Hunting

On Thursday, April 16th, the United States Senate voted to pass H.J. Resolution 140, 50-49. Despite months of emails and phone calls and a massive, concerted effort by Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters and partner organizations from around the country in recent days, the vote went largely along party lines, with only two Republicans voting “no.” We are incredibly grateful for Senators Tillis (R- NC) and Collins (R-ME) for breaking party lines and standing up for the Boundary Waters, but extremely disappointed in the Senators who voted for the measure, especially those who are members of sporting and stewardship caucuses. So what happens now? What does the passage of HJ Res 140 actually mean? Here at Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, we want to set the record straight and ensure that, no matter what the next steps are, we’re all working together with the most accurate information available. 

Today, the U.S. Senate voted 50 - 49 to pass House Joint Resolution 140 (H.J. Res. 140), which was introduced by Representative Pete Stauber (MN-08) in the House. This comes after the bill's swift passage in the House of Representatives on January 21st and months of work from Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters and a coalition of conservation organizations to stop this action in its tracks.  When presented with sound facts, scientific data, a well-organized opposition campaign, and direct outreach from constituents on both sides of the aisle, Congress chose to side with private interests by using an obscure congressional loophole rather than upholding the overwhelming will of the American outdoor community. 

Like a lot of Montanans, I measure decisions about public lands through hard-earned experience, not political talking points. I’ve spent most of my adult life in Montana. I’ve built my career here and raised my family here. But I grew up in northern Minnesota, just west of the Boundary Waters. As a kid, I fished for walleye on Birch Lake, southwest of the Wilderness boundary, and I remember the signs posted at the landing: Don’t eat the fish. Mercury levels too high. Those warnings weren’t theoretical. They were the result of mining waste that found its way into the water. Back then we were told “the solution to pollution is dilution.” Time proved otherwise.

In the latest attempt to permit a copper-nickel mine upstream of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a new congressional effort is underway to lift the federal moratorium on mining in the Rainy River Watershed, as was announced on January 8th, 2025, in an Interior Department filing in the Congressional Record. This was furthered by Representative Pete Stauber’s introduction of HJ Res. 140 on Monday, January 12th, in the House of Representatives. 

In his latest attempt to sow chaos amongst public land advocates across the United States, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced legislation that would not only alter over 9.5 million acres of Wilderness in U.S. Borderlands if passed, but would also fundamentally change the Wilderness Act and its ability to protect wild places like the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from development. This comes months after Senator Lee introduced legislation that would permanently sell off millions of acres of public lands in the western United States.

Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, the leading voice for hunters and dedicated to protecting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, today announced the appointment of Ron Monson as chair of the SFBW board of directors and Mark Neuzil as BOD vice chair. As passionate conservation leaders, both bring extensive experience in advocacy and deep personal connections to the Boundary Waters, including an unshakeable commitment to defending the BWCAW from threats, which in the immediate include sulfide-ore copper mining within the wilderness watershed.

After a massively successful year of planning, preparation, and executing a huge volunteer day last August, we are excited to offer some updates on the Pine Island Wildlife Management Area on Lake Vermilion! Thank you to our incredible sponsor, the onX Access + Stewardship Initiative, the Minnesota DNR Tower Wildlife crew, the 50 volunteers who helped us pull this off, and everyone who had a hand in this project.

The Deputy Secretary of the Interior, Kate McGregor, has reinstated a legal opinion from 2017 with a key interpretation that will have a significant impact on Twin Metal’s plan to mine for non-ferrous minerals in the Rainy River Watershed. 

Details on the current threats, both legislative and administrative, to Boundary Waters protections. Stay tuned for more details and actions as these threats to the BWCA progress.

Release: Hunters and Anglers Applaud Introduction of Legislation to Permanently Protect Boundary Waters. A historic push to ensure future generations can hunt, fish, and paddle in the iconic watershed could be in dire jeopardy if public land advocates remain silent.