Border security bill irks BWCA advocates
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives is raising concern about potential development in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
The legislation waives environmental regulations for the Department of Homeland Security on public land within 100 miles of an international border.
"What it would allow is activities like road building, fences, vehicles, development of other infrastructure in many of our treasured public lands," said Betsy Daub, policy director for the group Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.
Sponsors of the legislation say the law would allow the Department of Homeland Security to respond more quickly to security threats, but Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano is on record saying the legislation is unnecessary.
A U.S. Senate committee will now consider the bill.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
Dear reader,
Political debates with family or friends can get heated. But what if there was a way to handle them better?
You can learn how to have civil political conversations with our new e-book!
Download our free e-book, Talking Sense: Have Hard Political Conversations, Better, and learn how to talk without the tension.
