St. Paul, MN - Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith introduced the Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection Act, legislation aimed at protecting Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The companion legislation in the U.S. House is already being carried by Congresswoman Betty McCollum. Last month, President Trump signed an executive order opening up the BWCA to mining operations.
State Representative Alex Falconer (DFL - Eden Prairie) authored legislation to ban sulfide-ore copper mining on state lands within the watershed of the Boundary Waters in the Minnesota House. State Senator Steve Cwodzinski (DFL - Eden Prairie) is the author in the Minnesota Senate.
Rep. Falconer applauded Sen. Smith and released the following statement:
“I want to thank Senator Smith for introducing this legislation, and I am proud to stand alongside her and Congresswoman McCollum as we work to protect Minnesota’s crown jewel at the state and federal levels. The Boundary Waters is the heart and soul of Minnesota’s public lands. The 1.1 million acres of pristine forests have lakes with fresh water so pure you can drink it straight from a camp mug dipped off the side of a canoe, and we need to keep it that way with the highest protections we can afford.
“Protecting the Boundary Waters from America’s most toxic industry – hard rock mining in the form of sulfide-ore mining – is more important now than ever. The Trump administration is doing everything it can to ruin our Wilderness, and I thank Senator Smith for her strong stance today. I am again calling on my colleagues at the state legislature as well as Governor Walz to do everything we can to protect this priceless Wilderness for all generations to come.”
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