Straddling the continental divide, the Boundary Waters Wilderness of Minnesota is a birth place. It’s also split in two. Half of its waters drain into the Great Lakes, and the other half in to the Hudson Bay, eventually giving way to far north of the Arctic Ocean. An entanglement of waterways, where the health of one impacts the health of the whole. On this divide sits thousands of lakes but also a few small towns. Ely, Minnesota is one of them. A confluence of outdoor recreational land users dedicated to the conservation of the area, and a community who sees these natural resources as an economic opportunity for growth and resource extraction. In Ely, ways of life are hanging in the balance.

Before President Obama left office, he protected the Boundary Waters Wilderness for 20 years from mining. But the new administration rescinded its protection and sulfide-ore copper mines are currently proposed for the area.

On this divide sits thousands of lakes as well as a few small towns that are reliant on both the health and resources of the area. Ely, Minnesota is one of them. A confluence of outdoor recreational land users dedicated to the conservation of the area, and a community who sees these natural resources as an economic opportunity for growth and resource extraction. And many times, both, simultaneously.

In towns like Ely, the ways of life and conservation are both hanging in delicate balance and create a community conversation that is woefully near-sighted and suddenly at odds with itself. ⬩