Biden-Harris Administration Announces Temporary Protections for the Boundary Waters

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Photo credit: Steve Piragis. Anishinabek Nation land.

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northern Minnesota is one of the most visited Wilderness areas in the U.S. with exceptional paddling, hiking, and fishing. It is also threatened by mining, including two active mining leases on the watershed and surrounding public lands. Mines have a high risk of pollution, and threatens to contaminate the Boundary Waters.

Last week, the Biden-Harris administration announced that it would halt new mining claims on nearly a quarter million acres of public land in the Boundary Waters watershed, and would be conducting a full environmental review of a proposed mining ban in the same area. They are asking for the public to weigh in, which you can do with the Save the Boundary Waters campaign.  

This isn’t the first time that the Forest Service and BLM have considered stopping mining in the region. In early 2017, the Forest Service filed to withdraw the lands around the Boundary Waters from leasing, but the NEPA process was canceled.

While the Boundary Waters isn’t safe yet from mining claims, this is an important first step and we will be sharing our stoke with the administration and participating in the comment period, open until mid-January, on the mineral withdrawal. You can read our full letter advocating for protecting the Boundary Waters here.