Hunting

This legislation would ensure permanent protection of the Boundary Waters from any future sulfide-ore copper mining mineral leasing in the Rainy River Watershed of the Superior National Forest while excluding sand, gravel, granite, iron ore, and taconite mining, and also allows for the continued use of the Superior National Forest for ongoing mining and logging operations.

Department of the Interior orders 20-year mineral withdrawal in the Rainy River Watershed of Northeast Minnesota

As federal agencies complete another environmental review of proposed actions in the watershed of the BWCA, it's more important now than ever that supporters of the Boundary Waters let their members of Congress know: Now is the time to permanently protect America's most visited Wilderness.

A broad coalition of hunters and anglers today applauded an announcement by the Department of the Interior to cancel two federal hardrock mineral leases located in the Superior National Forest within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness watershed, citing the importance of this move to sustaining the Boundary Waters’ recreational, economic and fish and wildlife values.

The review will allow Minnesotans to submit comments on whether or not the state's current mining rules are adequate for protecting the BWCA, its watershed, and the surrounding lands from potential pollution from proposed copper-nickel mining in the wilderness area.

On Oct. 20, 2021, federal agencies committed to complete a study of potential impacts of sulfide-ore copper mining in the Boundary Waters Watershed and paused new mineral leasing in the area while science and public input is gathered.

Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers today commended a decision by the Biden administration to protect the Boundary Waters Wilderness watershed from industrial mining. The action this morning by the Departments of Agriculture and Interior includes an application for a 20-year ban on sulfide-ore copper mining on federal public lands in the wilderness watershed. Called a mineral withdrawal, the process kicks off a comprehensive study of the potential effects of sulfide-ore copper mining in the Boundary Waters watershed.

Let's see your best Boundary Waters fly! Tie up your best fly for fishing the BWCA and send Sportsmen BWCA a picture from August 13th through August 26th, 2021. After an online competition to determine the best fly, the top 3 winners will be selected to win gift cards from our sponsor, Bob Mitchell's Fly Shop.

Spring is a great time to stumble across shed antlers in and around the Boundary Waters. Finding a shed antler in the BWCA is akin to discovering a giant Lake Superior agate along Minnesota’s North Shore. It's not the most common occurrence, but if you're lucky enough to cross paths with these elusive north country gems, it's like finding buried treasure. 

The future of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness, and Americans’ relationship to it, is in the hands of key decision-makers at the U. S. Department of Agriculture, U. S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, the United States Congress, and hunters and anglers like you and me.