Congresswoman Betty McCollum Commends Governor Walz’s Executive Order Banning Mining Near the Boundary Waters

August 19, 2026 Press Release SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D), the Dean of the Minnesota Congressional Delegation, issued the following statement on Tuesday in response to Governor Tim Walz’s executive order banning mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA): “I commend Governor Walz’s bold leadership in issuing this executive order that protects the pristine waters of the Boundary Waters and its watershed, and honors our Tribal treaty obligations for generations to come. Now Congress needs to act to pass my legislation, the Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act (H.R. 588) to provide a permanent federal protection for this national treasure. The Boundary Waters holds 20% of all the fresh water in the U.S. National Forest System — water so clean you can drink it. The danger of copper mining to our clean water is clear and overwhelming: 100% of copper mines have failed, leading to polluted water. The wildfires that have raged in the BWCA this summer remind us just how vulnerable this area is. That’s why I’ve worked for two decades to defend this special place, our nation’s most-visited wilderness, just as we protect our nation’s most coveted national parks — Yosemite, Zion, Acadia, and Glacier.” Issues : Environment & Energy