Release: Hunters and Anglers Applaud Introduction of Legislation to Permanently Protect Boundary Waters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

Kaden McArthur, Director of Policy & Government Relations, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, [email protected]

Lukas Leaf, Executive Director, Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, [email protected]

A historic push to ensure future generations can hunt, fish, and paddle in the iconic watershed could be in dire jeopardy if public land advocates remain silent.

Ely, MN– Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA), Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, and Minnesota Trout Unlimited commend Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) for introducing the Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection Act to permanently protect the Rainy River Watershed and Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) from the threat of sulfide-ore copper mining. This legislation builds on years of advocacy by Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN), who has championed the Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act with support from hunters and anglers.

“The Minnesota chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers thanks Senator Smith for introducing the Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection Act and for her ongoing efforts to protect this unique region along with the sporting and recreation opportunities it sustains,” said Chance Adams, chair of the Minnesota chapter of BHA. “The Boundary Waters is one of the most unique places in the world and during our modern era, we need the wild places of this country to help rekindle the American spirt of adventurism and exceptionalism more than we need foreign mining interests treating our public lands as a commodity.”

“Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters applauds Senator Tina Smith for her efforts to defend the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness,” said Lukas Leaf, Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters executive director. “This legislation would cement historic protections for the BWCA and its watersheds. Now, more than ever, we must stand together and fight for America’s priceless wild places to ensure future generations of hunters, anglers, and paddlers will enjoy these areas for decades to come.”

“This proposal will ensure the long-term health of sensitive populations of native lake trout,” said John Lenczewski, executive director of Minnesota Trout Unlimited. “These unique fish are an important part of Minnesota’s natural heritage and have attracted anglers to the region for generations. We thank Senator Smith for her leadership and taking steps to ensure the Boundary Waters remains a special place for current and future generations.”

Hunters and anglers have long advocated for safeguarding of the Rainy River Watershed, which flows into the Boundary Waters and Voyageurs National Park – a globally significant ecosystem that sustains world-class hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation opportunities.

In 2023, hunters and anglers celebrated a milestone victory when then Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland issued a 20-year administrative mineral withdrawal across 225,000 acres of public lands in the Rainy River Watershed – a decision that reflected the overwhelming support for protecting these cherished public lands and waters. The legislation, led both by Sen. Smith and Rep. McCollum, would enact a permanent prohibition on sulfide-ore copper mining without limiting taconite or iron-ore mining.

Despite these significant advances, threats to the Boundary Waters persist. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) continues to push legislation aimed at reversing the mineral withdrawal and reinstating foreign mining leases, putting the Boundary Waters – and the communities that depend on its clean waters and intact habitat – at risk. Recent executive orders and secretarial orders have now laid the groundwork for reversing these safeguards through administrative actions.

BHA, Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, and Minnesota Trout Unlimited urge supporters and public lands advocates to take action and send a clear message to Congress that advancing this legislation to secure permanent protections for one of our most iconic public lands is in America’s best interest.

About Backcountry Hunters & Anglers

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers seeks to ensure North America’s outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife. To learn more about issues important to BHA’s membership, visit  https://www.backcountryhunters.org/our_issues.

About Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters

Founded in 2015, Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters works to conserve the land, water, and wildlife that make the BWCA an iconic place to fish, camp, hunt and explore. The organization’s mission is to protect the integrity of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and its watersheds for huntable and fishable populations of fish and wildlife, now and forever, through advocacy and education.

About Trout Unlimited

Trout Unlimited (TU), founded in 1959, is dedicated to bringing together diverse interests to care for and recover rivers and streams so our children can experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon. TU’s 300,000+ members and supporters work through more than 400 chapters and state councils to protect and restore coldwater habitats and salmonid populations.

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THANK SENATOR SMITH FOR DEFENDING THE BOUNDARY WATERS

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