On February 3rd, SF 875 was introduced to the Minnesota State Senate by Senator Steve Cwodzinski (49, DFL), and the following week, its companion bill HF 309 was introduced in the Minnesota House of Representatives by Representative Alex Falconer (49A, DFL). This legislation would restrict mining in the Rainy River Watershed to iron-ore, taconite, gravel, granite, and sand while prohibiting mining and exploring for additional minerals such as copper and nickel. Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters applaud the authors of this bill, as it is another step towards permanently protecting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from non-ferrous mining while maintaining the legacy of other types of mining in the Minnesota Iron Range.
