The fight over Boundary Waters mining protections could hit the Senate floor today. Advocates are urging people to call their senators before a possible vote on H.J. Res. 140, which would overturn the 20-year mining withdrawal protecting 225,504 acres upstream of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. If the resolution passes and gets signed, those protections are gone.
For people trying to keep sulfide-ore copper mining out of the Boundary Waters watershed, this is the moment to speak up, not after the vote’s already happened.
Senate Democrats’ floor guidance for Wednesday, April 15, said consideration of H.J. Res. 140 was possible during the day’s session.
What H.J. Res. 140 Would Do
H.J. Res. 140 is a Congressional Review Act resolution aimed at Public Land Order 7917. That order took effect on Jan. 31, 2023, and withdrew about 225,504 acres of Superior National Forest land from mineral and geothermal leasing for 20 years, subject to valid existing rights.
The order says the withdrawal was meant to protect the Rainy River watershed, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Mining Protection Area, and the 1854 Ceded Territory from the effects of mineral and geothermal development.
If Congress overturns that order through the Congressional Review Act, the withdrawal doesn’t just disappear now. The CRA also blocks the government from issuing a substantially similar rule later unless Congress authorizes it. That’s why opponents see this as more than a one-off vote about one project in northern Minnesota.
How We Got Here
This fight goes back to the proposed Twin Metals mine near the Boundary Waters. In January 2022, the Department of the Interior canceled two hardrock mineral leases tied to that project after finding they’d been improperly renewed in 2019.
The DOI said the renewals had legal defects, failed to properly recognize Forest Service consent authority, and relied on inadequate environmental analysis.
A year later, the Biden administration finalized the 20-year withdrawal through Public Land Order 7917. Then, on Jan. 21, 2026, the House passed H.J. Res. 140 by a 214-208 vote. That sent the measure to the Senate, where it can still move under the CRA process.
Why This Vote Matters Now
Advocacy groups are pushing hard because they say the window to stop the resolution is closing. Minnesota Trout Unlimited said Tuesday that the measure was expected to reach the Senate any day and told supporters to contact senators now. Save the Boundary Waters said Wednesday that the vote was likely that day and urged people to tell senators to vote no.
Supporters of the resolution want the opposite outcome. Rep. Pete Stauber, who introduced H.J. Res. 140, said the measure would repeal what he calls a 20-year mining ban and allow proposed hardrock mining and helium projects to move through state and federal permitting. He has also framed the push as a jobs and domestic minerals issue.
What People Can Do Before a Vote: Call
If you are a proponent of Boundary Waters protection, do not wait. Time is limited, and you need to contact your senators now, while the measure is still pending.
You can find your senator’s contact information on the official “Contacting U.S. Senators” page.
Or you can call the Capitol switchboard number at 202-224-3121.
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