U.S. Rep. McCollum: "I will always fight to protect our pristine Boundary Waters"

January 8, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R, MN-08) announced that he is working with President Trump on a questionable scheme to use the Congressional Review Act to overturn the current federal ban on toxic sulfide ore mining within the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) Wilderness. In response, Congresswoman McCollum (D, MN-04) issued the following statement: “The Boundary Waters is a national treasure. As our country’s most visited wilderness area, the BWCA protects over one million acres of pristine forests and lakes with some of the cleanest freshwater in the world. The federal mineral withdrawal put in place under the Biden administration prevents toxic sulfide ore mining in the headwaters, and it was the result of years of comprehensive and scientifically-sound environmental analysis. The repeated efforts by the Trump administration and Congressman Stauber to overturn this withdrawal are anti-science and ignore the public input which overwhelmingly supported these protections. “I will continue to fight against any efforts by the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress to overturn protections for the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.” Issues : Environment & Energy