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Writer's pictureDan Cooke

The Porcupine Mountains are at Risk. Here's Why It Matters for Detroit's Outdoors.

Tomorrow, the Michigan State Senate Appropriation Committee vote on whether to award a $50 million mining grant on the border of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. Here's why all Detroit region recreationists should fight against it.

expedition detroit porcupine mountains wilderness state park protect the porkies advocacy conservation copper copperfield mine mining pollution Michigan outdoor industry

"Right here Lucy, lay right here. Perfect. Good girl!"


With the headlamp freshly off, I could barely make out the silhouette of my golden retriever navigating through the pitch-black darkness of our tent. We had never camped before, so with bated breath I watched her sniff around the tent for a few moments, find a spot right next to my sleeping bag, and nestle in to her "dad den."


I exhaled. And smiled.


Perfect. Everything in that moment was perfect. We had spent the day trekking through the backcountry of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park with two buddies, also from Metro Detroit, and all of our first time to this corner of the Upper Peninsula. We backpacked in to a backcountry site, built a roaring fire, and killed most of a bottle of rye while laughing and telling stories under the starlit sky.


Lucy was one of the guys - she even had her own "pack" on to carry her poop bags, collapsable water bowl, and trail treats. Everyone carries their load on the trail.


As we laid down to close out a perfect trail day, the Porkies had one last surprise for us. Howls pierced the soundtrack of an August night. A whole pack of wolves, somewhere in our greater vicinity, decided to make their presence known in spectacular fashion.


My eyes shot open. Not out of fear, but out of curiosity - and renewed apprehension regarding my newest backpacking companion curled up next to me.


Lucy picked up her head. Curiously cocked it to the side. Listened attentively. Smiled. And then nestled back into her polyester den.


As I gave her one last kiss goodnight, I couldn't help but smile too. We were sharing a very primal wilderness experience together, just as man and canine had experienced for roughly 30,000 years. Lucy and I always had a special bond, but it was never stronger than those days backpacking through the Porcupine Mountains together, reconnecting with our roots as symbiotic outdoor beings.


Hiking those trails. Wading into Lake Superior. Admiring the stars reflecting off of the Lake of the Clouds. A truly #PureMichigan wilderness experience.

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The "Porkies Crew" at Lake of the Clouds, August 2019

That's my personal Porkies story. One of innumerable special moments that have been experienced by generations of visitors to "America's most beautiful state park." A beautiful collection of memories that I hold deeply close to my heart, especially since Lucy is tragically no longer in my life.


Now, as I type these words, another main character in my story is also at risk. An unreasonable, indefensible, and potentially catastrophic risk. A risk that threatens not only the Porcupine Mountains and Lake Superior, but the entirety of Michigan's outdoor recreation industry - and especially Detroit's.


The Porcupine Mountains themselves are in risk of exploitation, contamination, and degradation. Here's why all of Michigan's outdoor community must join forces to #ProtectThePorkies.

expedition detroit porcupine mountains wilderness state park protect the porkies advocacy conservation copper copperfield mine mining pollution Michigan outdoor industry

The Danger Facing the Porcupine Mountains

In case this article is the first that you are hearing about this issue, allow us to give you the TL;DR summary.


TOMORROW, DECEMBER 18TH, the Michigan Senate Appropriations Committee will be voting on whether to approve a $50,000,000, taxpayer-funded grant to a Canadian mining company called Highland Copper. The Michigan House Appropriations Committee provided their preliminary approval of the grant last week.


The "Copperwood Mine" will be located all of a 15 SECOND DRIVE from the southeastern corner of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, with mining waste having direct gravitational flow access to the Presque Isle River and Lake Superior. Additionally, the Copperwood Mine will be located directly north of the North Country National Scenic Trail, one of the longest national scenic trails in the United States.

expedition detroit porcupine mountains wilderness state park protect the porkies advocacy conservation copper copperfield mine mining pollution Michigan outdoor industry
Image courtesy of Protect the Porkies

Before diving into the severe environmental and economic risks of the Copperwood Mine, for the sake of fairness we would like to point out some of its economic benefits. The price of copper is roughly $3.72 per pound, so the mine could produce an estimated $400 million. The copper mining industry produces roughly $1 billion per year for Michigan's economy.


Alright, those are the "pros."


Here is the startling long list of "cons":

  • Thirty million tons of mine waste. That's right - the Copperwood Mine is anticipated to produce 30,000,000 tons of toxic waste over a 10 year period. Copper will comprise only 1.45% of the total extracted material from the mine - the remaining 98.55% would be waste, containing mercury, arsenic, and other toxins, to be stored on-site in a 323-acre waste facility erected on topography sloping directly into Lake Superior.

  • There has never been a copper sulfide mine which did not contaminate local water. The Copperwood Mine would erect a tailings disposal facility holding 50+ million tons of heavy-metal laden waste-rock on topography sloping towards Lake Superior - a lake that comprises 10% of the world's freshwater.

  • The underground operations of the Copperwood Mine would threaten the roots of the Porcupine Mountain's old growth forest. The 35,000 acres of old growth forest in Porcupine Mountains State Park represent the largest tract of mixed old growth remaining in the Midwest.

  • Irreparable harm to local wildlife. The mine would subject the Porcupine Mountains to heavy metal dust spewed up from hundreds of meters underground, to catch and carry on the wind for miles in all directions; twice-daily subterranean blasts which are known to disrupt the reproductive cycles of aquatic life; noise pollution and light pollution which will further impact the mating rituals and calls of wildlife.

  • Intense light pollution. The 24/7 requisite industrial lighting for the Copperwood Mine would entail severe light pollution for the wilderness region, leading to negative and deadly effects on many creatures, including amphibians, birds, mammals, insects, and plants.

  • Copper is not scarce. It is 100% recyclable, and an estimated 88% of copper still remains in the ground. Copper was also just recently denied an upgrade of status to "critical mineral" by the U.S. Geological Society.

  • Highland Copper is an inexperienced and foreign entity. The extra copper will be shipped to Canada for Canadian infrastructure and manufacturing operations. Highland Copper has never developed a mine before.


This list only scratches the surface of the projected risks that the Copperwood Mine poses to the Porcupine Mountains, including additional and specified harm to secondary forest growth, endangered wolf and Redside Dace populations, medicinal plant species, and cultural degradation to indigenous Anishinaabe lands.


But wait, there's more. An additional genre of "harm" that may sound intangible, but will have a devastating impact on the Great Lakes State for decades to come. In fact, it is a recurrent harm that generations of Michiganders - and especially Detroiters - have already faced and suffered under:


The Degradation of our Outdoor Identity.

expedition detroit porcupine mountains wilderness state park protect the porkies advocacy conservation copper copperfield mine mining pollution Michigan outdoor industry

The Fragility of Michigan's Outdoor State

Until very, very recently, Michigan's outdoor recreation industry has faced a severe image problem. Scratch that, the entire Great Lakes region has had to overcome a legacy of favoring industrialization over conservation. The impact of such political and economic favortism has had dire socioeconomic and environmental consequences, which we have felt the most painfully right here in the Detroit region.


As political strategist Lee Atwater once said, "Perception is reality." Throughout Michigan's history, our collective perception of our natural resources has varied significantly. From fur trapping to logging booms to the rise of the automative industry, we have systematically perceived our Michigan's bountiful forests, water ways, wildlife, and minerals as a means of economic and industrial production. Yes, this has brought "high times" of wealth, development, and prosperity to our region.


The natural cycles of industrialization have also left ghost towns, economic exposure, and irreparable environmental contamination in its wake.


One of the first articles that we ever published on Expedition Detroit featured a response to the dumping of 10,000 gallons of hexavalent chromium solution - a highly toxic carcinogen - into disposal channels that lead to the Huron River. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is struggling to maintain healthy wildlife populations due to Michigan's over-suburbanization and aging, decreasing population. Our state is struggling to attract young workers to fill in the widening void wrought by poor economic development agendas brought forth by administrations past.


Ironically, this is all occurring while Michigan's outdoor recreation industry is experiencing an unprecedented boom. Michigan’s outdoor recreation economy contributed $13.9 billion in value-add in 2023, supporting 118,000 jobs and $6.4 billion in compensation to employee households. There are more than 7,000 outdoor recreation industry companies in Michigan, ranging from manufacturing, service providers and facilitators to retailers and wholesalers. National headlines have hailed both Michigan as a whole and Detroit specifically as "one of the most adventurous states in the U.S.," including the following quote from Outside Magazine:


The Detroit Riverwalk, the city’s crown jewel, now connects to nearby Belle Isle, the southern terminus of the nearly completed 2,000-mile Iron Belle Trail. The statewide project, with hiking and biking paths to the Upper Peninsula, is over 70 percent ready following new route additions in 2023. . . The expansion of the Detroit Riverwalk—a 3.5-mile riverfront promenade voted one of the nation’s most beautiful—means easier access to Belle Isle, a 982-acre park.

The best part about all of these good headlines? Young professionals - the "Holy Grail" for Michigan's long-term economic development agenda - are attracted to regions that feature world-class outdoor recreational opportunities.

expedition detroit porcupine mountains wilderness state park protect the porkies advocacy conservation copper copperfield mine mining pollution Michigan outdoor industry

HOW YOU CAN PROTECT MICHIGAN'S OUTDOOR FUTURE

Here's our main question to the powers that be:


Why the hell are we shooting ourselves in the foot?


A common definition for "Insanity" is "doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." By sacrificing one of Michigan's most beloved wilderness regions in the name of marginal profits, we as a state are signaling to the greater outdoor economy that nothing has changed.


That we will build a major manufacturing site directly next to a fragile natural resource.

That we will disregard our natural environment in the name of pollutive profits.

That we are comfortable trading short-term benefits for long-term pain.

That we’re willing to gamble with our reputation as an outdoor destination, especially for nascent recreational economies like Detroit’s.

That Michigan's outdoors - including the economic and ecological environment that supports it - truly do not matter.


How can we call ourselves the "Great Trails State" when we're willing to build a pollutive mine right next to a National Scenic Trail?


How can the "Great Lakes State" be so willing to utilize taxpayer funds to contaminate our largest lake?


We're far from alone in expressing this outrage. As of the publication of this article, 324,902 individuals have signed a petition to "Protect the Porkies." You should too, but given the 11th hour of this publication, here is how you can join the fight.


CONTACT YOUR SENATOR. Especially these Senators that will be VOTING TOMORROW:


E-mail Addresses (copy and paste the full list into the To: field of an email)


Phone Numbers — Senate

Sarah Anthony (Majority Chair): 517-373-6960

Sean McCann (Majority Vice Chair): 517-373-5100

Kristen McDonald Rivet: 517-373-1725

John Cherry: 517-373-0142

Rosemary Bayer: 517-373-2417

Sylvia Santana: 517-373-0990

Sue Shink: 517-373-2426

Jeff Irwin: 517-373-2406

Kevin Hertel: 517-373-7315

Darin Camilleri: 517-373-7918

Veronica Klinefelt: 517-373-7670

Mallory McMorrow: 517-373-2523

Mary Cavanagh: 517-373-7748

John Bumstead (Minority Vice Chair): 517-373-1635

Thomas Albert: 517-373-1734

John Damoose: 517-373-2413

Mark Huizenga: 517-373-0797

Rick Outman: 517-373-3760

Lana Theis: 517-373-2420

 

***DECEMBER 20, 2024 UPDATE***


On December 19th, the Michigan Senate Appropriations Committee DECLINED TO VOTE on the Copperwood Mine Grant, effectively DEFEATING its passage for the indefinite future! This is a MASSIVE win for Michigan's outdoor community, and one that inherently aligns with the values and aspirations of the Expedition Detroit community.


Thank you to everyone who signed the petition and contacted their state representatives.


Thank you to the team at Protect the Porkies for their tireless efforts in advocating for the land.


Most importantly, thank you to the Porkies and Lake Superior for being so damn spectacular that any reasonable person had no choice but to jump on board the #ProtectThePorkies train.


Unfortunately, yesterday's actions do not guarantee the safety of the Porcupine Mountains. As certain as death and taxes are, you can also bet your last dollar that someone - either Highland Copper or another unknown party - will continue to try and extract valuable resources from this immensely vulnerable environment. Absolutely savor this moment of victory, but stay diligent.


And when the time comes, we hope that you'll join us in continuing this fight.




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