For Immediate Release
June 21, 2024
Contact: Libby London, 612-227-8407
(Ely, MN) --Today, the Boundary Waters Action Fund (BWAF) endorsed 16 Minnesota House of Representative candidates. The Boundary Waters Action Fund is the federally recognized 501(c)4 electoral wing of the coalition to protect the Boundary Waters from sulfide-ore copper mining.
Boundary Waters Action Fund Communications Director Libby London issued the following statement:
“The Boundary Waters Action Fund is pleased to endorse these 16 Minnesota State House candidates who know that permanently protecting America’s most visited Wilderness - the Boundary Waters - from America’s most toxic industry - sulfide-ore copper mining - is crucial for the future of our state. The majority of Minnesotans want to see the Boundary Waters watershed permanently protected, and if elected, these candidates will work to protect this Wilderness from the threat of sulfide-ore copper mining. We look forward to supporting them in their races and we encourage Minnesotans to make their voices heard at the ballot box this November.”
A list of endorsed candidates can be found here.
The Boundary Waters is the most heavily visited wilderness area in the United States, attracting more than 165,000 visitors from all over the world. It is a major driver of the regional economy, supporting hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs. A vast collection of peer-reviewed science shows that if a Twin Metals copper-nickel mine were built along the rivers and streams flowing into the Wilderness pollution and environmental degradation would be certain. A peer-reviewed independent study from Harvard University showed that protection of the Boundary Waters from a proposed Twin Metals sulfide-ore copper mine would result in dramatically more jobs and more income over a 20-year period.
Nearly 70 percent of Minnesotans support permanent protection for this priceless Wilderness area. A poll conducted by Change Research of Minnesota midterm voters finds that 7 in 10 (69%) support legislation to permanently protect Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from the threat of sulfide-ore copper mining. The poll of 1,098 2022 Minnesota voters from November 7-10, 2022 found that support for permanent protection ran high across all demographics and every region of the state.
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