On June 23, 2022, federal agencies announced a 30-day public comment period for an Environmental Assessment (EA), or a proposed study on the impacts of withdrawing hardrock mining leases upstream of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. In the newly released study, federal agencies proposed a moratorium on the development of any mineral leases in approximately 225,504 acres of Superior National Forest lands within the watershed of the Boundary Waters for up to 20 years.
Updates
Review announced to determine if Minnesota’s nonferrous mining rules fail to protect the Boundary Waters
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.
Federal Agencies Take Action To Protect The BWCA
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.
BREAKING: SFBW Thanks Sen. Tina Smith for Strong Support of Boundary Waters Protection
Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters applauds the request U.S. Sen. Tina Smith delivered to two federal agencies urging action that could lead to 20 years of protection for America’s most visited wilderness. In a letter today, Sen. Smith, D-Minn., asked the U.S. Forest Service to re-initiate an environmental review process for a 20-year ban on copper-sulfide mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters believes the withdrawal process Smith requests will protect this valuable public land and its resources from sulfide-ore copper mining for today’s hunters and anglers and future generations.
A Path Forward For The Boundary Waters
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.
About Giving Tuesday 2020
GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. It was created as a simple idea: a day that
The Wildest of Foods: Foraging in the Boundary Waters
An overview of foraging opportunities to keep an eye out for during your next trip to the BWCA.
Conserving the Boundary Waters: H.R. 5598 and the Twin Metals Mine
In the fall of 2019, Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers took a trip to Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and to Twin Metal’s proposed mine site on Birch Lake.
Minnesota Bound’s Inaugural Podcast with Lukas Leaf, Sportsmen BWCA
Listen to Bill Sherck of Minnesota Bound and Lukas Leaf, Executive Director of Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, dig into the risky copper-nickel mining proposal upstream of the Boundary Waters.
Outdoor News Radio – January 18, 2020
Listen to Outdoor News Radio here This weekend’s Outdoor News Radio show kicks off with a discussion of the latest on chronic wasting disease in Pine County plus an update