Save The Boundary Waters Names Former DNR Chief As Leader

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- A leading group in the opposition to a copper-nickel mine on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has hired a former state agency chief who approved another controversial mining project in northeastern Minnesota.

The Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters announced Tuesday that former Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Landwehr is its new executive director.

As DNR commissioner, Landwehr approved the key permits for the PolyMet mine near Hoyt Lakes. But he draws a sharp distinction between that project and the proposed Twin Metals mine near Ely, just upstream from the Boundary Waters. He says that's not a place where mining should be considered.

Save the Boundary Waters National Chair Becky Rom says Landwehr is the "right person at the right time" to lead the group.