The US Senate will vote soon on H.J. Res 140, which would strip protections from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and allow a Chilean mining firm to create an open-pit copper mine in Superior National Forest in Minnesota. This land, however far away, IS YOUR LAND. Not only that, this action sets up a dangerous precedent that could be used to strip protections from federal public lands across the Southeast. Please speak up and take action today.
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Sample Letter:
Dear [Elected Official]
I am writing to express my concern and outrage over H.J. Res 140, which would use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to remove protections from public land. The bill in question is aimed at the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota, which is temporarily protected from mining. The 20-year mineral withdrawal, Public Land Order 7917, is essential to protecting this irreplaceable wilderness–a cornerstone of our outdoor heritage and a stronghold for clean water, fish, and wildlife.Removing protections for the Boundary Waters would defy both science and public opinion. The Forest Service’s environmental assessment found that sulfide-ore copper mining would cause irreversible harm to the ecosystem and the outdoor economy that depends on it. The Boundary Waters is America’s most visited Wilderness and over 95% of the 675,000 public comments supported protecting it. The beneficiary would be a Chilean mining company with a history of large political donations.
Using the CRA to attack a public land order sets a terrible precedent, inviting political interference in land stewardship decisions that should be grounded in law and public interest, not foreign corporate profits. Moreover, this same tactic could be used to remove protection from some of the Southeast’s most precious places such as the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River, Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, Shining Rock Wilderness, and Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
The Boundary Waters is an incredibly special place where Americans can enjoy the peace, beauty, and adventure of the outdoors. But this isn’t just about the Boundary Waters, this is about protecting all of the public lands that Americans and their tax dollars have invested in for generations. Selling out the Boundary Waters would signal that North Carolina’s public lands could also be sold for mineral development. That is simply unacceptable. Vote “no” on H.J. Res 140.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
