rarely taking a vacation, ever.
Now, those of us
remaining in Ely today are experiencing a graduating class of 45 kids
when in 1979 it was 159. Those kids aren't sticking around. The median
user age in the BWCA is 55. In another 5 years, where do you think
that's going to be? How long will it be (realistically) before our
out-of-shape 60-year-olds decide that going to Florida and sitting on
the beach is more enjoyable than schlepping a wet #4 pack and a canoe
over a portage? I've heard it many times by many of our idealistic
tourists that they "plan" to be paddling the BWCA until they die.
Right... We all know precisely how accurate that prediction almost
always winds up to be in reality. People get old, they get injured, and
they stop coming.
So, other than making a private
and very temporary playground for older twin cities enthusiasts, what is
your plan to see Ely survive? With Ely's average population aged 65 and
older are you willing to pay substantially more in your personal taxes
to keep Ely going? Will you contribute to keep the hospital operating,
the roads to the entry points paved and maintained, and the schools
open? How much extra are you willing to contribute to pay for law
enforcement in the BWCA region? Meth use is on the rise in Ely and I'm
sure, the entire region. How many more tax dollars are you willing to
contribute to our area to fund dealing with this problem? Are you
willing to quit your good-paying, twin cities area job as a master
electrician and move to Ely to experience feast and famine personally?
And how long will it be before you join the mass exodus out of town
after you decide that making a living in Ely on tourism is a very
difficult proposition requiring long hours and not a lot of pay, but
with guaranteed uncertainty?
So, ponder these
things as you sign petitions to protect your 5 day, essentially-free,
BWCA vacation, driving on roads that we pay for, while being protected
by emergency services that we pay for, and stopping in stores that we
pay for. Your $100 spent in Ely stores isn't going to float them through
the winter, but your support of twin cities opposition to everything
happening in Ely is certainly going to hurt all of us here in the long
run. Maybe we should all sign a petition to have your company shut down.
I hear working 3 part time jobs, like many do in Ely, is loads of fun
but it significantly cuts into one's vacation time.
Despite what the "environmental" detractors are spewing, we can have
clean water and an underground mine located 3,000 to 4,000 feet
underground. I bet you didn't know that it is not going to be an open
pit but instead an underground mine.
We are in the
year 2013, not the Dark Ages. The locals up here actually like being
here far more than you. We've committed a lifetime here while eeking out
a living when we could have just as easily moved to some metro area for
better pay. Your signing a petition against our support of the project
says to me that you somehow know more and have greater concern for our
backyard that you visit once a year. That's shortsighted on your part
and rather insulting to all the people here who mined the very same rock
for 88 years prior to the inception of the BWCA in 1964. Ironically,
the BWCA was chosen (after 88 years of virtually unchecked-by-government
mining) to be named a federally-designated wilderness due to it's
pristine waters. Now, how was that even possible? The same rock?
Hopefully, this letter will enlighten you somewhat. I'm not expecting
much given the twin cities crowd and their blatant disregard of current
BWCA laws while rabidly supporting something they know nothing about.
It's always about their good time and ignore the rest of the world.
Nonetheless, I thought I'd give it a try with you.
Joe Baltich
Northwind Lodge - Ely
