ST. PAUL, Minn. — Today, US Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced legislation to protect Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) from environmentally-hazardous sulfide ore mining. The Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection Act is being carried by Representative Betty McCollum (MN-4) in the US House of Representatives.
The legislation would prohibit sulfide ore mining on over 225,000 acres of federal forest land in the Rainy River watershed, which drains into the Boundary Waters. Additionally, it would not affect existing mining efforts for things like iron ore and taconite.
On March 20, President Trump signed an executive order instructing his cabinet to open up vast swaths of federal lands to mining operations. This includes the Secretary of Interior, which oversees the United States’ national parks and monuments. The order gives his administration emergency powers to prioritize environmentally-hazardous mining on public lands, which could include the Superior National Forest, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
In February, the Trump administration fired thousands of public servants in the National Park Service – making it harder, if not impossible, to maintain our national parks and monuments, and signaling the administration’s intent to open up land for corporate leasing.
“I applaud the efforts of Senator Smith and Representative McCollum to save the Boundary Waters,” said Senator Steve Cwodzinski (DFL-Eden Prairie) – co-author of similar state-level legislation to protect the Boundary Waters. “The Boundary Waters are not only a source of pride for Minnesotans, but the untouched beauty of the lakes, rivers, wildlife, plants and natural landscapes attracts visitors and tourism from around the country. To poison these complex ecosystems with toxic chemicals would be an irreparable mistake. Overwhelmingly, Minnesotans want to protect our environment. While multinational corporations would rake in the profits, our state would be left to clean up their mess. We cannot sell Minnesota’s crown jewel to the highest bidder. As one of the many Minnesotans that has visited this wonderful place for decades, I urge my colleagues to support our efforts to safeguard the health, beauty and wellbeing of the Boundary Waters.
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