Vote NO on H.J. Res.140-Protect the Boundary Waters

Vote NO on H.J. Res. 140 – Protect the Boundary Waters I am writing to urge you to vote NO on H.J. Res. 140, the measure that would reopen lands above the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) to copper-sulfide mining. This proposal would reverse the Public Land Order protecting the watershed of one of America’s most pristine and economically valuable wilderness areas: the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The mining company seeking to develop this project is Antofagasta, a foreign-owned corporation. The ore would likely be processed by Chinese state-owned smelters and sold on the global market. That is not “America First.” It exposes a treasured American landscape to long-term risk while exporting the economic benefit abroad. Copper-sulfide mining poses well-documented risks to water quality. Once sulfide ore is exposed to air and water, it can generate acid mine drainage and release heavy metals. The Boundary Waters watershed is interconnected, clean, and fragile. Contamination would be effectively permanent. This is not theoretical—hardrock mining has left a legacy of long-term pollution at sites across the United States. The BWCAW supports a robust outdoor recreation economy in northeastern Minnesota. Thousands of jobs depend on clean water, tourism, guiding, hospitality, and small businesses. Reopening this area to mining threatens that sustainable rural economy for the sake of a short-lived extraction project. Additionally, overturning the existing Public Land Order through the Congressional Review Act sets a troubling precedent for public lands nationwide. It risks weakening long-standing protections that Americans across the political spectrum support Protecting the Boundary Waters is not anti-mining. Mining has a role in our economy. But location matters. This is the wrong place. Please vote NO on H.J. Res. 140 and work toward permanent protection of the Boundary Waters watershed.