For Immediate Release
July 22, 2024
Contact: Ingrid Lyons, (651) 505 3566
The Boundary Waters Action Fund Thanks President Biden for Historic Boundary Waters Protections, Endorses Vice President Kamala Harris for President of the United States
(Ely, MN)-- Today, the Boundary Waters Action Fund (BWAF) reacted to President Biden’s decision to end his bid for a second presidential term, thanking the President for all that he has done for Boundary Waters protection. Further, BWAF announced the endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for President of the United States. BWAF is the federally recognized 501(c)4 electoral wing of the coalition to protect the Boundary Waters from sulfide-ore copper mining.
Boundary Waters Action Fund Director Alex Falconer issued the following statement:
“We are deeply grateful to President Biden and to the whole Biden-Harris Administration for championing and enacting the most significant protective measures for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in over 40 years. Vice President Harris has proved herself to be a champion of our public lands. In her own words:
‘Expanding our public lands protections increases our access to nature, boosts our outdoor economy, and honors areas of significance to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples.’ - Vice President Harris at a signing ceremony on May 2nd, 2024 https://x.com/VP/status/1786214131063759207
The Boundary Waters Action Fund enthusiastically endorses Kamala Harris for President of the United States. We are excited to help elect her and work with her Administration.”
A list of endorsed candidates can be found here.
In January 2023, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland signed a Public Land Order (PLO) protecting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW or Wilderness), Voyageurs National Park (VNP), and 1854 Treaty Area from sulfide-ore copper mining for 20 years. The PLO, called a mineral withdrawal, bans toxic mining on 225,504 acres of Superior National Forest land in the watershed of the BWCAW and upstream of the Wilderness. The PLO comes after the Forest Service published a comprehensive scientific review finding that sulfide-ore copper mining would pollute the Boundary Waters in ways that could not be fixed or mitigated. The PLO and the final Environmental Assessment (EA) are expected to be released tomorrow.
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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