Hornbeck Boats & Outdoor Supply

This is great news for the BWCA!

The Boundary Waters just received the strongest statewide protection in its history!!

The Boundary Waters just received the strongest statewide protection in its history.

This morning, Governor Tim Walz signed an executive order to keep copper-sulfide mining out of the Rainy River Headwaters. The watershed that flows directly into the Boundary Waters.

Here's what it does:

🚫 DNR and the Pollution Control Agency must stop all environmental review and permitting work on sulfide mining proposals in the watershed
🚫 No new state mineral leases
🚫 No new surface leases for tailings or mine waste
🚫 No DNR cooperation with federal environmental reviews
✍️ And it directs the DNR to draft legislative language prohibiting copper-sulfide mining in the watershed

Read that last one again. Minnesota's governor just told his agency to write the ban.

It has been a hard year for the Boundary Waters. Congress stripped federal protection from 225,000 acres of public land surrounding the wilderness. Fire devastated country many of us have paddled our whole lives.

The mining industry and its political allies will fight this. They have the lawyers and the money, and we should expect them to use both. That fight is coming.

But today we're thankful for decisive action. Thankful for you. Thankful to have a place like the Boundary Waters worth defending. 💙

Josh will be in Winona, MN for Bluffs2Backwaters this weekend (8/21-23)! He'll be camping, paddling in events, and bringing along a trailer of Hornbecks for anyone who wants to demo. You can learn more about the event here:

Bluffs2Backwaters — Recreation Alliance of Winona Register for Paddling Series Dam2Dam - 18 mile River Run - 10 Mile River Run - 5 mile Paddle Your Buns Off Community Paddle Bridges and Boathouses: Community Paddle August 21-23 2026Celebrate the Outdoors. Celebrate Community.Bluffs2Backwaters is Winona’s signature recreation festival, a multi-day...

One of the things we love about Minneapolis is the easy access to great paddling. A review of overlooked national parks in Family Travel Forum reads, "getting on the water here changes everything. From the shore, the Mississippi looks wide and a little imposing. But once you are in a kayak or canoe, the river becomes something else entirely, quieter, more personal, and full of small details you simply cannot see from a trail."
We encourage you to get out there!

The National Park In Minnesota That Tourists Always Skip, And Locals Love It Minnesota river recreation area with scenic trails, historic sites, wildlife, and outdoor views hiding near the Twin Cities.