For Immediate Release
July 12, 2024
Contact: Libby London, 612-227-8407
(Ely, MN) – Following the election of former president Donald Trump, Ingrid Lyons, Executive Director of Save the Boundary Waters, released the following statement urging a renewed commitment to safeguarding the Boundary Waters, one of the most pristine Wilderness areas, from impending environmental threats:
“The Boundary Waters faces a pivotal challenge—one we had hoped to avoid. During his first term, Trump actively dismantled critical protections for the Boundary Waters, advancing efforts to open up the headwaters to this irreplaceable Wilderness to copper mining. His actions included issuing unlawful mineral leases, halting a 20-year mineral withdrawal process, disregarding environmental reviews, and ignoring scientific evidence.
Now, he has openly vowed to overturn protections, gut bedrock environmental protections, and fast-track toxic mining operations within his first days back in office. Project 2025, the high-profile "battle plan" for the first 180 days of Trump’s presidency, mentions Minnesota two times and both times it calls for the rescission of a 20-year mining ban in the BWCAW headwaters and mining sulfide-bearing ore for copper, nickel, and other metals in very low grade deposits. This poses a grave threat to America’s public lands and to the ecological health of the Boundary Waters.
Despite the challenges ahead, Lyons affirmed Save the Boundary Waters’ resolve: We have fought through one Trump presidency, and we will do it again. While we’ve faced setbacks, we have also achieved historic victories. Thanks to years of steadfast dedication, we’ve defended the Boundary Waters at the highest levels and delivered lasting triumphs.
Nearly 70% of Minnesota voters—including a majority across political affiliations—support permanently protecting the Boundary Waters from sulfide-ore copper mining in its headwaters. Save the Boundary Waters remains the leading organization fighting in Washington, D.C., and Minnesota for the Boundary Waters. Over the past decade, our multifaceted strategy has encompassed advocacy in federal and state courts and garnered a resilient base in D.C. and St. Paul.
We are here for the long haul, committed to protecting the Boundary Waters for generations to come. Our dedication is unwavering, and together, we are stronger than ever.”
In January 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration issued a Public Land Order (PLO) protecting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW or Wilderness), Voyageurs National Park (VNP), and 1854 Treaty Area from sulfide-ore copper mining for 20 years. The PLO, called a mineral withdrawal, bans toxic mining on 225,504 acres of Superior National Forest land in the watershed of the BWCAW and upstream of the Wilderness. The PLO came after the Forest Service published a comprehensive scientific review finding that sulfide-ore copper mining would pollute the Boundary Waters in ways that could not be fixed or mitigated.
The Boundary Waters is the most visited wilderness area in the United States, attracting more than 165,000 visitors from all over the world. It is a major driver of the regional economy, supporting hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs. A vast collection of peer-reviewed science shows that if a Twin Metals copper-nickel mine were built along the rivers and streams flowing into the Wilderness, pollution and environmental degradation would be certain. A peer-reviewed independent study from Harvard University showed that protection of the Boundary Waters from a proposed Twin Metals sulfide-ore copper mine would result in dramatically more jobs and more income over a 20-year period.
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