Campaign Updates

Save the Boundary Waters - February 2025 Issue Update

Feb 5, 2025
Save the Boundary Waters
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Last updated: February 5, 2025,

What just happened?

Today, February 5th, 2025, U.S. Representative Stauber re-introduced his extreme anti-Boundary Waters bill in Congress, deceptively called the “Superior National Forest Restoration Act.” This bill targets vital protections for America’s cherished Wilderness. 

TL;DR: Rep. Stauber’s bill is a dead giveaway of America’s most popular Wilderness Area – the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and its watershed – to a foreign mining company.

This dangerous bill would:

  • Overturn the 20-year mining ban that protects federal land in the watershed of the Boundary Waters (this historic action was issued just two years ago)

  • Handback the issuance of federal mineral leases to the Chilean mining giant Antofagasta without proper environmental review

  • Slash timelines for environmental reviews and permits for this project to just 18 months, ignoring the complexity of protecting critical ecosystems, setting a dangerous precedent for America’s public lands

This legislation threatens meaningful public input processes critical in the fight to protect the Boundary Waters permanently.

Over 675,000 Americans have voiced their support for protecting the Boundary Waters, a national treasure and the most visited Wilderness in America, from toxic copper mining.

Rep. Stauber’s bill undermines the robust record of science, public opinion, law, and economics that clearly demonstrates that this iconic American landscape is absolutely no place for our nation’s most dangerous industry. Seventy percent of Minnesotans want the Boundary Waters protected from sulfide-ore copper mining, including over half of Rep. Stauber's district. This deeply unpopular, anti-Wilderness legislation must be stopped in the Senate. 

Save the Boundary Waters is fighting back, by:

  • Partnering with allies in Congress to protect the 20-year mining ban and instead, build support for permanent protections for the Boundary Waters through Congress

  • Working to fight anti-Boundary Waters provisions passing as part of bills like Budget Reconciliation

  • Rallying grassroots pressure on lawmakers, especially in the Senate, which is a critical line of defense against these attacks. 

The last version of this bill, H.R. 3195, passed the U.S. House last Congress on April 30, 2024. This could happen again. We need the Senate to reject this legislation and ensure it doesn’t reach the President’s desk. 

What you can do:

Take action right now to make sure this anti-Wilderness bill has no pathway forward.

Take action

 

"yes to permanent protection" over wilderness photo "no to anti-boundary waters bill" over pollution

  • What about permanent protection? Representative Betty McCollum re-introduced her Boundary Waters protection legislation, which would make the copper mining ban in the headwaters of the Boundary Waters permanent. This legislation aligns with the robust scientific, legal, social, and economic record, which demonstrates clearly that the headwaters of America’s canoe country is no place for America’s most toxic industry.
  • This issue is in the courtroom. We’re prepared to defend the 20-year mining ban in court with a robust legal strategy and scientific evidence. Our litigation efforts are key to protecting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness – and will be crucial in the coming years. Litigation allows us to escalate strategic legal challenges, rally public support, and push for protections at the local, state, and federal levels.
    Save the Boundary Waters was in Washington, DC, the week of January 13, 2025, to hear Oral Arguments before the DC Circuit in a lawsuit brought by Twin Metals in which the company challenged actions by the Bureau of Land Management that had rejected applications for mineral leases and a mine plan of operations for a copper mine in the headwaters of the Boundary Waters. The District Court dismissed the lawsuit, and Twin Metals appealed the dismissal. Our organization, 4 other conservation groups, and 10 businesses intervened on behalf of the Federal Government.
  • Promises to overturn the 20-year copper mining ban. Based on promises made during his re-election bid, it is anticipated that President Trump will be taking action to overturn our hard-won protections for the Boundary Waters watershed. The authority to undo the 20-year mining ban is delegated by Congress, to the Secretary of the Department of Interior.

TAKE ACTION:

Send a message to Congress: Send a message to your members of Congress or call their offices directly to let them know why protecting the Boundary Waters is important to you. TAKE ACTION

Donate: Support Save the Boundary Waters by donating to our Boundary Waters Defense Fund. This bold, new fund helps us escalate legal challenges, rally public support, and push for permanent protection at the national, state, and local levels. Your gift ensures we have the resources to defend America's most visited Wilderness from emerging threats in 2025 and beyond. DONATE

Volunteer: Get involved directly with Save the Boundary Waters. Whether you attend an event, meet with your elected officials in-person, or volunteer with our outreach team, you can help protect the Wilderness! VOLUNTEER

Help grow the movement: Awareness is critical to the success of the Save the Boundary Waters movement. Do you know someone who loves public lands? Is there a group you regularly visit the Boundary Waters with? Is there someone who would care about this issue? Share our issue with them today. We need as many voices as possible to speak loudly for this quiet place.