bike seeds: Canoeing 🛶 fishing 🎣 and… mining?! ⛏️

Momoko, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota is one of America's most treasured landscapes. Its interconnected system of lakes, rivers and wetlands offer the freedom for paddling, canoeing, birding, camping and fishing, and draw around 250,000 visitors per year.

But certain members of Congress want to open this precious landscape's headwaters to toxic mining. Together, we need to send a clear message: America's public lands and waters are NOT for sale!

We're fighting to protect the Boundary Waters, but we need your help—your membership matters so much at this moment! Through March 31, a generous donor is MATCHING every gift that comes in to help defend threatened public lands.

Earlier this year, the House narrowly passed a resolution to revoke the 20-year mining ban that protects more than 200,000 acres of public lands near the Boundary Waters.

A mine in this landscape would have disastrous impacts. Pollutants such as sulfuric acid and heavy metals would be carried downstream into the wilderness, contaminating the pristine lakes, rivers and streams the region is known and protected for, putting clean water and critical wildlife habitat at risk.

The Boundary Waters are much more than a pretty spot to canoe—they are essential to the health of nearby communities and the broader ecosystem. The surrounding 3-million-acre Superior National Forest holds 20 percent of the freshwater in the entire national forest system, underscoring the region's critical role as a source of clean water for wildlife and locals today and into the future.

It's also a critical habitat for moose, Canada lynx and other wildlife. And for the Anishinaabe people, this water sustains wild rice, an irreplaceable subsistence and cultural resource.

That's why your Spring Membership Drive gift is so important, Momoko. Right now, every gift will be doubled, up to $375,000, through March 31. Your Spring Membership Drive gift today will go 2X as far to help The Wilderness Society:

		*Defend the Boundary Waters and all* public lands** from reckless drilling and mining projects.

		Mobilize communities to protect the clean water that sustains wildlife and communities.

		Ensure cherished public lands that belong to all of us remain in public hands.

There is no way to undo the damage this mining operation could cause to the Boundary Waters. But together, we can stop this latest attempt at offering up public lands for private profit.

Please, make your matched gift before March 31 to help ensure this extraordinary wilderness—and all public lands—remain protected from polluters.

With gratitude,

Margot Krieger headshot.