The outdoor industry needs to take a stand on sulfide mining in northern Minnesota before it’s too late.
Northern Minnesota is home to some of the most special places in our country for outdoor recreation. Surely you’ve heard of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, which contains one million acres of protected lands, over 1,200 miles of canoe routes, 1,100 lakes and rivers, and the largest area of uncut forest in the eastern United States. A canoe can carry you for days through those still waters, with nights spent at remote campsites while stars wheel overhead. The Boundary Waters is America’s most visited wilderness area, welcoming 250,000 visitors each year.
Northern Minnesota is also home to hundreds of miles of Lake Superior’s shoreline, which houses 10 percent of the world’s fresh water, as well as endless adventure in the form of fishing, paddling, and thousands of acres of shoreline forest and hiking trails.
What you likely have not heard is that in this region two proposed sulfide-ore copper mines, known respectively as PolyMet and Twin Metals, threaten these important outdoor spaces. In sulfide ore mining, the wastewater from removing metal from sulfide-rich rock requires hundreds of years of treatment before it is safe to return to the environment. Sulfide ore mining was named by the EPA as the most polluting industry, and it has never been conducted in a water-rich environment like Northern Minnesota without irreversibly polluting the surrounding groundwater and waterways. Sulfide mine pollution can be found in Mount Polley, British Columbia; Grouse Creek, Idaho; Zortman-Landusky, Montana; and countless other places around the world.
“Like the recent leasing of public lands to mining companies in Bear’s Ears National Monument, the construction of these mines represents the next step in a long-standing tradition of elected officials and international corporations leveraging public lands, which all Americans have a right to, in the interest of short-term profits.”
Right now, foreign corporations are attempting to push two of these mines through the regulatory process in Northern Minnesota. Twin Metals, if approved, would sit on the edge of the Boundary Waters. PolyMet is proposed in a similarly risky spot near the headwaters of the St. Louis River, which flows directly into Lake Superior. In both cases, acid mine drainage could contaminate the future of outdoor recreation in this region. More importantly, these mines could impair the health of local residents, the preservation of the natural environment, and the culture of indigenous tribes. Two mines are just the start. They will pave the way for future operations in this mineral-rich region of Minnesota.
Like the recent leasing of public lands to mining companies in Bear’s Ears National Monument, the construction of these mines represents the next step in a long-standing tradition of elected officials and international corporations leveraging public lands, which all Americans have a right to, in the interest of short-term profits. We were encouraged to see leaders in the outdoor industry take a stand when Bear’s Ears was opened up to new mineral leases. It is clear that many in this industry understand that we all gain when we protect and preserve these spaces.
Today, more than ever, public lands need defending. We are seeing a constant erosion of the protections that once ensured our children and their children would have the same opportunities to appreciate the wonders of the outdoors that we were afforded. As lovers of the outdoors, we must stand on the front lines in this fight to preserve the spaces we love to camp in, canoe in, fish, hunt, and adventure. Nowhere is this more evident than in Northern Minnesota.
But the proposals to mine near the Boundary Waters have not been met with the uproar so many of these attacks produce. If we want the outdoor industry to survive, it falls on us to stand up, speak out, and protect these places. As you are well aware, mining projects affect more than just these spaces, but also the health of our industry, an industry which currently supports more than 7.5 million direct jobs and generates $887 billion in annual revenue in America. It is our duty to use our platform to advocate for the outdoor spaces we rely on and profit from.
That is why we, as outdoors lovers and filmmakers, set out to protect Northern Minnesota. We started to make a film showing how great Minnesota was for hiking, fishing, and camping. As we continued, we discovered sulfide mining could irrevocably damage spaces we spent our lives enjoying. When we learned about these mines, we immediately began work on a documentary exposing the risks these mines pose, not just for these great outdoor destinations, but for clean water and the environment. Last month, our Kickstarter surpassed its funding goal, raising nearly $60,000 to help us complete this project.
Our film, 7 Generations, tells the story of Minnesota’s long-standing connection to mining and points out the stark differences between Minnesota’s historic mining industry and this new threat. In our film, we speak with native tribal leaders, health professionals, scientists, local business owners, and more to tell the story of sulfide mining in Minnesota.
President Theodore Roosevelt was known for his love of fishing, hunting, and the outdoors. But Roosevelt was more than just a great outdoorsman. He was a conservationist and a steward of the natural resources that provided him with some of his most treasured escapes. Recognizing the need to preserve and protect our most pristine wilderness for future generations, Roosevelt gave more than he took, setting aside more than 230 million acres of public lands when president.
We’re writing to ask for your help protecting Northern Minnesota. As members of the outdoor industry, we know that you have a vested interest in protecting these wonderful outdoor spaces. Much like Roosevelt, you, too, recognize the importance of preserving our greatest outdoor spaces, not just for our children, but for seven generations to come. So please, tell your friends, your family, and your customers to visit 7generationsfilm.com to learn more about sulfide mining and the threat it poses in Minnesota. And while you’re waiting to see our film, contact your legislators and tell them to stand up to the sulfide mining industry.
For more information on how to get involved and to donate to the 7 Generations project, head to 7GenerationsFilm.com . Or call your senator. You may phone the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the Senate office you request. More information about contacting your senator can be found here: senate.gov/reference/common/faq/How_to_correspond_senators.htm .
