Reader Opinion: Our Forests, BWCAW Under Pressure, Need Us – Duluth News Tribune

When I was a young man in the late 70s, I was a canoe guide at Ely on the Northern Tier High Adventure Scout Base. Scouts came from all over the country. One of the highlights was showing us the boreal forest and peatlands of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, because while it is common in Canada, it is quite unique to the lower 48 states.

During my career as a soil scientist in the Chippewa and Superior national forests, I had the opportunity to travel through the forests and peatlands of northern Minnesota, immersed in the beauty and grandeur of the landscapes. As Minnesotans, it is our identity; it is part of who we are, and now those precious resources are under threat.

The science has been clear for decades: climate change is threatening Minnesota’s environmental health. Rising temperatures, unpredictable weather patterns, and increased flooding could irreversibly damage our forests and peatlands, undermining the health of our boreal ecosystem and other ecosystems across the state. Mitigating climate change is the single most important challenge we face to protect these natural treasures for ourselves and future generations.

This November, we have an opportunity to influence the future. Contact your legislators and candidates for elected office. Let them know that strong climate policies are essential to building a stronger, better future for all Minnesotans. Most of us support climate action; it’s time for our elected officials to reflect that commitment.

Together, we can ensure that future generations inherit the Minnesota we love: our soils, forests, lakes and peatlands are counting on us. Together, we can ensure that ecosystems like Minnesota’s boreal forest continue to be the calling card for the rest of the lower 48 states.

Jim Barott

Municipality of Lakewood