Raise Your Voice to Protect America’s Most Visited Wilderness Area

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Photo Credit: Josh Hild. Očhéthi Šakówiŋ and Anishinabewaki lands.

Home to more than 1,200 miles of canoe routes and 2,000 designated campsites within its million acres of lakes and forests, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is known for its paddling, hiking, and fishing. It’s the most visited wilderness area in America and the only lake-land wilderness in the National Wilderness Preservation System. The area is also currently threatened by a proposed mine.

Developments like the proposed Twin Metals plan, which would be adjacent to the Boundary Waters and part of the same watershed, would mine for copper, as well as nickel, cobalt, and platinum, and are very risky for landscapes and especially for surrounding bodies of water.  

A proposed mine has a virtual certainty of permanently contaminating the Boundary Waters Wilderness. Mines such as Twin Metals have a track record of producing devastating pollution in surrounding areas via acid mine drainage, seepage, and more. Within the Boundary Waters watershed, a single mine could pollute the landscape for at least 500 years. You can learn more about the risks of sulfide-ore copper mines through the Save the Boundary Waters Campaign or by reading our full policy letter here.

The good news? The Biden-Harris administration is considering a 20-year withdrawal which would temporarily prohibit new prospecting permits and leases in the area. The administration has recently placed additional temporary protections on the Boundary Waters: halting new mining claims on nearly a quarter-million acres of public land within the Boundary Waters watershed and conducting a full environmental review of a proposed mining ban in the same area.

You can help protect the Boundary Waters by submitting a comment to the Bureau of Land Management before January 19. Individual comments are critically important for how the BLM will move forward, and given the high-value recreation in the area, it’s important for the outdoor recreation community to speak up to protect the Boundary Waters.

For outdoor enthusiasts, local economies, and Tribal communities alike, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is an integral part of life and enjoyment. Permanent protection for the Boundary Waters would safeguard this pristine wilderness and protect the ecosystem for generations to come.

“A place like the Boundary Waters should be enjoyed by and protected for everyone, not only today but for future generations,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.

We have made it easy to make your voice heard to protect America’s most visited Wilderness Area. The BLM is accepting public comments until January 19 on the mineral withdrawal request, which could have a ripple effect on how the BLM plans to proceed.

The path to permanent protection for the Boundary Waters starts here. Tell BLM and the Biden Administration to safeguard this pristine landscape for generations to come. Take two minutes to protect the Boundary Waters.