1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

I urge you to vote NO on the CRA resolution of disapproval for Public Land Order No. 7917, which would revoke protections enacted for the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness—one of our nation’s most visited and largest wilderness areas. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness contains over 1.1 million acres of interconnected lands and waters within the Superior National Forest. In addition to providing important habitat for over 250 species of wildlife, it safeguards clean water and provides important subsistence resources like wild rice to Indigenous Anishinaabe people who retain hunting and gathering rights there. In January 2023, then-Secretary Deb Haaland issued a 20-year mineral withdrawal that recognized the unacceptable threats that mining activity posed to the watershed. The decision followed a robust review process that included multiple public comment periods and meetings—hundreds of thousands of comments from across the country supported issuing these protections. The decision was made with sound science and robust engagement to prevent irreversible destruction from tarnishing this beloved place for generations to come. This effort would not only revoke these protections but also prevent them from being reissued in the future, effectively marking the watershed of the Boundary Waters for destruction by the subsidiary of an international mining giant. This is an unacceptable move that flies in the face of what the American people have expressed they want time and time again. The House of Representatives made a terrible error in passing this resolution. We cannot sacrifice the Boundary Waters for political games. Please, vote no.