Governor Tim Walz signed an executive order to protect Minnesota’s the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) from nonferrous mineral mining.
He is expected to be in Ely today following a speech in Afton at 10 a.m.
The governor’s order directs the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to stop all permitting and environmental review work on nonferrous mineral mining projects in the Rainy River Headwaters Watershed (RRHW).
This order also directs DNR to not issue any new leases or permits for nonferrous mineral mining projects in the RRHW and to immediately review all existing nonferrous mineral leases in the RRHW to ensure that the BWCAW is protected for generations to come.
“The Boundary Waters is a national treasure and home to some of Minnesota’s most pristine waters and wilderness,” said Walz. “This place is deeply personal to me, to Minnesotans, and to people across the country who have paddled these waters. I am using my full executive authority to protect the waters and wildlife of the Boundary Waters and to ensure the outfitters, small businesses, and communities that depend on it continue to thrive for generations to come. It’s our duty as Minnesotans to ensure the sacred place remains wild, pristine, and unharmed.”
This action follows Congress’s vote to overturn a 20-year federal shield against mining in the BWCAW, opening the door to renewed nonferrous mineral mining proposals, including copper and nickel. Those proposals threaten the region’s wilderness, water, and nearly $1 billion outdoor recreation economy.
Under Executive Order 26-10, the DNR will:
• Together with MPCA, halt all new environmental review and permitting work on proposals for nonferrous mineral mining in the RRHW until the Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness v. DNR litigation is fully resolved.
• Decline to participate as a cooperating agency in any federal environmental review of a proposed nonferrous mineral mining project in the RRHW.
• Offer no new state nonferrous mineral leases or surface leases for nonferrous mining operations in the watershed.
• Review every existing state nonferrous mineral lease within the RRHW and strictly enforce compliance with lease terms.
• Draft legislative language to permanently prohibit nonferrous mineral mining in the RRHW for consideration in the agency’s budget and policy proposals.
“The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is a Minnesota treasure, and we have a responsibility as Minnesotans to ensure its long-term protection,” DNR commissioner Sarah Strommen said. “Today’s executive order and the work that follows strengthen those protections.”
“The significant advancements to protect human health and the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the amount of recycling, composting and diversion from landfills, and creating climate-change-resilient communities in the last eight years create a safer, more sustainable state for future generations,” said Katrina Kessler, commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. “At a time when the federal government is stepping back on its commitment to protecting the environment and the people who live here, the state of Minnesota under governor Walz’s leadership is stepping up.”
“The science is clear: copper mining and the Boundary Waters cannot safely coexist. This action helps safeguard the clean water, world-class wilderness, and outdoor economy that generations of Minnesotans cherish,” said Becky Rom, Save the Boundary Waters national chair. “The Boundary Waters is simply too important to gamble with, and Governor Walz’s executive order is a major step toward ensuring this irreplaceable wilderness remains protected for future generations.”
This action is part of nearly eight years of work to protect Minnesota’s environment, advance clean energy, and preserve the state’s lands and tribal regions. During the Walz-Flanagan administration, greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by more than 16 percent, 60,000 clean energy jobs have been created, and sustainable aviation fuel innovation has advanced through nation-leading tax credits. The administration has also banned PFAS “forever chemicals,” made Minnesota a leader in EV adoption, saved state agencies more than $100 million in energy costs, and helped drive nearly a 20 percent increase in visits to the state’s nationally ranked parks.
