Our commitment to protecting the Boundary Waters remains unshakable, and together, we are stronger than ever.
Over the years, we've faced major setbacks in efforts to protect the Boundary Waters from proposed copper mining on its doorstep, but we've also effectively defended the Wilderness and subsequently achieved tremendous victories. Thanks to the dedication of advocates and supporters like you, we've delivered historic achievements that will help us in the chapter ahead:
- Copper mining lease cancellations in 2022: Preventing a dangerous mining company from threatening this pristine wilderness through the cancelation of their federal mining leases
- 45-year historic protections in 2023: Established 20-year safeguard, giving the Wilderness a significant buffer on federal lands from toxic sulfide-ore copper mining.
- Science-based designations in 2024: Our innovative science program helped get Birch Lake, which flows into the Wilderness, listed as impaired for sulfate by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, adding another layer of defense against toxic mining projects in this delicate ecosystem. Birch Lake is a crucial tributary to the Boundary Waters.
From policy advocacy to community awareness, the resilience of those who love this Wilderness is unmistakable. Looking to the future, we are more determined than ever to protect Canoe Country for generations to come.
Our mission extends beyond merely defending against threats—it’s about making enduring, positive changes. Every voice raised, and every action taken brings us closer to securing the permanent protection that this unique area deserves. Though the road ahead requires persistence and unity, we are energized by the passion of our community and what we can accomplish together.
The Wilderness we love, the legacy we defend.
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is more than a breathtaking landscape; it’s a source of adventure and tradition for countless families. It supports vibrant wilderness-edge communities, a diverse array of wildlife and plants, and boasts recreation opportunities from paddling and snowshoeing to hunting and hiking. Nearly 70% of Minnesotans—across the political spectrum—believe the Boundary Waters should be shielded from harmful mining projects in its watershed.
Now more than ever, we need to come together to protect this natural treasure.
For years, we have fought to keep toxic mining out of the Boundary Waters watershed, and to protect the Wilderness from the inevitable pollution from this industry, which holds an 100% track record of water pollution.
Frankly, the stakes have never been higher: the incoming Administration has vowed to overturn protections and reinstate federal mineral leases within his first ten minutes in office, fast-tracking toxic copper mining operations in one of the world’s most pristine wilderness areas. Further, Minnesota is mentioned twice in Project 2025 (the "battle plan" for the first 180 days of the new Administration), both in direct reference to overturning the 2023 mining ban.
We have been through this before. For the past 11 years, we have worked diligently —in Washington, DC, and St Paul — to build a community of Boundary Waters advocates who will help us fight back and defend our nation’s most precious landscapes.
Over the next four years, we will remain strategic and diligent and anticipate intense legal and legislative efforts to keep the Boundary Waters safe. Save the Boundary Waters has always advanced a multi-pronged approach to this effort in order to ensure protective layers and backstops for the Wilderness. These approaches include on-the-ground water quality monitoring, federal and state-level legal challenges, organizing (from hyper-local grassroots to national engagement), and advocating for broad and effective legislation that draws a line in the sand: This is the wrong place for this kind of mining. Your support today is critical in readying us for the challenges ahead and the ways in which we will be required to shift, develop, and strengthen these approaches in response to them.
The Boundary Waters unites people across America, across our differences, and we all must stand together to defend it. We are in this for the long haul—to protect the Boundary Waters forever, for everyone — and we hope you are too.
Here's how you can help:
This week we launched our Boundary Waters Defense Fund, and we invite you to join as an inaugural supporter! As threats to the Boundary Waters continue to escalate, we must ensure that we’re ready to meet every challenge without hesitation. This innovative fund is dedicated to defending America’s most visited Wilderness - giving us the resources to respond swiftly and strategically to emerging threats.
