Commentary: Defending the Boundary Waters, and our outdoor legacy, from short-term politics

The fight to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is far from over.

America’s public lands, waters, and wildlife are facing threats from the current administration and Congress that could irreversibly change our outdoor heritage. Federal agencies are moving to fast-track projects in highly sensitive landscapes across the country. Bedrock environmental and conservation laws are on the chopping block. And Twin Metals Minnesota, a subsidiary of the mining company Antofagasta, continues to pursue development of a massive copper-nickel mine upstream of the Boundary Waters, America’s most iconic and most visited wilderness.

The Boundary Waters remains a world-class destination for hunting, fishing, paddling, camping and hiking. Sprawling across a million-plus acres of interconnected lakes, rivers and boreal forest, it provides habitat for moose, deer, grouse, walleyes, northern pike, bass and lake trout. It’s also a cornerstone of northern Minnesota’s recreation-based economy, supporting thousands of jobs in guiding, outfitting and tourism. It’s been a source of solitude, challenge and adventure for generations of hunters, anglers and recreationists of all stripes.

Copper-nickel mining, or non-ferrous hardrock mining, has proven to be the most destructive mining industry to date. It should not be confused with iron-ore and taconite mining, which have been the backbone of the mining industry in Minnesota for decades.

No copper-nickel mine has ever operated without causing pollution, and an accidental spill or release of toxic materials from the proposed Twin Metals Minnesota project would be disastrous for the Boundary Waters. Yet the Chilean-owned company continues to push forward, aided by shifting political winds and legal maneuvering that have turned leasing and permitting decisions into a decade-long political ping-pong match.

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In recent months, the current administration has indicated that it will do whatever it can to allow the Twin Metals mine to move forward. Most notably, the administration has announced its intention to revoke a 20-year mining moratorium on 225,000 acres in the Rainy River Watershed of northeast Minnesota and to renew leases for the dangerous project, which is placed squarely in one of the most water-rich environments in the world.

Each reversal endangers the Boundary Waters, erodes public trust, and undermines decades of bipartisan conservation precedent.

Another looming threat reaches far beyond Minnesota but would severely impact the Boundary Waters. In October, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah introduced the Border Lands Conservation Act, a bill that would gut the 1964 Wilderness Act by allowing the Department of Homeland Security to build roads, fences and surveillance infrastructure within 100 miles of any U.S. border.

That includes northern Minnesota and the entirety of the Boundary Waters, Voyageurs National Park and the Superior National Forest. If passed, it would strip protections from millions of acres of wilderness under the guise of “border security.”

The absurdity of Lee’s bill as it applies to the northern border in Minnesota is that a threat to border security never existed there in the first place. Imagine attempting to traverse bogs, marshes, cold water lakes and thick boreal forest to reach… guess what? More of the same. Miles and miles of pristine wilderness.

It’s a ridiculous notion. Lee’s poorly disguised attempt at a public lands takeover should spark outrage from all of Minnesota’s state and federal delegation.

Let’s be clear: These efforts are not about security or economic opportunity. They are about selling out America’s irreplaceable public lands, our shared inheritance, for short-term profit. 

This fight transcends politics. Hunters, anglers and all who love the outdoors need to speak up in support of public lands, the Boundary Waters and our outdoor traditions. Contact your elected officials. Tell them to stand for the Boundary Waters and against those who would sell out our public lands and waters. You can reach your senators and representatives through the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.

The challenges are mounting, and we cannot afford to back down. Now more than ever, we must stand united. Together, we can ensure that the Boundary Waters and the public lands and waters that define us endure for generations to come.

Lukas Leaf is executive director of Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters. Ron Monson is national chair of the SFBW board of directors.