Boundary Waters mining attack passes Senate in radical CRA vote
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota
Joanna Gilkeson, USFS, Flickr
Resolution overturns 2023 public land order, exposes one of most visited wilderness areas to toxic mining pollution
WASHINGTON D.C. (April 16, 2026) — By a vote of 50-49, the Senate passed a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act to pave the way for mining in the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The vote marks a major expansion of the way the controversial CRA is used: Congress and the administration have nullified a well-considered and long settled public lands decision, created in collaboration with local communities, that likely never would have been considered a reviewable “rule” previously.
In response to the news, Abby Tinsley, senior vice president of conservation programs at The Wilderness Society, made the following statement:
“The Boundary Waters is a national treasure, and Americans visit it by the hundreds of thousands each year to enjoy the freedom to explore its pristine waterways and forests. Today’s vote will expose the wilderness area’s headwaters to toxic mining waste forever, using a reckless and unprecedented tactic that puts countless more cherished public lands at risk. The Senate just bulldozed over local voices and science-based management in order to give America’s public lands away to a foreign mining conglomerate. Future generations deserve better, and our fight to protect this special place is far from over.”
Contact: newsmedia@tws.org / mgreenberg@tws.org
