January 20, 2026
Dear Member of Congress:
On behalf of the undersigned hunting and fishing conservation organizations representing hundreds of thousands of members and supporters, we write to share our concern regarding H.J. Res. 140, a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution which would revoke critical protections for the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a world-class fishing and hunting destination averaging over 150,000 visitors annually, and overturn existing precedent for the management of our nation’s public lands.
The Boundary Waters and downstream Voyageurs National Park are currently protected by Public Land Order 7917, the 20-year mineral withdrawal placed in 2023, banning sulfide-ore copper mining on over 225,000 acres of federal public lands in the Rainy River Watershed of Northeast Minnesota. This mineral withdrawal was based on the U.S. Forest Service’s comprehensive Environmental Assessment, which concluded that sulfide-ore copper mining near the Boundary Waters would cause irreversible harm to this sensitive ecosystem. The Forest Service’s 2022 analysis included 675,000 public comments, over 95% of which favored protecting the withdrawal area from non-ferrous mining.
At nearly 1.1 million acres, the Boundary Waters spreads across the northeastern tip of Minnesota, containing over 1,100 lakes, 2,000 designated campsites, hundreds of miles of rivers and streams, and the largest contiguous areas of uncut forest remaining in the eastern United States. The three-million-acre Superior National Forest, which includes the Boundary Waters, contains 20 percent of all the fresh water in the entire National Forest System.
The Boundary Waters offers unparalleled opportunities for fishing, hunting, camping, and paddling. It’s a haven for hunters and anglers who come to the region to pursue walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, whitetail deer, grouse, black bear, and one of the largest self-sustaining populations of native lake trout in America. The potential loss of these unique recreational opportunities is a stark reminder of the stakes involved in protecting this irreplaceable natural resource.
H.J. Res. 140 would overturn the 20-year mineral withdrawal, which complied fully with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), including extensive public review and comment. Mineral withdrawals have never been considered “rules” eligible to be overturned by the CRA, which is why Public Land Orders such as this have never been submitted to Congress. This CRA resolution is an entirely unprecedented maneuver that ignores the foundation of our public lands management system and threatens not only the future of the Boundary Waters, but how all federal public lands are managed going forward. Attempting to revoke this mineral
withdrawal through this unprecedented manner completely sidelines the environmental analysis and public process required under FLPMA to amend or rescind mineral withdrawals.
Further, the CRA is a blunt legislative tool that has historically been used only in rare instances. In the first twenty years after enactment, the CRA was used to overturn a federal rulemaking only once. Again, public land orders have historically not been submitted to Congress under the CRA – setting this precedent could open the door for overturning any public land order since 1996.
Further, this would open the door for Twin Metals MN, a subsidiary of the Chilean mining company Antofagasta, to permit the Twin Metals MN copper-nickel mine less than a mile upstream from the Boundary Waters. More importantly, Antofagasta plans to ship its metal concentrates from the Twin Metals project to China for processing and sale, and already has contracts in place with Chinese smelters. This mine will not directly supply critical minerals domestically, as the minerals will be funneled to a strategic adversary of the United States.
Notably, the Boundary Waters withdrawal area includes only four out of eighteen known mineral deposits in the Duluth Complex, the mineral rich formation found in northern Minnesota. Neither does the withdrawal affect other mineral deposits in the region, such as the Tamarack Intrusion, where the electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla committed to purchasing 75,000 metric tonnes of nickel from Talon Metals’s Tamarack Nickel Project.
Furthermore, recent research from the Colorado School of Mines, By-product recovery from US metal mines could reduce import reliance for critical minerals, concluded that 90% recovery of these minerals/metals as by-products at active U.S. mines now could meet nearly all our critical mineral needs as a nation. In other words, we don’t need to put the Boundary Waters at risk to meet domestic critical mineral demands.
Overturning the Boundary Waters watershed mineral withdrawal jeopardizes not only the environment but also the regional economy. The outdoor recreation economy in northeastern Minnesota supports over 17,000 jobs and contributes more than $1 billion in annual sales. Studies consistently show that protecting the Boundary Waters yields stronger, more sustainable economic benefits than short-term, toxic sulfide-ore copper mining.
As hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts who rely on places like the Boundary Waters, we find this legislation troubling. Removing existing safeguards by passing H.J. Res. 140 would ignore the voices of the overwhelming majority of the American sporting community, prioritize the profits of a foreign mining company, and set a dangerous precedent for similar protections across the country.
We respectfully request that you uphold protections for the Boundary Waters that ensure generations of incredible hunting, fishing, and paddling opportunities. Our sporting heritage and the outdoor economy of Northeast Minnesota rely on an intact and water-rich backcountry habitat that millions of Americans have visited. Please oppose H.J. Res 140 and any similar actions taken in the Senate.
Sincerely,
American Fisheries Society
American Fly Fishing Trade Association
Angler Action Foundation
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.)
Fly Fishers International
Izaak Walton League of America
Minnesota Trout Unlimited
Minnesota Wildlife Federation
National Deer Association
National Wildlife Federation
North American Falconers Association
North American Grouse Partnership
Pheasants Forever
Quail Forever
Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Trout Unlimited
Whitetails Unlimited
Wildlife Management Institute
