By Sam Lungren, Backcountry Journal editor This piece was published in the Fall 2018 issue of Backcountry Journal. Since this article was published, the Biden administration has begun their reconsideration of the previous administration’s decision to extend leases for copper mining in the Superior National Forest upstream of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. In August 2021, President Biden's Secretary of Agriculture told the public that he was waiting for a legal opinion from ...

National Policy Updates - July 2018 Backcountry Beat Land and Water Conservation Fund and Maintenance Backlogs  We continue to push for permanent reauthorization and dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund during committee hearings and by supporting Rep. Lee Zeldin’s (R-NY) attempt to offer amendments to moving legislation. We submitted testimony to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in response to a subcommittee hearing on legislation to address the ...

National Policy Update – March 2018 Backcountry Beat FY18 Omnibus Spending Package This month Congress passed a comprehensive funding package that will enhance management of our public lands, waters and wildlife while supporting new access and opportunities for America’s sportsmen and women.  At $1.3 trillion, this omnibus spending bill for fiscal year 2018 increases funding across key federal agency bureaus while resoundingly rejecting massive cuts proposed by President Trump. Department of ...