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Stop Dangerous Mining Near Minnesota's Boundary Waters Before It's Too Late

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Sponsor: The Rainforest Site

One reckless mining project could poison a wilderness of lakes forests wildlife and Tribal resources unless Minnesota steps in now.

Stop Dangerous Mining Near Minnesota's Boundary Waters Before It's Too Late

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is one of the most treasured wild places in North America. Its lakes, wetlands, forests, and streams support wildlife, outdoor recreation, and Tribal rights in a delicate watershed where pollution can spread far beyond a single mine site.125

That danger has grown more urgent after the U.S. Senate voted to overturn the federal mining withdrawal near the Boundary Waters. The vote reopened the door for Twin Metals, a subsidiary of the Chilean mining company Antofagasta, to pursue its long-contested copper-nickel sulfide mining plans upstream from this vulnerable wilderness.1

Why this watershed is too risky for sulfide ore mining

Scientists, advocates, and Tribal leaders have warned that sulfide-ore mining near the Boundary Waters could release toxic pollution into interconnected waters that sustain fish, wildlife, and plant life. Reports have also raised concern about harm to wild rice, which carries deep ecological and cultural importance in the region, and about impacts that could extend across the border into Canada through connected waterways.2

This is not a risk Minnesota should accept. The Boundary Waters watershed is uniquely vulnerable because its water system is so interconnected, and once contamination enters it, the damage may be impossible to reverse.3

Minnesota must act before irreversible damage begins

Even after the federal vote, the project is not inevitable. Minnesota still controls key state-level decisions. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has stated that state permitting and environmental review remain in force, and that it has the legal option to cancel one specific Twin Metals lease. That means the state still has a clear chance to act in defense of clean water, wildlife, and the long-term future of this wilderness.4

The Minnesota DNR should use every available authority to stop this threat, beginning with lease cancellation where it can act now and a clear refusal to help move this dangerous mining project forward.4 Sign the petition and urge Minnesota leaders to protect the Boundary Waters watershed before toxic pollution changes it forever.

More on this issue:

  1. Lisa Friedman, The New York Times (16 April 2026), "Senate Votes to Allow Mining Near Minnesota Wilderness."
  2. Todd Richmond, AP News (16 April 2026), "Senate Republicans vote to lift mining ban near Boundary Waters Canoe Area."
  3. Marianne Lavelle, Inside Climate News (16 April 2026), "Minnesota's Boundary Waters Just Lost Protection From Mining."
  4. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (17 April 2026), "DNR statement on federal action to overturn mining ban near the BWCAW."

The Petition

To the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources,

I am writing to urge the Minnesota DNR to use every lawful state authority available to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness watershed from sulfide-ore mining and to cancel Twin Metals mineral leases wherever the agency has the power to do so.

The recent federal vote to undo the mining withdrawal near the Boundary Waters has put one of the most treasured wilderness regions in North America in even greater danger. This landscape is not just a map of possible mineral deposits. It is a living network of lakes, streams, wetlands, forests, and habitat that supports wildlife, outdoor recreation, and Tribal treaty rights. Once toxic pollution enters that watershed, the damage may last for generations.

The proposed Twin Metals mine has raised deep concern because copper-nickel sulfide mining carries a well-known risk of releasing pollution that can harm water quality, fish, plants, and wild rice. The Boundary Waters is uniquely vulnerable because water moves through this interconnected system so widely and so quickly. A failure here would not stay contained.

Minnesota still has an important role to play. Your own agency has made clear that state environmental review and permitting standards remain in force, and that the DNR has authority over at least one specific lease currently held by Twin Metals. This is not the time for hesitation. It is the time to act with caution, integrity, and a clear commitment to the public interest.

Please cancel any Twin Metals lease the DNR can lawfully terminate now. Please reject any effort to advance mining that threatens the Boundary Waters watershed. Please commit to a protective path that puts clean water, wildlife, Tribal resources, and the long-term health of this region ahead of short-term industrial pressure.

Humanity and compassion must guide this decision. Future generations deserve to inherit living lakes, healthy forests, and a wilderness that still feels wild. The animals, ecosystems, and communities connected to the Boundary Waters cannot speak for themselves in a permitting file. You can.

Please act now to protect this irreplaceable place and prevent mining pollution before it begins. These actions will ensure a better future for all.

Sincerely,

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