Welcome to Northern Minnesota's
​Edge of the Wilderness Area

The Northern Itasca Joint Powers Board consists of...Bigfork Valley Hospital District, City of Bigfork, Bigfork Township, Marcell Township, City of Effie, and Stokes Township.
About the...Northern Itasca Joint Powers Board
The Northern Itasca Joint Powers Board is comprised of six units of government in northeast Minnesota within Itasca County. The communities associated with the board lie 225 miles north of Minneapolis/St. Paul and 135 miles west of the seaport of Lake Superior, Duluth. The population of the area, commonly referred to as the "Edge of the Wilderness", is relatively sparse, with approximately 2,000 people residing in total. The population increases during the summer months with an influx of seasonal residents drawn to the numerous lakes for which the area is noted.
Several years of tourist and residential expansion within these rural communities combined to produce an increased demand for goods and services for local citizens and visitors alike. These issues lead the five units of local government with responsibilities and ties to the Edge of the Wilderness to combine their efforts toward a consolidated governing body, the Northern Itasca Joint Powers Board. By combining efforts and pooling resources in an organized manner, a stronger sense of cohesiveness exists, which translates to a more powerful voice for the rural communities within a largely urban-influenced state government.
- The principle mission of the Northern Itasca Joint Powers Board is to "retain the natural beauty of the area while progressing to provide our diverse population with opportunity, economic viability and a quality of life that will carry on into future generations".  -
What we do to accomplish our mission:

• Planning and coordination of community development projects
• Community planning
• Grant writing and fundraising for community development projects
• Grant administration and reporting
• Marketing of the area for tourism and development
• Representation of the Edge of the Wilderness communities in local, regional, state, and national initiatives & planning efforts
• Collection agent for Edge of the Wilderness Lodging Association lodging tax which is then used to market the area for tourism
• Provide direction and planning services for infrastructure projects
• Produce verbal, written, and electronic communications pertinent to community development
• Develop partnerships and collaborate with other community leaders, communities, organizations, and associations on community development initiatives
• Coordinate area recreation improvements and planning
• Housing planning and development assistance
• Assistance with administration of the Minnesota Highway 38 Leadership Board and Edge of the Wilderness National Scenic Byway
• Assistance with management of the Edge of the Wilderness Discovery Center
• Other community development efforts

NIJPB Awards

• The Edge of the Wilderness Community Coordinator won a USDA National Rural Community Assistance Action Award.
• The NIJPB won a USDA Nation Rural Community Assistance Spirit Award in 1999.
• Former NIJPB volunteer Bob Wolfe won a USDA National Leadership Award for his work with the NIJPB.
• The NIJPB and partners won a USFS Honor Award for “Connecting Citizens to the Land” for their efforts in the development of the Edge of the Wilderness Discovery Center in 2009.

Current Northern Itasca Joint Powers Board Members:

1. Dean Haley - Chair, Bigfork Township
2. Amy Pifher - Vice-Chair, City of Bigfork
3. Nathan Hough - Bigfork Valley Hospital
4. Karen Senger - Marcell Township
5. Don Piilola - Stokes Township
6. Carolyn Schmit - City of Effie