Bill introduced to overturn Mining ban near Boundary Waters
Late Monday night, Rep. Pete Stauber introduced a resolution to overturn the 20-year mining ban in the Boundary Waters watershed.
This is urgent. If passed, it would erase current protections, reopen the door to sulfide-ore copper mining near the Boundary Waters, and block future administrations from using the same safeguards. Congress is required to vote within 60 days.
We don’t have time to waste. Contact Congress now:
Here’s how we got here:
In 2023, we secured a major victory: a hard-won 20-year mining ban to protect the headwaters of the Wilderness. It was based on years of extensive environmental study relying on science and public opinion. It was a landmark victory for public lands and clean water. We have fought for over a decade to keep copper mining, which has a 100% track record of polluting water, out of the Boundary Waters watershed. So many people like you fought tirelessly and strategically, together to keep it safe.
This week, the federal government took steps to use the Congressional Review Act to overturn the 20-year Boundary Waters mining ban. As a result, this will fast-track a vote in the U.S. Congress.
This maneuver, backed by Rep. Pete Stauber, is an unprecedented attempt to overturn a Mineral Withdrawal and ultimately would pave the way for Twin Metals, a Chilean-owned company, to proceed with their mining leases to build a complex on Birch Lake near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Pollution from this mine would flow directly into the Wilderness, impacting Quetico Provincial Park, Voyageurs National Park, and beyond.
Overview of Federal Process
- OCT 1976 | The Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) is enacted. It requires the Department of the Interior to provide formal written notice to both the House of Representatives and the Senate for any land withdrawals affecting more than 5,000 acres.
- JAN 2023 | Department of Interior signs Public Land Order 7917, withdrawing approximately 225,504 acres of the Superior National Forest from mineral and geothermal leasing for a 20-year period, including watersheds that flow into the Boundary Waters and beyond.
- JAN 6, 2026 | The Department of the Interior, under the Trump administration, formally notifies both Houses of Congress in writing regarding the 2023 Public Land Order withdrawing 225,504 acres of the Superior National Forest from mineral and geothermal leasing.
We must act swiftly to protect this pristine Wilderness from irreversible damage that would result if this bill passes.
Join with others today to help safeguard the Boundary Waters permanently.
1️⃣ Call your representative: right now We'll connect you directly to their office and provide a simple script. It takes less than 2 minutes.
2️⃣ Send an email to your representative: Amplify your voice with a written message opposing this dangerous resolution. SEND MESSAGE
3️⃣ Webinar: Join us tonight at 5:30pm CST for a live webinar We’ll explain what this resolution would do, how we’re responding, and what comes next — including how you can help stop it.
