House Resolution Introduced To Undo Boundary Waters Protections
January 13, 2026 1:14 pmIn 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, 2026, 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.
First reported by Reuters, proponents of the Twin Metals project hope to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to undo the moratorium. Using the CRA to undo a federal action requires a simple majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and is not subject to a filibuster, offering a “fast-track” option for passage, especially with a favorable majority.
This process is unprecedented and underscores how desperate this administration is to find any way to open our public lands to business. Beyond the Boundary Waters, using the CRA to unravel federal protections for public lands sets a dangerous precedent for the entire country. Essentially, if Congress can use a CRA to unravel this mineral withdrawal, there may be no limit to what else they can overturn.
In a recent statement, Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters Executive Director, Lukas Leaf, said:
“This announcement is unsettling for a number of reasons, and the outdoor community across the country should take note. We’ve seen failed attempts to pass legislation that would open this incredible watershed to copper-nickel mining directly upstream from the Boundary Waters, but the latest actions taken by the Department of the Interior, spearheaded by Representative Pete Stauber, are unprecedented and will require all of us to keep this from becoming a reality. We are at a critical juncture in the fight to protect the BWCA from foreign mining interests, and the time is now to stand together.”
To be clear, this resolution could:
-Remove the 20-year mining moratorium on approximately 225,000 acres of the Superior National Forest, upstream from the Boundary Waters.
-Open the door for the administration to return mining leases to Twin Metals, who have proposed a sulfide-ore copper mine in the Boundary Waters headwaters.
-Set a dangerous precedent of using the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn potentially any past public land action.
If you oppose selling out not only the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, but all the wild, beautiful places around the United States, this plan must not come to fruition. We expect a vote on this legislation very soon. Let’s hold our elected officials accountable.
Tell your elected officials to vote NO on HJ Resolution 140 and any similar actions taken in the Senate by sending a message below, and call your elected officials directly using the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
