John,

America's most visited wilderness area is under threat.

Copper sulfide mining, an incredibly toxic and polluting industry, could soon commence just a few miles outside of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Runoff from this harmful practice would poison pristine waterways, pollute fertile soil and harm wildlife.1

Right now, we have the chance to permanently protect one of America's most treasured wild places.

The Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection Act would safeguard more than 225,000 acres of federal lands and waters from exploitation, including large areas of the Boundary Waters and Voyageurs National Park.2

Tell your U.S. senators to support this bill and protect the Boundary Waters from mining.

We've helped pass protections for countless wild places, and we're confident with your support we can build the momentum needed to one day secure a lasting future for the Boundary Waters.

Located within the greater Superior National Forest, the Boundary Waters helps make up the largest uncut forest east of the Mississippi. Within its borders, more than 1,200 miles of interconnected lakes and rivers flow through a million acres of unspoiled forests, wetlands and crucial habitat.3

One of the nation's ecological treasures, the Boundary Waters supports an incredible array of life.

On land, its forests shelter vulnerable and threatened species like the gray wolf, northern long-eared bat and Canada lynx.4 While below the surface, the Boundary Waters is home to nearly half of all native Minnesota fish species.5

Don't let a haven for wildlife be trampled and polluted. Tell your U.S. senators to protect the Boundary Waters today.

This irreplaceable wilderness could soon face a serious threat.

Two sites just beyond the edge of the Boundary Waters have long been targeted as potential copper sulfide mining and processing areas. Pollution from these sites would spread rapidly through the interconnected waterways of the Boundary Waters and surrounding Superior National Forest.

This mining creates sulfuric acid runoff -- essentially battery acid -- that permanently contaminates waterways with acid, poisons aquatic life and releases toxic heavy metals like arsenic, lead and mercury into the environment.6

This pollution would have a devastating impact on the many species and critters that call the Boundary Waters home.

Across the globe, these mines have repeatedly caused severe ecological and environmental damage. Even after closure, these mines can continue to leak toxic waste into the air and soil for decades.7

So why on earth would we let this happen to one of America's most pristine, treasured and widely enjoyed wildernesses?

Urge your U.S. senators to support and pass the Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection Act today.

Your action today can help convince our senators to take a different path: ensuring that the Boundary Waters remains a vibrant wild place for generations to come.

Together, we can preserve and protect this treasured wilderness forever.

Thank you,

Ellen Montgomery

1. Ellen Montgomery, "How Copper Mines Pollute," Environment America Research & Policy Center, February 21, 2025.
2. "Statement: Senator Smith introduces bill to provide permanent processions for Boundary Waters," Environment Minnesota, April 10, 2025.
3. "Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness," U.S. Department of Agriculture, last accessed April 21, 2025.
4. Katelynn Rolfes, "What makes the Boundary Waters so special," Environment Minnesota, March 18, 2025.
5. Paul Venturelli and Bruce Vondracek, "The fish and fisheries of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park, and their vulnerability to copper sulfide mining," University of Minnesota, April 14, 2017.
6. Ellen Montgomery, "How Copper Mines Pollute," Environment America Research & Policy Center, February 21, 2025.
7. Ellen Montgomery, "How Copper Mines Pollute," Environment America Research & Policy Center, February 21, 2025.