A bill that was introduced by a Minnesota Congressman to overturn a 20-year mining ban near the Boundary Waters is heading to the Senate floor as soon as this week. The bill recently passed through the House on a narrow vote, which fell largely along party lines.

There’s great concern being expressed by conservation groups about the bill, which originated from Minnesota Rep. Pete Stauber. When some of the Paddle & Portage crew were in Ely for the kickoff to the annual Winter Festival, many different people spoke to us about the mining ban and what Stauber’s bill could mean for places like the Boundary Waters, and other public land across the country.

On Feb. 7, some of the P&P crew trekked with a group of people from all over Minnesota to Listening Point, an iconic piece of land on Burntside Lake that belonged to the conservationist and author Sigurd Olson.

Olson wrote of the point: “I must leave it as beautiful as I found it. Nothing must ever happen here that might detract in the slightest from what it had now. I named this place Listening Point because only when one comes to listen, only when one is aware and still, can things be seen and heard. Everyone has a listening point somewhere. It does not need to be close to the wilderness, but some place of quiet where the universe can be contemplated with awe.”

Paddle and Portage will continue to report on news from the Boundary Waters. Like Sigurd, our team continues to find inspiration from such wild places. As politics drives many of the narratives, we hope you remember to seek out your Listening Point, wherever it may be.

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