Dear John,

My name is David Hicks, and I own Cast Outdoor Adventures in Ely, Minnesota. I just returned from something I never imagined I’d do: traveling to Washington, D.C. to meet with members of Congress about the future of the Boundary Waters.

I’m not a lobbyist. I’m a small business owner whose family’s livelihood depends on clean water and intact wilderness. And after three full days on Capitol Hill, I’m more convinced than ever that this place needs all of us.

Every day at Cast Outdoors, I get to introduce people to the quiet magic of Canoe Country. I guide dogsledding trips, ice fishing excursions, and Boundary Waters base camp adventures for visitors who come from all over the world just to experience this landscape.

And here’s what struck me most in D.C.: many legislators genuinely don’t understand what’s at stake.

They hear “mining jobs” and don’t realize that the Boundary Waters already drives a vibrant regional economy. My business exists because of this Wilderness. The outfitters, guides, lodges, restaurants, and shops in Ely, Grand Marais, Tofte, Duluth, and across the Arrowhead — we are all here because of the Boundary Waters.

After seeing firsthand how important it is for real people to show up in D.C., I’m asking you to pitch in if you can. Can you make a gift to help Save the Boundary Waters continue this work?

Make a gift to support this work

Twin Metals wants to put a sulfide-ore copper mine right in the headwaters of this irreplaceable Wilderness, opening the entire watershed to pollution. You cannot un-poison water. One accident or one leak and everything my family has built, everything this community depends on, is gone forever.

The mining company pushes a false choice. The Boundary Waters supports thousands of sustainable jobs right now and has for decades. Sulfide mining would offer a few hundred short-term jobs, followed by pollution that lasts for centuries.

In every meeting on Capitol Hill, I told lawmakers the same thing: The Boundary Waters is the backbone of our local economy. Lose it, and we lose far more than a landscape — we lose our way of life.

Being in those rooms made one thing clear: real stories from people who rely on and love this Wilderness matter. That’s why I’m writing to you today.

Will you make a gift to help continue this work and keep this issue in front of the people making decisions?

The mining lobby has deep pockets. They have spent millions trying to convince Congress they can mine safely in a pristine watershed. We know they can’t. Science knows they can’t. 

Save the Boundary Waters is leading this fight for permanent protection. Your donation helps keep this coalition strong, keeps this issue in front of lawmakers, and keeps the pressure on until we secure permanent protections.

Thank you for being part of this fight to permanently protect the Boundary Waters. 

For the Wilderness, 

David Hicks

Owner

Cast Outdoor Adventures

Ely, Minnesota

P.S. Every time I harness up for a trip into the Boundary Waters, I think about the families who'll experience this place for the first time this season. Your gift today ensures future generations will have this same opportunity. Please give generously >>

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Save the Boundary Waters
P.O. Box 625
Ely, MN 55731
United States

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