Governor Tim Walz Bans Nonferrous Mining Near Boundary Waters

Governor Tim Walz signed Executive Order 26-10 on August 18, 2026, banning new permits, environmental reviews, and state mineral leases for nonferrous mining in the Rainy River Headwaters Watershed. The order aims to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and a $1 billion outdoor recreation economy. It specifically targets copper-nickel projects, including a $1.7 billion mine proposed by Twin Metals Minnesota LLC, while leaving ferrous mining operations like iron and taconite unaffected.

The action directly opposes a move by President Donald Trump and Congress in April 2026, which overturned a 20-year federal moratorium on mining in the Superior National Forest. The federal resolution, authored by U.S. Representative Pete Stauber, had reopened over 225,000 acres of land to mining proposals. Under the new state order, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency must halt all permitting work and decline participation in federal environmental reviews until the Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness v. DNR litigation is resolved.

Environmental advocates and the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa praised the order as essential for protecting wilderness and treaty rights. Conversely, Republican lawmakers, industry groups like MiningMinnesota, and Twin Metals condemned the move as a political delay that ignores scientific findings and harms the regional economy. The executive order is scheduled to expire 90 days after Walz leaves office unless extended by his successor.