John,

The Boundary Waters are under attack.

A remote, pristine wilderness of sprawling lakes and hiking trails, where fox pups play on the shore and bald eagles perch in trees that have been standing tall for hundreds of years -- can you picture a copper mine in a place like this?

That's exactly what could happen if this proposal in Congress goes through, opening one of our nation's most visited wildernesses to toxic mining.1 And it could come to a vote in the U.S. House any day now.

We need your voice: Send a message to your U.S. representative urging them not to strip back protections for the Boundary Waters.

There's a reason thousands of people flock to the Boundary Waters every year. The remote beauty of this wilderness is one of those things you just have to see for yourself.

More than a thousand lakes stretch in every direction, many of which don't allow motors of any kind. That means the only sound you'd hear as you stand on the shoreline is the shush of running water, the warble of bird song and the chatter of critters moving in the undergrowth.

This new proposal would put all that at risk.

Copper mining would bring polluted runoff and toxic heavy metals with it, threatening the wildlife who call the Boundary Waters home. That includes endangered species like the gray wolf, Canada lynx and northern long-eared bat.2

We can't sacrifice a place like this to toxic copper mining. Send a message today urging your representative to protect the Boundary Waters.

If we allow a place like this to be poisoned by toxic pollution, there's no going back.

Open pit copper mining can permanently scar landscapes. Acid runoff from the mining process can seep into the water and soil, poisoning fish and other small animals, which in turn threatens creatures further up the food chain.3

Copper can be recycled over and over without losing its quality, which means there are plenty of other ways we can harvest the copper we need.4 But when you tarnish a place like the Boundary Waters, it's gone for good.

Don't let Congress expose the Boundary Waters to toxic mining. Send your message today.

Thank you for defending the Boundary Waters,

Lisa Frank
Executive Director

1. Katelynn Rolfes, "NEWS RELEASE: Congress to vote on upholding 20-year mining ban near Boundary Waters," Environment America, January 9, 2026.
2. Ellen Montgomery, "Protect Our Boundary Waters," Environment Minnesota, January 22, 2025.
3. Ellen Montgomery, "How Copper Mines Pollute," Environment America Research & Policy Center, February 21, 2025.
4. Ellen Montgomery, "How Copper Mines Pollute," Environment America Research & Policy Center, February 21, 2025.