June 22, 2016 at 06:45PM

Silently gliding through dawn’s golden mist was like paddling through a dream. The 4:45 a.m. alarm was harsh, but this morning was our last chance to film with @arborealis and @mattyvanbiene for a film we are working on with @ductapethenbeer. The lake looked like a steaming cup of strong coffee. The choice was clear, we rubbed our eyes, got dressed and were floating through a foggy wonderland minutes later. For an hour and a half we slowly explored rock, trees, water and sky bathed in gold and laced with mist.

I never had the privilege of meeting Sigurd Olson, but I have to think that what we experienced this morning on Snipe Lake was the singing Wilderness that he described so eloquently in his essays. It was a gift to bear witness to such raw beauty.
This place is just too precious to risk. The sulfide-ore copper mines being proposed along the edge of the Wilderness threaten this national treasure and now is the time to take action.

Two important mineral leases held by Twin Metals Minnesota, which is owned by the Chilean mining giant Antofagasta, expired on Dec. 31, 2013 and are up for renewal.

These leases were issued in 1966, before any environmental regulations existed, including the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the law that requires environmental impacts to be considered before decisions are made where mines can be sited. These leases have never undergone environmental review.

In a recent press release the U.S. Forest Service said it was: “Deeply concerned by the location of the leases within the same watershed as the BWCAW, and by the inherent risks associated with potential copper, nickel and other sulfide mining operations within that watershed.” The USFS is asking for public input between June 20 and July 20. Please sign the petition at http://ift.tt/1x2erSX and urge the USFS to not renew these mineral leases.
#wildernessyear #savetheBWCA #BoundaryWaters #BWCA #sunrise #Wilderness #WeAreTheWild #OnlyinMN #CaptureMN