Petition: No Renewal of BWCA Mineral Leases

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota represents the best of America’s natural heritage. Spanning over 1.1 million acres, it is a maze of interconnected waterways, ancient forests, and glacier-carved landscapes that has captured the hearts and imagination of people for generations. 

But this national treasure faces an unprecedented threat.

Foreign mining interests are pushing to establish copper-sulfide mines at the border of the wilderness. According to the EPA, this type of mining is the most polluting industry in the United States. It is so dangerous that it has never been done in Minnesota. When waste rock from these mines is exposed to water and air, it creates sulfuric acid and releases heavy metals – a deadly combination that would poison these pristine waters for generations.