For Immediate Release
April 10, 2024
Contact: Libby London, 612-227-8407
Boundary Waters Action Fund endorses U.S. Rep Betty McCollum for re-election
(Ely, MN) -- Boundary Waters Action Fund (BWAF), the 501(c)(4) affiliate organization of Save the Boundary Waters, endorsed Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) for her re-election to the United States House of Representatives. BWAF supports candidates committed to protecting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness at the federal and state levels from the threat of sulfide-ore copper mining in the headwaters of the Boundary Waters.
“Congresswoman McCollum has been the critical champion for permanently protecting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for over a decade. She has introduced legislation that would permanently protect the Boundary Waters from sulfide-ore copper mining four times, fought back tirelessly against anti-Boundary Waters legislation and harmful Trump administration executive action, and made protecting Minnesota's crown jewel a top priority. Rep. McCollum’s Boundary Waters permanent protection legislation is the key to protecting America’s most visited Wilderness - forever, and her re-election is critical for the future of Minnesota’s priceless wild places,” said Ingrid Lyons, Executive Director of the Boundary Waters Action Fund
The Boundary Waters is the most heavily visited wilderness area in the United States, attracting more than 165,000 visitors from all over the world. It is a major driver of the regional economy, supporting hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs. A vast collection of peer-reviewed science shows that if a Twin Metals copper-nickel mine were built along the rivers and streams flowing into the Wilderness pollution and environmental degradation would be certain. A peer-reviewed independent study from Harvard University showed that protection of the Boundary Waters from a proposed Twin Metals sulfide-ore copper mine would result in dramatically more jobs and more income over a 20-year period.
Nearly 70 percent of Minnesotans support permanent protection for this priceless Wilderness area. A poll conducted by Change Research of Minnesota midterm voters finds that 7 in 10 (69%) support legislation to permanently protect Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from the threat of sulfide-ore copper mining. The poll of 1,098 2022 Minnesota voters from November 7-10, 2022 found that support for permanent protection ran high across all demographics and every region of the state.
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