Gov. Tim Walz’s Aug. 18
executive order
to protect the Boundary Waters and Rainy River headwaters deserves the support of everyone who cares about the long-term future of northern Minnesota.
The discussion surrounding this order and the Twin Metals mining proposal is often framed as a choice: environmental protection or economic development. As a second-generation canoe outfitter, I believe this is a false choice and that protecting the Boundary Waters is in itself an economic decision that allows our region to thrive.
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The BWCAW is one of Minnesota’s greatest assets, economic or otherwise. The clean water, forests, wildlife, and unparalleled wilderness experience bring visitors from Minnesota, across America, and from around the world. These visitors support outfitters, guides, resorts, restaurants, lodges, retailers, and camps. In turn, they give us the resources to steward our state and the land on which we live.
Northern Minnesota has a proud mining heritage, and mining will continue to be important to our region’s history and the identity it has found. But I hope we can acknowledge that heritage alone does not demand we accept every proposed mine, especially one t...