Another new bill raises concerns about potential development in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives waives environmental regulations on public land within 100 miles of international borders. In a recent update on MPR, Friends of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness policy director Betsy Daub explains that could allow road building, fences and vehicles in wilderness areas–even the BWCAW. Read the piece HERE.
According to USA Today, proponents believe it will help U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents keep borders more secure and give them the same access to public lands that it already has on state and private lands. The measure also waives the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Park Service Organic Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the National Historic Preservation Act and the Clean Air Act. Read the USA Today article HERE.
The bill will now be considered by a U.S. Senate committee.