Bristol Bay deserves to be protected not because of the President's son and Fox News personalities, but for all the scientific and economic reasons that have been known about for years
That's why previous administrations protected this priceless ecosystem, just like they did the Boundary Waters Wilderness; America's public lands policy should be grounded in science and the law, not on access to the President and his family
ELY, MN-- Today Boundary Waters advocates and small business owners, discussed the Trump administration's planned reversal on Alaska's Pebble Mine and demanded protection for the Boundary Waters, America's most visited Wilderness. Both the Pebble Mine and Chilean mining conglomerate's Twin Metals project were terminated by the Obama administration because of the threat they posed to unique ecosystems, Bristol Bay in Alaska and the Boundary Waters in Minnesota. The Trump administration reversed both decisions and pushed risky mining forward. But earlier this month the President's son, Don Jr., tweeted his support for protecting Bristol Bay, and was joined by former aides to Vice President Pence and Fox News personalities like Tucker Carlson. The Twin Metals project is owned by the Luksic family, whose patriarch Andronico Luksic, is the landlord for Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. "Minnesota's Boundary Waters Wilderness and Alaska's Bristol Bay are both priceless ecosystems and both deserve protection," said Becky Rom, National Chair of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters. "In both cases science and economics demand that no mining occur near them, which is why previous administrations have protected these unique and special places. And yet the brakes are being put on one because it is supported by one Trump child, while another is being fast-tracked because the landlord of another Trump child wants to build a mine next to it. America's public lands policy should be grounded in science and the law, not on access to the President and his family."
Similar to Bristol Bay, the Boundary Waters Wilderness is an economic driver for thousands of Minnesotans, and is a major contributor to an outdoor recreation and tourism industry supporting over 17,000 jobs and over $900 million dollars in economic activity. Polling shows that nearly 70% of Minnesotans favor permanently protecting the Boundary Waters from sulfide-ore copper mining.
"I moved to Ely and started my business because of the Boundary Waters," said Jason Zabokrtsky, owner and operator of Ely Outfitting Company. "This year is one of the busiest years I've ever had, as people from all over the country are escaping the pandemic by getting out into the pure, fresh air and water of one of the worlds' most beautiful places. Putting a risky sulfide-ore copper mine right next to this magnificent Wilderness will ruin it forever."
In 2016, the U.S. Forest Service terminated the Twin Metals project after a thorough scientific review determined the mine posed an almost certain risk of “irreparable harm” to the Wilderness. The Trump Administration has systematically unwound protections for the Boundary Waters, cancelling environmental studies and hiding critical scientific data. It has short-circuited environmental review, and is facing multiple lawsuits over its handling of the project. Legislation pending in the US House of Representatives would permanently protect the Boundary Waters from sulfide-ore copper mining.