DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — The Superior National Forest has partly backed off plans to eliminate the lottery system for issuing Boundary Waters Canoe Area entry permits.

The Forest Service said Friday it will keep the lottery for the popular entry points on Fall Lake and Moose Lake near Ely. It will take applications for those permits Dec. 19 to Jan. 19 and run the lottery Jan. 20.

As previously announced, permits for all other BWCA entry points can be reserved first-come, first-served, starting Jan. 25 at 9 a.m. central time.

Forest Service officials say they decided after hearing comments to keep the lottery for Fall Lake and Moose Lake, where most of the permits had been historically reserved by lottery. They say data show a lottery is not needed for other entry points.

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