REGIONAL— A pollster for President Donald Trump has found broad opposition in Minnesota to sulfide mining near the Boundary Waters, even as a plurality of Minnesotans say they support copper-nickel mining in general.

And nearly 80 percent of the Minnesotans polled said they support a planned two-year study of a withdrawal proposal, which would protect 234,000 acres of the Superior National Forest from mining for the next 20 years. The area affected by the withdrawal includes a large portion of the Rainy River watershed, which flows into the heart of the BWCAW.

The U.S. Forest Service was scheduled to hold its first public meeting on that proposal on Thursday night, after the Timberjay’s weekly deadline. The federal agency is also planning to hold a similar session somewhere on the Iron Range as part of its decision-making process.

The Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters hired Bob Ward, of Fabrizio Ward, the polling firm used by Trump in his successful run for the White House. A poll conducted for the campaign by a different polling firm found similar results last year.

Based on the latest poll findings, pollster Bob Ward indicates in an accompanying report that protection of the Boundary Waters from sulfide-based mining of copper and nickel is potentially a potent electoral issue in Minnesota, with likely implications for statewide races in 2018 and beyond.

“We asked voters if they would be likely to vote for a candidate for Congress if that person “fought to keep sulfide ore copper mining away from the areas near the Boundary Waters Wilderness.” By a margin better than 4 to 1, voters said they would be more likely to vote for that candidate rather than less likely,” stated Ward.

Ward’s research found that only about a quarter of Minnesotans view the mining industry negatively, while 37 percent have a favorable view. “Most Minnesotans are not anti-mining,” concludes Ward based on the poll results. “However, Minnesotans are passionate about the Boundary Waters,” he wrote. “Overall, 78 percent have a favorable opinion of the area, with an eye-popping 58 percent viewing it very favorably.” Ward stated that such support is not surprising, given that two-thirds of voters said they have visited the wilderness. Support for the wilderness cuts across party boundaries, with no statistical difference between Minnesotans based on party identification.

“Even in the Eighth District, where the mines would be located, the potential appeal of mining jobs is cross-pressured by the desire to preserve the natural environment, the advantage is to the candidate who fights for the Boundary Waters Wilderness,” stated Ward.

The survey also found strong support for the decision by federal officials last December to study the potential impacts of sulfide-based copper mining within a major Boundary Waters watershed.

“By a 40-point margin, Minnesotans want the current “pause and study” process to play out to see if a long-term moratorium on sulfide ore copper mining should be placed near the Boundary Waters Wilderness. Clear support for staying on the current path to finish the review holds among all party affiliations and in the Eighth District,” said Ward.