II
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION S. 1366
To protect, for current and future generations, the Boundary Waters Canoe
Area Wilderness and interconnected Federal land and waters, including
Voyageurs National Park, within the Rainy River Watershed in the
State of Minnesota, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
APRIL9, 2025
Ms. S
MITHintroduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
A BILL
To protect, for current and future generations, the Boundary
Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and interconnected Fed-
eral land and waters, including Voyageurs National Park,
within the Rainy River Watershed in the State of Min-
nesota, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Boundary Waters Wil-4
derness Protection Act’’. 5
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•S 1366 IS
SEC. 2. WITHDRAWAL OF CERTAIN FEDERAL LAND AND 1
WATERS IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. 2
(a) D
EFINITIONS.—In this section: 3
(1) M
AP.—The term ‘‘Map’’ means the map at-4
tached to Public Land Order No. 7917 (88 Fed. 5
Reg. 6308 (January 31, 2023)). 6
(2) B
OUNDARY.—The term ‘‘Boundary’’ means 7
the boundary labeled ‘‘Withdrawal Application 8
Boundary’’ in the legend of the figure entitled 9
‘‘Withdrawal application area’’ and identified as fig-10
ure 1, as included in the environmental assessment 11
prepared by the Forest Service entitled ‘‘Rainy River 12
Withdrawal Environmental Assessment’’ and dated 13
June 2022. 14
(b) W
ITHDRAWAL.—Except as provided in subsection 15
(c), subject to valid existing rights, the approximately 16
225,504 acres of Federal land and waters in the Rainy 17
River Watershed of the Superior National Forest in the 18
State of Minnesota, as depicted on the Map (including any 19
land or waters or interest in land or waters that are ac-20
quired by the United States after the date of enactment 21
of this Act within the Boundary), are withdrawn from— 22
(1) all forms of entry, appropriation, and dis-23
posal under the public land laws; 24
(2) location, entry, and patent under the mining 25
laws; and 26
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•S 1366 IS
(3) operation of the mineral leasing, mineral 1
materials, and geothermal leasing laws. 2
(c) R
EMOVAL OFSAND, GRAVEL, GRANITE, IRON 3
O
RE, ANDTACONITE.—The Chief of the Forest Service 4
may permit the removal of sand, gravel, granite, iron ore, 5
and taconite from National Forest System land within the 6
area withdrawn under subsection (b) if the Chief of the 7
Forest Service determines that the removal is not detri-8
mental to the water quality, air quality, and health of the 9
forest habitat within the Rainy River Watershed. 10
(d) A
VAILABILITY OFMAP ANDFIGURE.—The Map 11
and the figure depicting the Boundary shall be kept on 12
file and made available for public inspection in the appro-13
priate offices of the Forest Service and the Bureau of 14
Land Management. 15
Æ
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