Thursday, December 15th 2016
The U.S. Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture today announced important steps to protect the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), a spectacular area in northeastern Minnesota comprised of more than a million acres of lakes and forests. Citing broad concerns from thousands of public comments and input about potential impacts of mining on the wilderness area's watershed, fish and wildlife, and the nearly $45 million recreation economy, the agencies today took actions that denied an application for renewal of two hard rock mineral leases in the area, as well as initiated steps to withdraw key portions of the watershed from new mineral permits and leases. It was in recognition of its irreplaceable resources that Congress set aside the Boundary Waters more than 50 years ago. Today, more than 150,000 annual visitors help drive the local economy through tourism and outdoor recreation. As the surface management agency, the Agriculture Department's U.S. Forest Service has issued a decision withholding consent to the renewal of two mineral leases located on lands near the wilderness area within the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota. As a result of that decision, the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the agency managing the mineral deposits, is subsequently rejecting the renewal application, which was submitted by Twin Metals Minnesota in 2012. The two leases, initially issued in 1966 and most recently renewed in 2004, would have allowed for the mining of copper, nickel, and associated minerals from the leased lands. However, no mineral production has occurred on either lease since the original date of issuance. The BWCAW is the only large lake-land wilderness in the National Wilderness Preservation System. In establishing the wilderness area, Congress directed the Forest Service to maintain its water quality, protect its fish and wildlife, and minimize the environmental impacts associated with mineral development.