Leaders and supporters with the national Save the Boundary Waters coalition gathered this week to voice opposition to a recent House bill aimed at overturning a 20‑year mining ban near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The U.S. House voted this month to reverse the mining prohibition in the Superior National Forest. The ban, enacted by the Biden administration, withdrew more than 225,000 acres of federal land from new mining exploration for two decades. “This bill goes to the Senate next, so we’re really focusing on trying to get a lot of senators on our side,” said Ben Karlgraard, a Duluth representative for Save the Boundary Waters. The push to reverse the ban was introduced by Rep. Pete Stauber, who argues that lifting the restrictions would bring jobs and economic opportunities to northeastern Minnesota.