RELEASE: American Rivers names Boundary Waters #3 on America’s Most Endangered Rivers ® of 2026 list

Apr 14, 2026

Libby London

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 14, 2026
Contact:
Hawk Hammer, National Communications and Media Director, Hhammer@americanrivers.org
Libby London, Save the Boundary Waters, Libby@SavetheBoundaryWaters.org

RELEASE: Rep. Stauber introduces Resolution targeting Boundary Waters protections
through unprecedented use of Congressional Review Act
(Washington, DC) - A congressional plan to force a Chilean-owned copper mine into the
headwaters of the nation’s most visited and beloved Wilderness is moving forward, with
Representative Stauber introducing a Joint Resolution late Monday evening.
Ingrid Lyons, Executive Director of Save the Boundary Waters made this statement:
“This legislative scheme to overturn protections for the Boundary Waters – protections
that are supported by science, the law, and the people - is an outrageous attack on one
of America’s most iconic and unique landscapes, and must be rejected by Congress.
Using the Congressional Review Act to attack these protections also creates a reckless
precedent that would allow Congress to retroactively target virtually any public land
action as a ‘rule.’ If this maneuver succeeds, no established land management decision
would be safe.”
In January 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration issued a Public Land Order (PLO) protecting
the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW or Wilderness), Voyageurs National
Park (VNP), and 1854 Treaty Area from sulfide-ore copper mining for 20 years. The PLO, called
a mineral withdrawal, bans toxic mining on 225,504 acres of Superior National Forest land in the
watershed of the BWCAW and upstream of the Wilderness. The PLO came after the Forest
Service published a comprehensive scientific review finding that sulfide-ore copper mining
would pollute the Boundary Waters in ways that could not be fixed or mitigated.
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70 percent of Minnesotans support permanent protection of the Boundary Waters. Since 2016,
675,000 Americans have commented in favor of protecting the watershed of the Boundary
Waters from copper mining. 56% of Minnesotans in Minnesota’s Congressional District 8 (Rep.
Stauber) oppose copper mining near the Boundary Waters.
The Boundary Waters isn’t just a Minnesota issue—it’s a national one. Millions of people cherish
this place, and it supports a thriving, sustainable outdoor economy. Research shows that copper
mining here would be a net job killer, threatening up to 22,000 jobs and up to $1.6 billion in
annual regional income. A vast collection of peer-reviewed science shows that if a Twin Metals
mine was built along the rivers and streams flowing into the Wilderness, pollution and
environmental degradation would be certain. A peer-reviewed independent study from Harvard

University shows that protecting the Boundary Waters from proposed sulfide-ore mining would
result in dramatically more jobs and more income over a 20-year period.
A 2017 report by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency describes the waters within the
mineral withdrawal area as “immaculate." The Report concludes that "the majority of the
waterbodies within this watershed had exceptional biological, chemical, and physical
characteristics that are worthy of additional protection.

RELEASE: Rep. Stauber introduces Resolution targeting Boundary Waters protectionsthrough unprecedented use of Congressional Review AcAmerican Rivers names Boundary Waters #3 on America’s Most Endangered Rivers ® of 2026 list

WASHINGTON, D.C. — American Rivers named the South Kawishiwi River—a vital artery of the iconic Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness— to America’s Most Endangered Rivers® list of 2026, due to proposed sulfide-ore copper mining in its headwaters. A joint resolution now before the U.S. Senate would undo current protections against copper mining. Flowing through one of the most pristine freshwater systems in North America, the South Kawishiwi River helps sustain the interconnected lakes, streams, and wetlands of the Boundary Waters. This vast landscape includes more than 1,200 miles of waterways and over 1,000 lakes, renowned for exceptionally clean water, abundant wildlife, and world-class recreation.

“Our nation’s freshwater is a resource that is being taken for granted while efforts to pollute them rapidly increase,” said Elizabeth Riggs, Great Lakes regional director for American Rivers. “Spoiling some of the purest, most pristine waters for a foreign mine and foreign corporate interests is a short-sighted move that could cause irreversible harm to the region.”

The Environmental Protection Agency has identified this type of mining as the most toxic industry in the United States. Pollution from the mine—which includes acid mine drainage, heavy metals, and waste runoff—would jeopardize fish and wildlife habitat, degrade water quality, and threaten public health.

“The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness—together with the Superior National Forest—holds 20% of all freshwater in the U.S. National Forest System. It is America’s most visited and now one of its most threatened Wilderness Areas. Proposed sulfide-ore copper mining in its watershed would risk permanently polluting its waters, including the iconic South Kawishiwi River. Beloved by people from every corner of the country, the Boundary Waters inspires overwhelming public support for its protection. No matter what happens in DC, that support won’t waver. People will continue to stand up and say: not this mine, not this place—and we will fight alongside them, as long as it takes,” stated Ingrid Lyons, Executive Director of Save the Boundary Waters.

As the most visited Wilderness Area in the country, the Boundary Waters supports a thriving outdoor recreation economy, drawing more than 155,000 overnight visitors annually and sustaining roughly 17,000 jobs. Economic analyses show that mining in the region could result in thousands of lost jobs, billions in lost income, and significant declines in property values. In 2023, the U.S. Department of the Interior took action to protect the watershed with a 20-year mineral withdrawal that effectively banned copper mining. However, those protections are now under threat, with efforts in Congress to reverse them using the Congressional Review Act.

Lawmakers must reject all efforts to advance sulfide-ore copper-nickel mining near the Boundary Waters and oppose attempts to overturn existing protections. Congress should uphold the current mining ban and advance permanent protections to safeguard this irreplaceable ecosystem. The public is urged to contact their elected officials and demand lasting protections for the Boundary Waters and the South Kawishiwi River. Learn more about America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2026, the urgent threats they face, and the solutions needed to protect and restore these vital waterways.

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American Rivers is a national conservation organization working to make every river clean and healthy for people and wildlife. We combine evidence-based solutions with enduring partnerships to safeguard the 4.4 million miles of rivers and streams that are essential to our nation’s clean drinking water, extraordinary wildlife, and strength of our communities. For more than 50 years, our staff, supporters, and partners have been driven by a common belief: Life Depends on Rivers. AmericanRivers.org

Save the Boundary Waters is the locally based, national campaign led by Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, based in the Wilderness-edge town of Ely, Minnesota. Save the Boundary Waters leads and mobilizes a national coalition of 400+ conservation, recreation, and sporting organizations and businesses working tirelessly for more than a decade to permanently protect the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Voyageurs National Park, and Canada’s Quetico Park from copper mining. Their work combines conservation science, advocacy, litigation, and strong partnerships and an experienced team of staff, advisors, and experts working to protect the Boundary Waters forever, for everyone.

www.SavetheBoundaryWaters.org

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