Protect the Boundary Waters

Boundary Waters, South Kawishiwi River, Minnesota | Brad Carlson

Say "No" to the Congressional Review Act on Public Lands

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness encompasses 1,200 miles of rivers and streams and more than 1,000 lakes with exceptionally clean water. Many people recreating in the area drink water from the lakes untreated. The Kawishiwi River is essential to the lifeblood of the internationally renowned Boundary Waters.

Sadly, the pristine waters of the Boundary Waters and Kawishiwi River are now threatened by a massive sulfide-ore copper mine proposed on the banks of the South Kawishiwi River and Birch Lake. In January 2023, the Kawishiwi River and the Boundary Waters watershed were protected from the devastation and pollution that inevitably accompany copper mining. But recently, Congress and the Administration revoked these protections through the Congressional Review Act, greenlighting mining in the area.

Congress overstepped in using the CRA to remove protections from the Boundary Waters. Don't let them do it again. Tell Congress "No" on using the CRA for public lands management. The Escalante River in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is now threatened by the same tool. The river is essential to the local recreation economy and features treasured trout streams along with literal oases in the desert landscape of southern Utah. The current management plan protects these important resources for all Americans, tell Congress it must be left in place.

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Dear {contact_data~salutation},

As the most visited Wilderness Area in the country, the Boundary Waters is a major driver of the local economy. Its rivers, streams, and lakes draw more than 155,000 overnight wilderness visitors annually and help power the recreation economy that supports more than 17,000 jobs in the region and generates more than $1 billion in sales annually. The South Kawishiwi River is essential to the lifeblood of the internationally renowned area and is an important canoe route through the heart of the Boundary Waters. Their pristine water provides incredible hunting and fishing habitat and fuel economically important outdoor recreation, but they are threatened by proposed sulfide-ore copper mining on public lands in the headwaters just outside of the wilderness area’s boundary.

Over two dozen scientific studies over the past decade have indicated that pollution to these waters is probable, if not inevitable, if mining is allowed. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has flagged hard-rock mining as the most toxic industry in America. Sulfide-ore copper mine contamination harms water, aquatic and terrestrial species, forests and soils, and poses a serious risk to human health.

Mining and associated acid mine drainage, loss of habitat, forest fragmentation, invasive species, and air, noise, and light pollution would devastate the fragile ecosystem of the Boundary Waters and its unique values.

What’s more, studies show that sulfide-ore copper mining along lakes and streams that flow into the Boundary Waters would put at risk premier fishing, hunting, and other recreation on Superior National Forest lands as well as northeastern Minnesota’s economy. Economic analysis shows that risky sulfide-ore copper mining on Superior National Forest lands in the watershed of the Wilderness could lead to the loss of nearly 5,000 jobs in tourism, up to 22,000 jobs in the rest of the economy, a $1.6 billion loss in annual income, and a $509 million reduction in private property values.

Given this, the Boundary Waters were protected from mining by a multi-decade mineral withdrawal in 2023. That protection was undone by this Congress using an unusual tool that is intended for other uses.  We ask that you defend the existing protections for all public lands to prevent further damage to this irreplaceable national treasure and similar landscapes nationwide.

The Congressional Review Act’s use to overturn the protection of the Boundary Waters and the Kawishiwi River is an unprecedented overstep, undermining local communities, a billion-dollar recreation economy, and famously pristine waterways. This is not a singular event. As resolutions to undo public land management decisions continue to be put forward, we urge you to vote no to protect communities, economies, and our rivers nationwide.

Sincerely,

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