{"id":183670,"date":"2022-11-16T16:35:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-17T00:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=183670"},"modified":"2023-01-09T09:12:09","modified_gmt":"2023-01-09T17:12:09","slug":"protecting-the-boundary-waters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/stewardship\/protecting-the-boundary-waters","title":{"rendered":"It’s Time to Permanently Protect the Boundary Waters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Northern Minnesota\u2014\u200b\u200b\u201csky-tinted water\u201d in the Dakota language\u2014is best navigated via canoe. Here, nearly 1,175 lakes are linked to one another via maintained portages and\/or direct water connections, with 1,000 more secluded in this boreal world of pine and spruce. Some the size of a city block, others as large as New York City\u2019s Central Park 12 times over, the lakes are oligotrophic, drinkable and their magnificent forested surroundings a carbon sink. Known as the Boundary Waters, an ecosystem that stretches well into Ontario province, this region is the most-visited federal wilderness area in the country and the greatest canoe-country wilderness in the world, where countless generations have gone fishing, canoe camping, hiking, bird-watching and waterfall-chasing. The waters have been classified as nearly \u201cpristine<\/a>.\u201d But a proposed copper mine has threatened to change the lakeland wilderness\u2019s landscape forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Donna Baumgartner has canoed the Boundary Waters every year\u2014minus two\u2014since 1963. \u201cKahshahpiwi Lake is my favorite,\u201d says the 72-year-old, picking a spot that requires three days of hard paddling from Moose Lake and a mile-long portage across fields of boulders, wetlands and virgin pine forest. \u201cIt\u2019s simply beautiful,\u201d she explains. \u201cYou go anywhere in the Boundary Waters, and it\u2019s just wilderness.\u201d She recalls run-ins with bears, bathing beneath waterfalls, counting dozens of loons floating on the water\u2019s gemmy surface. \u201cIt\u2019s so pristine, so quiet\u2014you can just drink the damn water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technically, Baumgartner\u2019s beloved Kahshahpiwi Lake falls into Canada\u2019s Quetico Provincial Park, but water doesn\u2019t much care about borders, international or otherwise. Flowing north from Minnesota\u2019s 21-mile Birch Lake\u2014a haven for anglers, campers and paddlers\u2014the watershed courses through the Super National Forest and into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), Voyageurs National Park and Quetico, with 1,200-plus miles of canoe trails connecting it all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon Baumgartner\u2019s first visit, this boreal maze was simply a canoe area. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t until the 1964 Wilderness Act that the Boundary Waters received a wilderness designation,\u201d explains Samantha Chadwick, associate director of Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness<\/a> and the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters<\/a>. The act, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, protected 1,090,000 acres of this immaculate water world, and protections in 1978<\/a> went further, limiting motorized use and restricting logging and mining in designated areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo courtesy of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But the wilderness designation didn\u2019t protect the entire watershed. Though Quetico, Voyageurs and the Boundary Waters comprise over 2.2 million acres, with unprotected headwaters farther south, the entire intact wilderness remains vulnerable\u2014and the threat of copper mining has been looming over the area for decades. \u201cWithout further protection,\u201d Chadwick adds, \u201cyou could place America\u2019s most toxic industry<\/a> outside America\u2019s most popular wilderness.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s what almost happened, and still could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Heavy Metal Threat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 1966, Twin Metals Minnesota has held two mineral leases along the South Kawishiwi River and Birch Lake, just 3 miles from the wilderness\u2019s border. Though the initial 20-year leases have been renewed three times over the past 50 years, no mining has ever taken place. What\u2019s more, no sulfide-ore copper mining has ever taken place here, or anywhere in the state of Minnesota. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2015, Antofagasta\u2014a Chilean mining conglomerate\u2014purchased Twin Metals Minnesota and proposed an underground sulfide-ore copper mine just upstream from the Boundary Waters, in the exceptionally clean Rainy River Watershed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This type of mining is notoriously harmful<\/a>, yet with the transition to green energy, demand is exploding; Goldman Sachs even declared copper \u201cthe new oil.<\/a>\u201d From lithium-ion batteries and wind turbines to solar panels and electric cars (all of which call for copper), the push for more metal to power the green economy could also be pushing us toward damaging the very landscapes we\u2019re trying to protect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how: Copper bonds to sulfide-bearing ore, which becomes waste rock in the metal\u2019s extraction. Metals (copper, nickel, platinum and palladium) are found in 1% of the ore; the rest\u2014nearly 20,000 tons per day<\/a>, in Twin Metals\u2019 case\u2014would become what\u2019s known as tailings. In the past, companies often stockpiled these tailings in ponds or impoundment dams, but that method has resulted in environmental disaster and loss of human life, many times over<\/a>. The industry is moving toward a method known as \u201cdry stacking,\u201d where waste gets compacted in a mound with native soil and vegetation. Per the Department of Natural Resources<\/a>, the state agency responsible for protecting local land, water, fish and wildlife, this method simply isn\u2019t appropriate for lake-rich northern Minnesota: Toxic \u201cfugitive dust\u201d would escape into the air when dry; when wet, groundwater and surface water contamination would be inevitable, with acid mine drainage coursing through the wetland-filled landscape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this \u201csafer\u201d waste-disposal method doesn\u2019t appear to cut it in any <\/em>climate: In a recent study<\/a> by the U.S. Forest Service, 100% of U.S. copper-sulfide mines experienced pipeline spills or accidental releases, and 92% experienced water collection and treatment failures that resulted in significantly harmed water quality. Recognizing what was at stake, the U.S. Forest Service denied Twin Metals\u2019 leases in December 2016, citing “the inherent risk of irreparable harm<\/a>.” (In that same document, the USFS also cites ventilation concerns, noise and the no-small-matter of deforestation, wreaking climate havoc on this invaluable boreal-forest ecosystem.) The Trump Administration restored the leases in 2019; the Biden Administration canceled them again in 2022 after finding they were “improperly renewed<\/a>.” Twin Metals issued a federal suit<\/a> last summer in an attempt to reestablish mining rights. Now, this vast wilderness hangs in the lurch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chance of a Lifetime<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With 165,000 annual visitors, BWCAW is the most-visited wilderness<\/a> in the nation, and many also deem it the most accessible, as it covers so much ground, with entry points suitable for both novice and experienced outdoor-adventure seekers. \u201cThe Boundary Waters is a part of so many of us,\u201d says Baumgartner, recalling 60 years of memories\u2014climbing up to Louisa Falls, buying lake-brewed root beer from \u201cKnife Lake Dorothy<\/a>,\u201d learning to haul a 70-pound canoe at age 13. \u201cIt\u2019s unlike anywhere else in the country,\u201d she continues. \u201cHow can you possibly mine it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s not alone in her sentiments. According to poll results, 70% of Minnesotans<\/a> oppose copper-nickel mining near the BWCAW. Last February, Minnesota legislators introduced a state level permanent bill (S.F. 763<\/a>\/ H.F. 840<\/a>) which would extend “the existing permanent state ban on mining in the Boundary BWCAW to also prohibit both sulfide-ore copper mining and issuance of sulfide-ore copper mining permits, licenses, and leases on state-owned land within the BWCAW\u2019s watershed,” according to the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters<\/a>. This past summer, the U.S. Forestry Service issued a draft environmental assessment<\/a> as a proposal to recommend that Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland grant a 20-year ban on mining in the Rainy River Watershed of Superior National Forest, upstream from the Boundary Waters. The report cites<\/a> various detrimental outcomes should mining be permitted in the area, including adverse affects or complete removal of Indigenous cultural and natural resources, a high risk of water pollution and potential dam failure, soil degradation and more. Interior Secretary Haaland has yet to make a final decision about the ban.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But now, thanks to a federal bill reintroduced into the House of Representatives by Minnesota\u2019s Betty McCollum, permanent protections are looking possible. H.R. 2794<\/a> would completely prohibit sulfide-ore copper mining on 234,328 acres of federal land and waters in the Rainy River Watershed, ensuring a future rich with Indigenous wild-rice harvesting, loons wailing on the waters, paddlers dipping their cups into crystal-clear waters and 13-year-olds learning to haul canoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m pleased the bill has passed the House Natural Resources Committee,\u201d said Rep. McCollum in a statement. \u201cFrom hunter and angler groups to environmental advocates to the majority of Minnesotans, support is strong for protecting this important place. It is my hope that the progress we\u2019ve made in the House will spur Senate action and support for enacting this permanent mineral withdrawal. Some places are simply too precious to mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, supporters like Chadwick believe that the bill has gained enough momentum to potentially pass in both the House and Senate. \u201cWe believe it\u2019s the best chance we\u2019ve had to pass this bill in our 10 years,\u201d she says, referring to the campaign\u2019s tenure. \u201cYou don\u2019t get chances like this\u2014anywhere in the country\u2014often for years or decades.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But support gets stickier the closer you get to the wilderness. The 41,000-member, six-band Minnesota Chippewa Tribe\u2014three of which retain hunting, fishing and gathering rights on this land via the Treaty of LaPointe, 1854\u2014issued a letter<\/a> supporting increased protections for the watershed. \u201cIt is unacceptable to trade this precious landscape and our way of life,\u201d the letter reads, \u201cto enrich foreign mining companies that will leave a legacy of degradation that will last forever.\u201d It\u2019s the first time the group has issued such a statement, and pushback was immediate: Conservative politicians and pro-mining groups called for a boycott of the Bois Forte<\/a>\u2013owned Fortune Bay Resort Casino; Chuck Novak, mayor of Ely, a popular BWCAW entry point, went so far as to encourage a boycott of all tribally owned businesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you ask Becky Rom, national chair of Save the Boundary Waters, Ely\u2019s elected officials aren\u2019t representative of everyone who lives in and around this wilderness\u2019s gateway town\u2014most locals who live outside city limits, like Rom does, want to see their backyards protected. \u201cCommunity leaders have sacrificed significantly over the last 10 years by going to Washington many, many, many<\/em> times to advocate for the Quetico-Superior ecosystem,\u201d emphasizes Rom. \u201cBut it is a divided community. Many people think of mining of the past.\u201d Ely had rich hematite iron-ore mines that operated until 1967, the longtime activist notes, and that was the last time there was a mine in town. \u201cI think, to some degree, they conflate taconite mining with copper-nickel mining, not appreciating how much more environmentally destructive copper-nickel mining truly is,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the push-pull between industry and the environment seems permanently embedded in Ely\u2019s fabric, the race to pass H.R. 2794 is running against the clock. \u201cI\u2019m optimistic that the Biden administration and in particular Interior Secretary Haaland will issue a public land order protecting Superior National Forest lands and minerals from copper-nickel mining,\u201d says Rom. \u201cBut that\u2019s a ban for 20 years. The Boundary Waters is not a 20-year wilderness\u2014it\u2019s a permanent wilderness, and we need a permanent ban on copper-nickel mining in the headwaters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

H.R. 2794\u2014which would equate to that permanent ban on much of the headwaters\u2014awaits its vote on the floor of the House. Of 52 cosponsors, none so far is Republican, and without bipartisan support, it hangs in the balance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The whirlwind shows no sign of stopping\u2014between corporate lawsuits, local tension and a potential switch in majority parties, the Boundary Waters remain on a precipice. But with hope and a little extra support, 2023 could prove to be a banner year for America\u2019s most-visited wilderness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[This ecosystem] has an important role in terms of climate resilience and adaptation, and it\u2019s important for its own sake\u2014it’s the greatest canoe-country wilderness in the world,\u201d says Rom. \u201cBut it is utterly dependent on all of us to fight for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Northern Minnesota\u2014\u200b\u200b\u201csky-tinted water\u201d in the Dakota language\u2014is best navigated via canoe. Here, nearly 1,175 lakes are linked to one another via maintained portages and\/or direct water connections, with 1,000 more secluded in this boreal world of pine and spruce. Some the size of a city block, others as large as New York City\u2019s Central Park […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30740,"featured_media":183747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,387,685,9,242,637],"tags":[2185,727,1484],"internal-tag":[2013],"class_list":["post-183670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camp","category-hike","category-news","category-paddle","category-social","category-stewardship","tag-boundary-waters","tag-latest-posts","tag-staff-society","internal-tag-staff-home-secondary"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/stewardship\/protecting-the-boundary-waters","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"It’s Time to Permanently Protect the Boundary Waters","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/stewardship\/protecting-the-boundary-waters","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/stewardship\/protecting-the-boundary-waters"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/11\/HERO-2021-3-19-alex-falconer-starry-night-aurora.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/11\/HERO-2021-3-19-alex-falconer-starry-night-aurora.jpg?fit=1500%2C998"},"articleSection":"Camp","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ever Meister"}],"creator":["Ever Meister"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["boundary waters","latest posts","staff society"],"dateCreated":"2022-11-17T00:35:00Z","datePublished":"2022-11-17T00:35:00Z","dateModified":"2023-01-09T17:12:09Z"},"rendered":"