Updates

On March 20th, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the Executive Order “Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production.” This EO invokes wartime powers for the president and a number of federal agency secretaries to identify significant mineral deposits on federal lands and, through federal funding and private industry input, designate mineral production as the official use of those federal public lands. This is an immediate threat to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and federal public lands at large. This action must be monitored very closely in the coming weeks and months to defend the places we cherish the most.

The latest information on Twin Metals at the federal and state levels and actions you can take to defend the BWCA.  Since 1964, The Boundary Waters has been a federally designated Wilderness Area. In 1978, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area & Wilderness Act expanded the wilderness to the nearly 1.1 million acres that it is today. This designation has prevented development in this pristine expanse of interconnected lakes and streams, as well as set forth rules and regulations that control recreational use practices, adding to the region's Wilderness character.

On January 21st, 2025, Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN) reintroduced legislation to permanently protect the Boundary Waters from copper-nickel mining in the 119th Congress, with support from a broad coalition of conservation groups. We appreciate Representative McCollum’s steadfast leadership in authoring BWCA protection legislation and stand ready to advocate for the legislation’s advancement throughout each hearing, markup, and as the bill progresses through Congress. Rep. McCollum’s bill would create permanent protection for the Boundary Waters from any future sulfide-ore copper mining mineral leasing in the Rainy River Watershed of the Superior National Forest while exempting sand, gravel, granite, iron ore, and taconite mining. The bill would also allow continued use of the Superior National Forest for ongoing mining and logging operations. These are critical distinctions for the Iron Range of Northern Minnesota.

Grouse season is upon us! The leaves are starting to change, the evenings are getting cooler, and there are grouse around every corner in the Northwoods. Here at Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, we live for this time of year. Among the myriad of tasks that go into working on behalf of the Boundary Waters region, nothing keeps the fire burning like a limit of birds, fellowship with old and new friends, and feasting on wild game.

Looking to the future, SFBW has a few more tasks on the Pine Island WMA. This winter will tell the tale of how much work we’ll need to do in the Spring. First, we need to understand how well the trees we planted will fare between wildlife browsing and tough conditions. We fully intend to plant as many supplemental trees as necessary in the Spring.

Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters is excited to announce our latest partnership with Boundary Waters Outfitters based out of Ely, Minnesota!

There are about 1,175 lakes in the Boundary Waters and every one of them has its own little nuances. Even connected lakes that are seemingly identical will often have significant variation in available species, forage, depth, etc. Simply put, just because you’ve had success on one lake doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be smackin’ them on the next.

Through support from onX’s Access and Stewardship Program, the Tower Area MN DNR & MeatEater, Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters is working to create, conserve, and restore wildlife habitat and access in the Northwoods of Minnesota. This summer, Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters (SFBW) has adopted Pine Island Wildlife Management Area (WMA) on Lake Vermilion. The Pine Island adoption is the first project of SFBW’s Stewardship and Habitat Initiative, a program SFBW is excited to implement in multiple spheres in and around the Boundary Waters with partnering agencies, conservation organizations, and outdoor industry leaders.

Forest Service clarifies dog leash law for BWCA hunters: On July 10th, 2024, the United States Forest Service released a press statement to address growing concerns regarding new language that would change how people recreate with their dogs in Superior National Forest. Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters quickly became involved, working with the Forest Service to gain as much clarity as possible.

On Tuesday, April 30th, despite our efforts in Washington D.C., the U.S. House passed H.R. 3195, The Superior National Forest Restoration Act, which reverses critical Boundary Waters protections. In two