Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness

SEE SCHEDULE O.NO BOUNDARIES TO THE BOUNDARY WATERS - WE REACHED OVER 8,000 STUDENTS IN VRTUAL PROGRAMMING NATIONALLY, 4,000 STUDENTS IN IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING IN MINNESOTA, AND SUPPORTED 200 STUDENTS IN OVERNIGHT WILDERNESS TRIPS IN THE BOUNDARY WATERS. WE STARTED A STUDENT LEADERSHIP COHORT, CALLED SPARKS, OFFERED TO STUDENTS WHO HAD PARTICIPATED IN OVERNIGHT PROGRAMS AND WERE INTERESTED IN FURTHERING THIER EXPERIENCE. IN THIS COHORT, STUDENTS GAINED LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE, LEARNED ABOUT CAREERS IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL FIELD, AND PRACTICED THEIR OUTDOOR RECREATION SKILLS. IN NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA, WE LAUNCHED "BOUNDARY WATERS IS OUR BACKYARD", WHICH FOCUSES ON OUR CURRENT EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN SCHOOLS AND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES IN NE MINNESOTA, AND PROVIDES THEM WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO INCORPORATE DAY TRIPS AND OVERNIGHTS IN AND NEAR THE BWCA THROUGHOUT THEIR SCHOOL YEAR. WILDERNESS ADVOCACY - IN FY25, LITIGATION ACTIVITY FOR POLYMET AND TWIN METALS WAS REDUCED, WHEN COMPARED TO PASTFISCAL YEARS, DUE TO COURT-ORDERED STAYS. THAT SAID, THE FRIENDS COMPLETED APPELLATE BRIEFING AND, ALONG WITH ITS PARTNERS, PRESENTED ORAL ARGUMENT AT THE D.C. CIRCUIT WITH RESPECT TO A LAWSUIT BY TWIN METALS CHALLENGING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S CANCELLATION OF ITS MINERAL LEASES. THAT APPEALWAS EVENTUALLY HELD IN ABEYANCE IN MID-2025. WITH RESPECT TO POLICY-RELATED MATTERS, THE FRIENDS RESEARCHED AND DRAFTED COMMENTS ON THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE'S PROPOSED BWCA PERMIT FEE INCREASES AND RESEARCHED AND JOINED POLICY-RELATED SIGN-ON LETTERS, INCLUDING THOSE ON THE ROADLESS RULE AND THE FIX OUR FORESTS ACT. THE FRIENDS ALSO ENGAGED IN EFFORTS TO UNDERCUT FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS TO FAST-TRACK THE TWIN METALS PROJECT IN TRUMP'S "BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL." THE FRIENDS IDENTIFIED THAT MANY ASPECTS OF H.R. 3195 WOULD NOT SATISFY THE BYRD RULE AND RESEARCHED AND DRAFTED A MEMO WITH A CONCISE BUT POWERFUL ARTICULATION OF WHY THE PROVISIONS OF HR 3195 THAT DEALT WITH TWIN METALS WERE INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION PROCESS. WE ALSO ORGANIZED OUR VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS TO SEND 1,291 EMAILS TO THE MINNESOTA GOVERNOR AND STATE LEGISLATORS, HELD 58 MEETINGS WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS ON OUR ISSUES, HOSTED A DAY AT THE STATE CAPOTOL ATTENDED BY OVER 200 PEOPLE, AND HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON SULFIDE MINING ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE. IN WASHINGTON DC, WE HAD 176 CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE VISITS AND ORGANIZED OUR SUPPORTERS SENDING 52,000 EMAILS TO CONGRESS. NORTHERN COMMUNITIES - IN ELY AND GRAND MARAIS, FRIENDS HAS CONNECTED WITH MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE IN EACH COMMUNITY THROUGH HOSTED EVENTS AND PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY EVENTS. FRIENDS USES THESE EVENTS TO NOT ONLY BRING AWARENESS TO OUR ORGANIZATION AND THE BOUNDARY WATERS, BUT TO GIVE FOLKS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MORE AND ENGAGE WITH WILDERNESS TOPICS, SUCH AS THROUGH SPEAKERS HOSTED DURING ELY DARK SKY WEEK. IN ADDITION TO CULTIVATING ENGAGMENT AROUND THE BOUNDARY WATERS, FRIENDS SEEKS TO MAKE COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS AND GIVE BACK. OUR ELY "TREE FEST" GAVE AWAY 300 TRESS TO THE COMMUNITY FOR PLANTING. OUR BOUNDARY WATERS IS OUR BACKYARD PROGRAM GOES HAND IN HAND AS WE INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL YOUTH TO IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN THE WILDERNESS AREA. IN GRAND MARAIS, WE HAVE ONLY BEEN HERE ABOUT A YEAR, BUT THERE IS INTEREST AND ENGAGEMENT ACROSS THE COMMUNITY IN OUR MISSION TO STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY AND CONNECT FOLKS TO THE BOUNDARY WATERS.

IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.