Map of Boundary Waters Canoe Area and surrounding lands/Kmusser via Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Years of concern that the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness would be harmed by nearby mining were alleviated when the Biden administration withdrew 225,504 acres of the Superior National Forest from mineral and geothermal leasing for 20 years.

Roughly 80 miles east of Voyageurs National Park and about 70 miles west of Grand Portage National Monument in northern Minnesota, conservationists feared the Boundary Waters would be adversely impacted by a copper-nickel mine proposed to be built in the Rainy River watershed. The U.S. Forest Service last summer called for the withdrawal, warning that mining could impair the Boundary Waters. In a draft environmental assessment the agency said "the protection and preservation of cultural resources, wilderness character, water quality, scenic integrity, important wildlife corridors, and high-quality recreation values is a longer term need" than mining.

Responding to concerns regarding the potential impacts of mining on the area’s watershed, fish and wildlife, tribal and treaty rights, and robust recreation economy, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Thursday signed Public Land Order 7917, withdrawing approximately 225,504 acres in the Superior National Forest from disposition under the United States mineral and geothermal leasing laws for a 20-year period, subject to valid existing rights. This action will help protect the Rainy River watershed, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the 1854 Ceded Territory of the Chippewa Bands, from the potential adverse impacts of new mineral and geothermal exploration and development, a release from Interior said.

“The Department of the Interior takes seriously our obligations to steward public lands and waters on behalf of all Americans. Protecting a place like Boundary Waters is key to supporting the health of the watershed and its surrounding wildlife, upholding our tribal trust and treaty responsibilities, and boosting the local recreation economy,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. “With an eye toward protecting this special place for future generations, I have made this decision using the best-available science and extensive public input.”

Canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness/USFS

While the Superior National Forest is managed by the Forest Service, which falls under the Agriculture Department, the subsurface mineral rights are managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which falls under Interior.

“I applaud Secretary Haaland’s decision to protect the long-term health of the Rainy River watershed, including the irreplaceable Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This landscape is an international resource renowned for its multitude of recreational opportunities and provides millions of visitors with unparalleled wilderness experiences.”

Athan Manuel, director of Sierra Club's Lands Protection Program, said the "Boundary Waters is a unique piece of our nation’s natural legacy, and we thank Secretary Haaland for her decision today to protect this iconic wilderness area from toxic pollution caused by sulfide-ore copper mining. As the climate crisis threatens our water, lands, and wildlife for the next generation, we must prioritize conserving natural places and resources that our communities rely on for a sustainable future."

Also applauding the action was the National Wildlife Federation, where CEO Colliun O'Mara said the Boundary Waters "is one of the most magnificent landscapes in America and provides outstanding habitat for moose, bear, otters, lynx, wolves, and hundreds of species of birds. Allowing sulfide-ore mining in the ‘crown jewel of Up North’ would be devastating to the hundreds of wildlife species that make their home in the pristine watershed and would have threatened a billion-dollar outdoor recreation economy that supports 17,000 jobs. Secretary Deb Haaland’s decision is one that future generations will look back upon with gratitude.”

National Parks Conservation Association staff agreed the protection was needed for the greater watershed of the region.

“Toxic copper mining has no place within the Voyageurs National Park watershed. Secretary Haaland’s leadership and action today reinforces the importance of this place and the very reason the park was protected. This decision solidifies the work NPCA and so many park advocates have put in for years to protect Voyageurs National Park and the surrounding lands and waters," said Christine Goepfert. "Acid pollution from sulfide mines as far away as 100 miles upstream threaten the park’s waters and all who visit. Even small amounts of this pollution is detrimental to public health and the world-class fishing, recreation and wildlife Voyageurs is known for. Banning mining activities in the region’s watershed will protect the broader park ecosystem now and for years to come.”

The decision is the culmination of more than a year of evaluation by federal partners and robust public involvement regarding the potential impacts of mining on the important natural and cultural resources of the Rainy River Watershed.

In October 2021, the Forest Service submitted a withdrawal application to the BLM. Extensive public input was sought on the requested withdrawal, and the Forest Service conducted an environmental assessment to evaluate the potential impacts of prohibiting new mineral and geothermal exploration and development within the Rainy River watershed for the next 20 years. The analysis and decision were informed by approximately 225,000 comments gathered from two public comment periods, three virtual public meetings and two tribal consultations, according to Interior.

More than 150,000 visitors from around the world every year are drawn to the 1.1-million-acre Boundary Waters, the only lake-land wilderness in the National Wilderness Preservation System. It boasts more than 1,200 miles of canoe routes, 12 hiking trails, and 2,000 designated campsites, and contributes up to $17.4 million annually to the more than $540 million recreation and tourism economies in Cook, Lake and St. Louis counties.

Located adjacent to Voyageurs National Park, Grand Portage National Monument, and Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario, the area contains more than 1,100 lakes, interspersed with islands and surrounded by forests that extend nearly 150 miles along the border with Canada. Congress expanded protections for the wilderness area in 1978, when it directed the Forest Service to maintain high water quality and to minimize “to the maximum extent possible” the environmental impacts associated with mineral development.

The public land order withdrawing portions of the Superior National Forest from operation of the mineral and geothermal leasing laws, subject to valid existing rights, is authorized by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. The Secretary of the Interior has the authority to withdraw this area for a maximum of 20 years, subject to renewal. Only Congress can legislate a permanent withdrawal.