Friends of the Boundary Waters

We’re excited to grow our Climate and Conservation Department and are looking for someone who’s ready to dig into research, collaboration, and real-world climate solutions for the BWCA and northern MN.

Details: www.friends-bwca.org/careers/

Applications close March 4, 2026.

Boundary Waters protections are on the line! The caucus is tonight at 7 PM. We’ve prepared a Clean Water resolution asking leaders to defend the Boundary Waters. Show up, speak up, and stand for the wilderness you love. → Learn more: https://www.friends-bwca.org/blog/clean-water-delegate-2026

Take action for the BWCA in Duluth! Protections are under attack in Congress, & your voice matters. Join us Wed, Feb 4, 5–7 PM at @dovetailcafeandmarketplace to learn how to speak up, meet supporters, and prep for Day at the Capitol. RSVP! www.friends-bwca.org/event/duluth-legislative-kickoff-2026/

Can you guess which lake this is in the Boundary Waters? Mining runoff could flow directly into the BWCA, threatening water, fish, wildlife, and lakes. These are your public lands—act now: www.friends-bwca.org/take-action-no-renewal-of-bwca-mineral-leases/
Answer: Cummings Lake

BWCA permits open TOMORROW! Jan 28 at 9am

Recreation.gov is where you officially grab your spot.
Whether you’re thinking a quick paddle or a multi-day adventure, this is when summer BWCA trips start taking shape.

Need help figuring out routes, entry points, or planning? We got you! Link in bio!

Trump admin is exploiting a loophole to hand 225,000 acres near the BWCA to a Chilean mining company. House passed H.J. Res. 140 last week 214-208. Senate votes next—simple majority wins.

(202) 224-3121 — Call your senators TODAY. Vote NO on H.J. Res. 140.
Can't call? Fill out the form in our bio.

The Boundary Waters belongs to all of us and its protections aren’t guaranteed. Join us at the Minnesota State Capitol on Feb 25. We’ll connect you with your legislators, cover training, and help you meet them in person so your voice is impossible to ignore. 💧

BREAKING: The House passed H.J. Res. 140—stripping protections from the Boundary Waters and handing 225,000 acres to a Chilean mining corp. The Senate is our last chance. 📞 Call: (202) 224-3121, say "Vote NO on H.J. Res. 140." Final stand.

friends-bwca.org/get-involved/take-legislative-action

🚨 Action needed today. Congress is voting on HJR 140, which could strip protections from 225,000+ acres near the Boundary Waters and open the watershed to toxic sulfide mining. Speak up now: https://www.friends-bwca.org/take-action-no-renewal-of-bwca-mineral-leases/

Dan Cohen fell in love with the Boundary Waters on his first trip to Snowbank Lake in 1984. Over four decades he’s guided youth, shared family trips, led transformative wilderness adventures, and experienced unforgettable moments—like a cow and calf moose watching him on Tuscarora Portage.

Paul Douglas: My eyes are wide open to Boundary Waters threats "If you contaminate the headwaters, you don’t kill just one lake; you poison the entire bloodstream of Minnesota’s last untouched wilderness," Douglas writes.

www.startribune.com/bwca-mining-...

The BWCA depends on long-standing protections to keep its water clean. Those protections are under threat in Congress, with a vote THIS WEEK. Paul Douglas explains why a no vote matters. Read his article, then contact your member of Congress. Link in bio!

9 Ely students went dog sledding with White Wilderness Sled Dog Adventures—cold temps, big smiles, the dogs were good pals. Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.

Yesterday’s news → tonight’s action.
If you’re feeling fired up, this is where to channel it. Get grounded in what’s happening and learn how to make our voices count for clean water and public lands.

Congress is moving to strip protections from 225,000 acres near the BWCA.

MN Rep. Stauber introduced H.J. Res. 140, a giveaway to Chilean mining company Antofagasta that puts toxic mining next to our cleanest water.

We have 60 days. Contact Congress & vote NO: www.friends-bwca.org/get-involved...

BREAKING: Trump admin just started the process to strip protections from 225,000 acres near the Boundary Waters—exploiting a technicality to hand public land to foreign mining corps.

We've fought battles like this for 50 years. We've WON for 50 years.

They picked the wrong wilderness.

Meet Bob O'Hara. 67 consecutive summers in the BWCA. It began in 1959, 2 days after HS graduation, inspired by Sigurd Olson. Now 84, he has paddled tens of thousands of miles across the Canadian Arctic and still returns every year. His hope for the next 50 years? “That it is still a wilderness.”

New year, new ways to protect the BWCA! 🌲
The MN legislative session starts this month. Show up, speak up, and make your voice heard. Find an event near you: https://www.friends-bwca.org/get-involved/attend-an-event/

2026 resolution: paddle more, worry less. 😎🤗

Permits drop 1/28/26.
Plan your BWCA route with our expert resources.
Your next great trip starts here → https://www.friends-bwca.org/explore/plan-a-trip/
Canoe, camp, explore and help us keep mining out of these waters.

This decision moves mining closer to the Boundary Waters. One of our country’s most treasured wild places is at risk. We can’t let this go unanswered. We need to stand up for these places now. Link in bio.

#BoundaryWaters #ProtectWildPlaces #MiningThreat #CleanWater

Minnesota DNR approved a Chilean mining company to drill at the Boundary Waters’ edge.

The Walz administration could have stopped it. They didn’t.

The Boundary Waters and our public lands deserve better.

Support the fight: www.friends-bwca.org/donate

#BoundaryWaters #ProtectPublicLands #NoMining

This article offers broader context on public lands management in the U.S., including how national policies can affect protected places like the Boundary Waters. Worth a read.

🔗 https://steadystate.org/public-lands-sellout-under-trump/

Wishing everyone a happy holiday! As the year wraps up, we’re reflecting on how thankful we are for this community. These five BWCA wins from 2025 belong to all of us. Thanks for being part of it.

Read the full list of wins: https://www.friends-bwca.org/blog/5-wins-for-the-boundary-waters-in-2025/

✨ Boreal Stargazing Week is back! Feb 9–15, 2026—free winter adventures under Minnesota’s dark skies. Snowshoe, ski, stargaze, enjoy hands-on art, and K–12 virtual programs. Community events statewide. Full schedule in our link in bio.

BWCA Trivia is at Dual Citizen Brewing Company! 🌲🍻 Join Dan Pauly, BWCA author, for a fun night of trivia. Free, no team needed, prizes for top three. Come for the trivia, stay for cozy vibes and great brews. RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/share/17cGX9226k/

Skiing the Banadad Trail: the longest groomed route in the Boundary Waters A handy guide for skiing the longest, groomed cross-country ski trail in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Ski fans, the Banadad Trail is a must-try in the Boundary Waters. Check it out: https://queticosuperior.org/skiing-the-banadad-trail-the-longest-groomed-route-in-the-boundary-waters/

We are looking for Seasonal Education and Outreach Facilitators in St. Paul, Ely, and Grand Marais, plus an Office Host in Ely for the summer season.

Applications are open through January 31.
Full details → www.friends-bwca.org/careers/

How do you paddle the Boundary Waters when you can’t see a thing? Kelly Carver has been doing it for decades, navigating lakes, trails, and campsites while legally blind. His story will change how you think about wilderness.

🎧 Listen to the full episode: https://www.friends-bwca.org/podcast

The Ely Chamber of Commerce hosted a magical day at Grand Ely Lodge! 🎄 Kids visited Santa, tried crafts from local groups, and rolled their own cedar firestarters at our station. Over 160 little makers left with cozy creations for wood stoves or gifts for grandpa! 💝