Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act

This bill protects the Boundary Waters and nearby federal lands and waters in northern Minnesota. It would stop new mining and mineral leasing on about 225,504 acres in the Rainy River Watershed to keep the water, air, and forests healthy, including areas connected to Voyageurs National Park. The bill explains that copper and other metal mining in sulfide ore can create acid drainage that pollutes lakes and rivers, harms fish and wildlife, and puts the region’s clean water and outdoor recreation economy at risk. The goal is to protect these fragile waters and lands for the long term.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Residents, visitors, and businesses that rely on clean water and tourism; Tribal Nations with treaty rights in the area; and mining companies that might want to operate there.
• What changes: New mining claims and mineral leasing would be blocked; any future federal land added in the area would also be covered; limited removal of sand, gravel, granite, iron ore, or taconite could be allowed only if the Forest Service finds it won’t harm water, air, or forest health; existing valid rights stay in place.
• Where: The Rainy River Watershed in the Superior National Forest, including waters that flow through the Boundary Waters and Voyageurs toward Canada.
• When: These protections would take effect once the bill becomes law, with the lands “hereby” closed to new mining and leasing under the bill’s text.