Hidden in northern Minnesota is over one million acres of protected land, home to America’s most visited wilderness with over

250,000 annual visitors. With this comes a substantial tourist industry, thousands of jobs, and a vast population of wildlife that rely on consistent and intentional protection. However, the conversation surrounding the use of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) has been a polarizing one since Donald Trump’s first term as president. Trump has already stated that he plans to reverse the 20-year protection imposed by former-president Joe Biden. The copper-nickel mining company, Twin Metals, has sought the land surrounding the Boundary Waters for years and claims to uphold clean energy goals. Despite this, research from Save The Boundary Waters, a leading advocacy group for the protection of the BWCA, claims that 100% of copper mines have experienced accidental spills. Additionally, a 2018 Harvard study found that a healthy environment in the BWCA would be more beneficial to the economy than a mine, with 4,500 more jobs and $900 million more to personal incomes over the next 20 years. It is an unfortunate reality that the natural world that has provided us the resources to live comfortably (and at all) is a political talking point, or a piece of collateral that can be put at risk with the justification of a means to an end.

With economic and environmental concerns, a deeper incentive to protect the Boundary Waters arises for many who have personally experienced the one-of-a-kind wilderness in our home state. As Claudia Garcia-Arce, ‘26, explains, “the most important aspect of going [to the BWCA] would just be letting the beauty of nature absorb you.” She continues that the experience isn’t just about seeing a new place, but she says that she “felt a complete reset in myself and I, honestly, just felt calm and free of all my worries.” With this personal stake in the protection of the Boundary Waters, Garcia-Arce explains that the proposals in the surrounding area makes her “extremely disappointed and enraged.” Her perspective is that “the BWCA is part of our world, it was there before us.” Spreading awareness goes beyond just the Bound- ary Waters, “it’s our planet that needs to be protected.” Garcia-Arce summarizes the issue, saying, “we have a duty to live amongst nature, not topple and dismantle it.” Saving and protecting the Boundary Waters is not only for the personal benefit of the thousands of yearly visitors, but for the land and animals that have relied on the BWCA as a home since long before America’s polarizing political divide.

For people who are visiting, abide by a few rules: 1. Leave the BWCA better than you found it, 2. Be considerate of other visitors, 3. Plan ahead and prepare, 4. Respect the animals, and finally, 5. No drones! Although it is important that we hold our representatives accountable for the impact they have on our beloved BWCA, current and prospective adventurers need to know the proper etiquette before going into the BWCA.