Twin Metals has pursued copper and nickel mining in the forest since 2019
Minnesota’s action concerns proposed projects in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a wild area in the Superior National Forest. The wilderness draws thousands of canoeists, kayakers and campers each year.
Walz, a Democrat, said, “It’s our duty as Minnesotans to ensure the sacred place remains wild, pristine and unharmed.”
The governor acted four months after Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration lifted a federal ban affecting mining in the area. The source account did not specify the scope of the state’s suspended work beyond describing it as work on proposed mining projects.
Twin Metals Minnesota LLC, a subsidiary of Chile-based Antofagasta Minerals, has sought to mine copper, nickel and other precious metals in the national forest since 2019.
The company insists that mining can proceed without storing waste rock above ground. Twin Metals says that approach would eliminate a potential source of acid.
The Boundary Waters runs along Minnesota’s border with Canada for about 150 miles, or about 240 kilometers. Its location in the Superior National Forest and its use by canoeists, kayakers and campers place the proposed mining activity within a wilderness area visited by thousands of people each year.