IB 

Union Calendar No. 457 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2794 

[Report No. 117–634] 

To provide for the protection of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness 

and interconnected Federal lands and waters, including Voyageurs National Park, within the Rainy River Watershed in the State of Minnesota, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 22, 2021 

Ms. MCCOLLUM (for herself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. PINGREE, 

Mr. PHILLIPS, Ms. OMAR, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. 

GALLEGO, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. NEGUSE, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. 

BARRAGA ́N, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CASTEN, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. 

NORTON, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. KILMER, Mr. KIND, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. 

DEGETTE, Ms. CHU, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mrs. AXNE, 

Ms. LEE of California, Ms. BUSH, Ms. TLAIB, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, 

Mr. CASE, Ms. SLOTKIN, Mr. NADLER, Ms. DELBENE, and Mr. GARCI ́A

of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

DECEMBER 14, 2022 

Additional sponsors: Mr. WELCH, Ms. NEWMAN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. 

JACKSON LEE, Mr. RUSH, Mr. CARSON, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. POCAN, 

Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. LEVIN of California, Ms. STANSBURY, 

Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. AGUILAR, Mrs. BUSTOS, Mr. 

TONKO, Mr. SHERMAN, Ms. DEAN, Mr. LIEU, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. COURTNEY, and Ms. ROSS

DECEMBER 14, 2022 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 22, 2021] 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
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•HR 2794 RH

A BILL 

To provide for the protection of the Boundary Waters Canoe 

Area Wilderness and interconnected Federal lands and 

waters, including Voyageurs National Park, within the 

Rainy River Watershed in the State of Minnesota, and 

for other purposes. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 2794 RH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Boundary Waters Wil5 derness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. WITHDRAWAL OF CERTAIN FEDERAL LANDS AND 

7 WATERS IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. 

8 (a) DEFINITION OF MAP.—In this Act, the term 

9 ‘‘Map’’ means the map prepared by the Forest Service enti10 tled ‘‘Superior National Forest Mineral Withdrawal Appli11 cation Map’’ and dated December 5, 2016. 

12 (b) WITHDRAWAL.—Except as provided in subsection 

13 (d) and subject to valid existing rights, the approximately 

14 234,328 acres of Federal land and waters in the Rainy 

15 River Watershed of the Superior National Forest in the 

16 State of Minnesota, as located on the Map and described 

17 in the Federal Register Notice of Application for With18 drawal, dated January 19, 2017 (82 Fed. Reg. 6639), are 

19 hereby withdrawn from— 

20 (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, and dis21 posal under the public land laws; 

22 (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining 

23 laws; and 

24 (3) operation of the mineral leasing, mineral 

25 materials, and geothermal leasing laws. 


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•HR 2794 RH

1 (c) ACQUIRED LAND.—Any land or interest in land 

2 within the area depicted on the Map that is acquired by 

3 the United States after the date of enactment of this Act 

4 shall, on acquisition, be immediately withdrawn in accord5 ance with this section. 

6 (d) REMOVAL OF SAND, GRAVEL, GRANITE, IRON ORE, 

7 AND TACONITE.—The Chief of the Forest Service is author8 ized to permit the removal of sand, gravel, granite, iron 

9 ore, and taconite from national forest system lands within 

10 the area depicted on the Map if the Chief determines that 

11 the removal is not detrimental to the water quality, air 

12 quality, and health of the forest habitat within the Rainy 

13 River Watershed. 

14 (e) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The Map shall be kept on 

15 file and made available for public inspection in the appro16 priate offices of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land 

17 Management. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 457 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2794 

[Report No. 117–634] 

A BILL 

To provide for the protection of the Boundary 

other purposes. Watershed in the State of Minnesota, and for Voyageurs National Park, within the Rainy River connected Federal lands and waters, including Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and interDECEMBER 14, 2022 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS