Walz blocks mining near Boundary Waters despite Trump reversal

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is taking heat for defying President Donald Trump on an energy policy matter. On Tuesday, the progressive Midwestern leader signed an executive order that blocks mining permits and leases near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeast Minnesota. A large part of this area falls under federal jurisdiction. This move comes even though President Trump signed legislation back in April that reversed a 20-year ban on new mining leases there. That ban was originally put in place during the Biden administration.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., who holds the top spot for Minnesotans in Congress, called Walz's action "stupid" and "dangerous." Speaking to Fox News Digital, he stated, "This lame duck loser is trying to make us more energy and mineral-dependent on our adversaries." He warned that the order would hurt Minnesota and good union jobs in northern Minnesota. Emmer added it puts national defense at greater risk with enemies like Communist China.

The law passed through both the House and Senate before reaching Trump's desk. Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., led the effort. The legislation focuses on mining metals such as copper and nickel. These materials are used in boat parts, electric vehicle components, military gear, and commercial electronics. Northeastern Minnesota holds the Duluth Complex, which is home to the largest known untapped source of nickel and copper in North America. Emmer argued that not using these resources leaves the U.S. behind China's metal mining industry.

Mining is already prohibited inside the Boundary Waters itself. However, environmental groups have warned that operations outside the buffer zone could still hurt the inner area. Ingrid Lyons, Executive Director of Save The Boundary Waters, issued a statement saying, "The federal government sold out our canoe country earlier this year by stripping away protections that took hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans' voices and years of work to secure, all while ignoring science and the will of the public." She praised Walz's order. "Now, our governor is doing right by Minnesota by pulling out all of the stops to keep toxic copper mining out of the headwaters of the Boundary Waters, while also calling on our state's legislature to finish the job permanently," Lyons said.

When asked about environmental groups backing the move, Emmer dismissed their support as a "false argument." He told reporters, "Every one of us is an environmentalist. I make this point, so nobody gets to claim the high ground." He compared it to someone claiming they are a better conservative than another person. "No, we all care about our environment. We all want clean water. We all want clean air," he said. Emmer continued by saying opponents imply that America should let China mine in old-fashioned ways without caring for the future, rather than doing it safely here in Minnesota where one of the world's top precious metal mines exists. "We have the most stringent environmental laws in the world, I would argue, that are going to ensure that it's done safely, and protects not only the people doing the work, but it protects the environment." Fox News Digital has reached out to Walz's office for a response.