Timely leadership by Tina Smith on BWCA Minnesota senator has sensibly called for study on mining's risks to move forward. By EDITORIAL BOARD, Star Tribune April 25, 2021 — 6:00pm Text size Copy shortlink: With former Vice President Walter Mondale's passing, Minnesota lost not only a statesman but one of its foremost conservationists. Mondale, who died April 19, wielded his influence in office and afterward to keep the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) and the nation's waterways clean and pristine for future generations to enjoy. It's up to Minnesota's next generation of elected leaders to fill this void. A recent strong, clear call by U.S. Sen. Tina Smith for completion of an aborted scientific study of mining's risks to the BWCA watershed is a hopeful sign.