Campaign Updates

Bill to protect the Boundary Waters - Everything you need to know about HR 2794!

Dec 1, 2022
Save the Boundary Waters
Four Scenic pictures of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness with text about HR 2794
Group of people standing in front of Capitol in washington DC

Our primary goal is to permanently protect this precious natural area from proposed sulfide-ore copper mining and its risk of destructive pollution. We do this by bringing the voice of the Boundary Waters to Washington, D.C., and Minnesota’s capital.

We've been incredibly busy lately. In the past month alone, we've organized two large fly-ins to Washington, D.C., with over 25 participants, including guides, business owners, youth, and other Boundary Waters advocates. These trips aim to garner support for Representative McCollum's bill - the Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act (HR 2794). This critical effort means we are meeting with the offices of hundreds of elected officials in both the house and the senate to get them on board with protecting this beautiful Wilderness by voting YES on HR 2794!

Earlier this year, the bill passed the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, which means the next step is a floor vote! Need a refresher on how a bill becomes law? Watch this classic Schoolhouse Rock video.

Take Action

Here’s what you need to know about the bill:

  • The bill (HR 2794) bans sulfide-ore copper mining in the headwaters of the Boundary Waters

Representative McCollum’s bill would prevent risky copper mining in the Rainy River Headwaters watershed through “mineral withdrawal,” which is essentially a ban on mining. This means the federal government would exclude the federal public lands in HR 2794 from the federal mineral leasing program. This bill would be a ban on sulfide-ore copper mining, which has never occurred in the state of Minnesota. HR 2794 would ensure that the devastating effects of this type of mining would not risk the Boundary Waters watershed.

Map of Boundary waters with an X

 

  • Minnesotans support permanently protecting the Boundary Waters by a wide margin

Minnesotans agree that the risks of a copper-nickel mine upstream from the Boundary Waters are simply too high. In fact, 7 in 10 midterm voters in Minnesota oppose sulfide-ore copper mining within the watershed of the Boundary Waters. Furthermore, polling shows that the region is a statewide icon. 

7 in 10 midterm voters want the Boundary Waters protected

 

  • The bill only applies to sulfide-ore copper mining

HR 2794 does not restrict the mining of iron ore, taconite, gravel, sand, or granite — just sulfide-ore copper mining. This type of mining is a major threat because of the waste rock it produces. These rocks produce sulphuric acid, which can leach toxins like heavy metals into the surrounding water. This process, called acid mine drainage, would be especially disastrous to the waters of the Boundary Waters, which the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency currently calls “immaculate.” 

ore

  • Representative McCollum’s proposed legislation would continue the legacy of preserving one of the country’s most cherished natural spaces

The Boundary Waters is a national treasure, and its cultural significance stretches back countless generations. Anishinaabe people (also regionally known as Chippewa or Ojibwe) continue to harvest wild rice in the Boundary Waters region and maintain treaty rights to hunt, fish, and gather on their land. As sovereign nations, tribes play an important role in protecting the Boundary Waters, which HR 2794 specifically recognizes.

In 1909, President Teddy Roosevelt signed a proclamation to establish the Superior National Forest and preserve more than 1 million acres of land in Northeastern Minnesota. The Wilderness Act of 1964 later provided the Boundary Waters its current-day Wilderness Area status. In 1978, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Act further protected the Wilderness from mining, logging, and other harmful uses. HR 2794 would follow in the footsteps of these major achievements and ensure a pristine Boundary Waters for generations to come.

Canoe Island

  • HR 2794 would protect a nearly $1 billion sustainable economy for Northeastern Minnesota

The clean water and pristine boreal forest of the Boundary Waters underpins an economical machine for the region of Northeastern Minnesota. Each year, regional tourism generates $969 million in revenue and sustains 14,000 jobs, which support local families and businesses. Minnesota’s outdoor recreation economy possesses major growth potential as natural spaces become increasingly accessible, and a sulfide-ore copper mine would irreversibly damage the Wilderness this industry relies upon.

We must send a strong message to Congress that permanent Boundary Waters protections cannot wait. 2022 is the year to preserve America’s most enduringly popular Wilderness Area, and we need your help. Dial the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask the operator to connect you to your U.S. House of Representative’s office. Then tell them to support the Boundary Waters protection bill, HR 2794!

graphic of downtown ely

Take Action

 Here are 5 ways you can help protect the Boundary Waters:

  1. Contact your US Representative and ask them to sign onto Rep. McCollum’s bill - H.R 2798.
  2. Contact your US Senators (even if you don’t live in MN!) and ask them to support a companion bill in the Senate.
  3. Donate! It takes a lot of resources to fight this toxic mine.
  4. Stay engaged - follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), and keep up to date on what’s happening.

 

In case you need a refresher on how a bill becomes a law!