Minnesota’s Pristine Wilderness Area Is In Danger
Peering into the clear, shallow waters below, I watched a small crawfish shoot backward through an aquatic plant, cowardly hiding behind a small rock. A much bigger crawfish was crawling into the neighborhood. Finally, my sister Maddie sat down in the front of the canoe, ending my short-lived interest in these tiny creatures' lives. It’s time to push off from the shores of the portage that we had just conquered and into the slowly flowing waters of the South Kawishi River. A day of paddling, swimming, cliff jumping, picnicking, and relaxing in the beautiful playground of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Wilderness lies ahead of us. I’m fifteen years old, and it’s my first time paddling in the back of the canoe, the position in charge of steering the boat and a bit of a right of passage in my family. As a Minnesota local, my family took annual camping trips to the Northwoods of the BWCA, where I made some of my fondest summer memories.
Photographer: Jim Brand
Nestled in the Northeast corner of Minnesota lies a vast expanse of lakes, rivers, and islands called the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Wilderness. This remote wilderness area spans over one million acres and is home to some of the most beautiful lakes in the country. Every year, approximately 250,000 people hop in canoes and paddle into this unique system of lakes, rivers, and portages. The many happy campers that visit this land witness an incredible yet complex ecosystem of clear-watered lakes filled with cold water fish and thickly wooded wilderness home to plenty of crawling and flapping critters alike. The BWCA is unique in its distinct lack of roads and bans on motorized vehicles of all kinds. The staunch protection against human intervention has preserved the land's natural state. The United States Forest Service, which is in charge of protecting the boundary waters, makes it a point to keep the land as pristine as possible, even limiting the number of visitors that can be present in the area at any given time.
Iron Range and Arrowhead Region
Adjacent to the BWCA lies the iron range, a region known for its mining industry. For decades, the area has been home to a battle between mining expansion and wilderness protection. Twin Metals copper mining has attempted for years to be licensed to mine on the edges of the Boundary Waters. Local community members, Minnesota Boundary Waters enjoyers, and environmental activists alike have faced these attempts with growing concern.
One organization in particular has taken on the challenge of protecting this Minnesota treasure. The Save the Boundary Waters organization has worked tirelessly to protect the BWCA and advocate against proposed sulfide-ore copper mining on the edges of the area since 2013. The organization followed in the footsteps of conservationists Sigurd Olson, Bud Heinselman, and Ernest Oberholtzer, as well as many more wilderness advocates who have been protecting the Quetico Superior region for over 120 years.
Photographer: Anthony Hilligoss
One organization in particular has taken on the challenge of protecting this Minnesota treasure. The Save the Boundary Waters organization has worked tirelessly to protect the BWCA and advocate against proposed sulfide-ore copper mining on the edges of the area since 2013. The organization followed in the footsteps of conservationists Sigurd Olson, Bud Heinselman, and Ernest Oberholtzer, as well as many more wilderness advocates who have been protecting the Quetico Superior region for over 120 years.
The Effects of the Recent Election
Following the recent United States election, the Boundary Waters are in greater danger than ever before, as Trump has “Promised to restore the potential for mining on land eyed for the Twin Metals project, a massive underground copper-nickel mine in the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness,” (Johnson). Trump returning to office with the Senate at his back and the growing possibility of the House swinging that way means the path for him to make good on his promises to introduce dangerous mining to this untouched area is more apparent than ever. Some members of the local community outside of Boundary Waters favor mining at the edges of the BWCA as the industry promises work and a boost to the economy.
Have Our Cake and Eat it Too?
You might be wondering why we can’t have our cake and eat it too. Mining in this area may provide short-term relief for local community members looking for jobs. However, mining in the region would only damage the local economy in the long term. Environmental harms caused by mining would only diminish the area's tourist economy. A 2017 report dives into the economic and environmental trade-off, emphasizing the massive ecological risks of acid mine drainage to the waters of the BWCA. They also emphasized the financial risk of damaging the waters of the area's most profitable tourist attraction: "Amenity-based development has replaced mining as the engine of economic development in the Arrowhead region” (Dr. Alkire & Dr. Phillips). They suggest that focusing on growing the tourism industry surrounding the BWCA is a more sustainable option for economic growth than resorting to mining. The fate of the BWCA is unclear at the moment. Still, you would be mistaken in believing that the hard-working folks at the Save the Boundary Waters organization will allow mining pollution into the area without a serious fight.
Works Cited:
Johnson, Chloe. “What Trump’s Victory Means for Proposed Mines near the BWCA in Northern Minnesota.” Twin Metals Mine near Boundary Waters and Others in Minnesota May Benefit from Trump’s Election., 7 Nov. 2024, www.startribune.com/trump-victory-boosts-mine-near-boundary-waters-in-northern-minnesota/601176909.
Phillips, Spencer, and Carolyn Alkire. “Sulfide-Ore Copper Mining and/or a Sustainable Boundary ...” Sulfide-Ore Copper Mining and/or A Sustainable Boundary Waters Economy: The Need to Consider Real Tradeoffs , www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110436/documents/HHRG-116-II06-20200205-SD004.pdf. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.
“Protect the Boundary Waters from Sulfide-Ore Copper Mining.” Save the Boundary Waters, www.savetheboundarywaters.org/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
