Order Bans Mining On Public Land Next To The Wilderness
Contact: Ian Brickey, ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the Biden Administration announced a Secretarial order for a 20-year mineral withdrawal that will protect Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The orders come after a comprehensive scientific review that found that sulfide-ore copper mining would pollute the Boundary Waters in ways that could not be fixed or mitigated.
It is the second major lands protection announcement in as many days from the White House, following the re-introduction of environmental protections to the Tongass National Forest.
In response, Athan Manuel, Director of Sierra Club's Lands Protection Program, released the following statement:
"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."