1. United States
2. Wisc.
3. Letter

I urge you to oppose House Joint Resolution 140, which would use the Congressional Review Act to overturn the 2023 Public Land Order protecting 225,504 acres in the Boundary Waters watershed from copper mining. This resolution threatens America’s most-visited Wilderness and sets a dangerous precedent. **Environmental & Economic Concerns:** The Boundary Waters generates substantial tourism revenue and provides clean water downstream to Voyageurs National Park and into Canada. Copper-nickel mining poses documented risks of sulfide pollution that could permanently damage these waterways. The region’s recreation economy—supporting thousands of jobs through camping, fishing, and paddling—would be jeopardized by mining operations. **Unprecedented Process Abuse:** This marks the first attempt to use the CRA to rescind a Public Land Order. The 2023 withdrawal followed extensive environmental review and robust public input, reflecting democratic land management principles. Using the CRA to bypass these protections undermines the integrity of public lands management and could create precedent for dismantling other conservation measures through simple majority votes. **Fiscal & Governance Responsibility:** The Department of Interior conducted thorough scientific and economic analysis before issuing this withdrawal. Overturning it wastes taxpayer investment in that review process and prioritizes short-term extraction over long-term economic and ecological stability. **Requested Actions:** - Vote NO on H.J.Res. 140 in the Senate - Oppose future CRA applications to public land protections - Support science-based land management decisions - Protect the public input process in conservation policy The Boundary Waters deserves protection that respects both environmental science and democratic governance. I respectfully urge you to oppose this resolution. Thank you for your consideration.