Dear Senators: Don’t undo Boundary Waters protections

The U.S. Senate will soon vote whether or not to protect America’s most visited Wilderness from copper mining.

The Boundary Waters and downstream Voyageurs National Park are currently protected by Public Land Order 7917, which bans copper mining on federal public lands in the headwaters of these beloved wild lands. That protection is based on the U.S. Forest Service’s comprehensive review found that copper mining near the Boundary Waters threatened the ecosystem, wilderness edge economy, and Tribal and treaty rights. 675,000 people submitted comments, over 95% of which supported the ban.

These Boundary Waters protections are now under attack in Congress. Public Land Order 7917 was challenged under the Congressional Review Act, despite Public Land Orders having never been deemed a rule subject to the CRA. 

Beyond setting a dangerous precedent, removing Boundary Waters protections by passing this CRA would blatantly ignore the voices of the American people and prioritize the profits of a foreign mining company - Chilean conglomerate Antofagasta - over the interest of this nation’s citizenry and beloved public lands. Antofagasta maintains close and comfortable ties to Chinese smelters, meaning mined material likely exported for processing and sold on the world market. Polluting Minnesota’s crown jewel and waters while shipping ore overseas would not strengthen domestic supply chains — it externalizes risk while exporting value.

This region is much more than a beautiful place. It embodies the best of our public lands: clean water, expansive habitat, world-class recreation, and a strong, sustainable local economy. Generations of Midwesterners and Americans from across the country have formed deep connections to nature through hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing, and hiking in the Boundary Waters.

The U.S. Senate must reject any version of HJ Resolution 140 that would undo Boundary Waters protections.