STATEMENT: House Vote Would Greenlight Destructive Mining in Minnesota

Washington, D.C. — Today, the House passed a measure that would revoke critical protections for the watershed of one of the nation’s most visited wilderness areas, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota. It would repeal a 2023 order that imposed a 20-year mining ban on more than 225,000 acres of public lands to protect the region’s fragile natural resources and ecological integrity. In response, Jenny Rowland-Shea, director for Public Lands at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement: 

This latest push to sell out public lands would open the iconic watershed of the Boundary Waters to the toxic pollution of corporate mining. Greenlighting destructive mining on the doorstep of America’s most visited wilderness area would be one of the most reckless, anti-conservation actions taken by Congress in recent history. This abuse of power sets a dangerous precedent, putting the country’s public lands in jeopardy. 

Related resources:

• “Boundary Waters at Risk”
• “See Them While You Can: Trump’s Policies Threaten America’s National Parks and Public Lands”
• “A Historically Bad Year for Public Lands Under President Trump”
• CAP video

For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].