Today, as HJR 140 threatens federal protections, we revealed that Minnesota has a clear legal pathway to protect the Boundary Waters from copper-nickel sulfide mining.

For months we’ve watched the Trump administration and Representative Pete Stauber launch attack after attack on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Currently, they’re twisting the Congressional Review Act to overturn the 20-year mining ban protecting 225,000 acres of public land near the wilderness. It’s been relentless, and frankly, demoralizing.

But today at a press conference, we announced something that changes everything: The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has the legal authority to cancel one of Twin Metals’ state mineral leases.

This isn’t wishful thinking. This is a concrete, actionable legal pathway that exists right now under state law. And it’s within reach if we act.

Minnesota’s Answer to Federal Assault

Here’s what we’ve uncovered: Under the clear provisions of Twin Metals’ 1990 state mineral lease, DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen has the authority to cancel the lease in 2026. This year. The 36th calendar year of the lease.

The lease terms are straightforward. After 35 years, Commissioner Strommen can cancel Twin Metals’ lease if two basic requirements have not been met:

1. They must be actively engaged in mining, and
2. They must have paid Minnesota at least $100,000 in royalty payments during a single calendar year.

Twin Metals has done neither. After 35 years of holding this state mineral lease, the Chilean-owned mining company has failed to meet the basic requirements.

This matters enormously because approximately 36% of Twin Metals’ proposed ore reserves would come from state lands. Minnesota doesn’t have to accept federal overreach. The state can protect the Boundary Waters using our own state authority.

The Environmental Imperative

The threat from sulfide mining has never been more urgent. Copper-nickel sulfide mining is the most polluting industry in the United States, with a 100% track record of water pollution. In the water-rich Boundary Waters watershed, this toxic mining would produce elevated mercury levels, poisoning fish and wildlife. Elevated sulfate pollution would damage wild rice beds (manoomin) threatening an irreplaceable food source vital to Anishinaabe culture.

The threat of acid mine drainage poses catastrophic, permanent risks to America’s most visited wilderness.

DNR has not only the legal authority to cancel Twin Metals’ state mineral lease, they have a fiduciary duty to do so. In 1995, the DNR explicitly affirmed this authority, stating, “The cancellation right protects the state’s interest in having the property developed if it is environmentally sound to do so. The right of cancellation can serve legitimate policy needs of the state as landowner and as trust manager.”

The Path Forward to Protect the Boundary Waters

Today we delivered a letter to DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen urging her to exercise this authority and cancel Twin Metals’ mineral lease. Signed by elected officials, business leaders, and organizations across Minnesota, the letter demonstrates the breadth of support for protecting the Boundary Waters from mining pollution.

While Congress weaponizes the Congressional Review Act to strip Public Land Order protections, Minnesota can push back. As the Senate prepares to vote on HJR 140, state action becomes even more critical.

This is our moment. After years of fighting Twin Metals and watching the federal government systematically attack wilderness protections in the Superior National Forest, we finally have a clear way forward. But only if we act.

Take Action: Contact DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen

Commissioner Strommen needs to hear from you today:

• Email: Commissioner.dnr@state.mn.us (Use our form)
• Call: 651-259-5555

Tell her to exercise her legal authority and cancel Twin Metals’ state mineral lease. Keep your message personal, but make these points clear. Or start with our simple form:

• Twin Metals has had 35 years and failed to meet lease requirements
• DNR now has both the authority and fiduciary duty to cancel this lease
• The Boundary Waters is irreplaceable. Minnesota must stand up against a relentless federal assault on our clean water

Share this with everyone who cares about stopping toxic mining near the Boundary Waters and preserving Minnesota’s wilderness legacy.

Minnesota is not powerless. We have the law on our side. We have science on our side. We have the public on our side. While the Trump administration and congressional allies attack federal protections, Minnesota DNR can use state authority to protect what belongs to all of us.

With your voice, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area will endure for generations more.