Avery Hildebrand

In January, the US Department of the Interior announced a 20-year moratorium of sulfide-ore copper mining on 225,000 acres of land near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA), but this moratorium can be overturned by future presidential administrations. We need to continue to push for permanent protections for the BWCA and the surrounding area, both locally and nationally. 

This legislative session, Minnesota has an opportunity to establish an office of outdoor recreation, which would inspire interest in the environment and bolster our sizeable outdoor recreation economy. Eighteen other states have already established outdoor recreation offices. Here's why we should join them.

Minnesota is home to hundreds of species of plants and animals that are endangered, threatened, or of special concern. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would be the largest investment in wildlife conservation in a generation. Congress needs to pass the the Act before the end of the year—voice your support!

Minnesotans understand that pollution, wildlife, and water doesn’t stop at the border, so we recently advocated for the permanent protection of Ave Kwa Ame (Av-VEE kwa-meh), home to Spirit Mountain in Nevada, an area that’s vital to many Indigenous tribes. At the White House Tribal Nations Summit last Wednesday, the Biden Administration announced a commitment to designate up to 450,000 acres as the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument.

In October, Conservation Minnesota co-hosted with the Trust for Public Land the first ever statewide Parks & Recreation Commissions Conference that brought together volunteer commissioners and board members from across Minnesota to network, share their successes, and learn from experts.