Save the Boundary Waters (Episode 64)

In this urgent episode of The Parks Podcast, host Missy Rentz sits down with Sam Chadwick, Associate Director of Save The Boundary Waters, to discuss a critical and unprecedented threat to one of Minnesota’s most iconic landscapes.

Despite a 20-year mining ban enacted in 2023 to protect these pristine headwaters, a new joint resolution in Congress seeks to roll back these protections and pave the way for copper mining. Sam breaks down why this specific type of mining is so dangerous for a water-rich environment, how the "invisible boundary" of a wilderness area offers no protection against downstream pollution, and why the current legislative maneuver is a "dangerous first" for federal land management.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The Current Threat: Why the U.S. House has passed a resolution to undo the copper mining ban and what happens next in the Senate.
• Wilderness 101: What makes the Boundary Waters unique—from its "wilderness quiet" status to its status as the most visited wilderness area in the country.
• The Environmental Risk: The difference between traditional iron mining and the high-risk sulfide-ore copper mining proposed for the edge of the wilderness.
• The "Squeaky Wheel" Strategy: Practical tips for calling your senators, overcoming "phone anxiety," and why calling local state offices can be even more effective than calling D.C.
• The Power of Visitation: Why visiting and sharing your love for these places is a vital form of advocacy.

Support the show