LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The proposed Copperwood Mine in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula got a hard no from the Michigan Senate Appropriations Committee after concluding its scheduled meetings for the year.

The $50 million SOAR grant for the controversial project was missing from the list of approved funding requests that lawmakers approved on December 18th.

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A spokesperson for Sen. Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, cited that there was “insufficient support for the legislature transfer in committee” in addition to attendance issues.

That means that plans by the Canadian company Highland Copper, who was hoping to build an underground mine near Lake Superior and the Porcupine Mountains Wilnderness State Park, are now dead in the water.

For more on the plans that Highland Copper had regarding the mine and community opposition to it, please read our previous story about the project written in early December.

Victory for Michigan’s wilderness.

Activists like Tom Grotewohl of the Protect the Porkies campaign are celebrating. He said in his press release, “The people of Michigan have spoken: this project is not welcome here. Despite the company’s claims to investors, Copperwood does not have social license. The health of our majestic lands and pristine waters are infinitely more valuable than copper to be shipped out of country and boom-and-bust jobs to renew the vicious cycle of short-term gain followed by long-term decline. Funders would be wise to observe the direction the wind is blowing and invest their capital elsewhere.”

Lake Superior gets a reprieve, Highland Copper gets a headache.

Other environmentalists and locals also cheered the decision, viewing it as a win for Lake Superior and the Porcupine Mountains.

Jane Fitkin, Director of Citizens for a Safe & Clean Lake Superior said in the press release, “A healthy Lake Superior is quintessential to our heritage in the Upper Peninsula. We’re thankful to the Senators for listening to the people, recognizing the harm posed by the Copperwood Mine, and preventing our tax dollars from being misused on this irresponsible project. This movement is strong and resilient, as is Lake Superior, and we are prepared to continue to joyfully defend our Lake, land, and communities from the Copperwood Mine.”

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Turns out, Michiganders aren’t keen on swapping pristine waters and wilderness for short-term jobs that result in shipping copper abroad.

Public outcry trumped Copperwood’s mining ambitions.

This isn’t the first time the Copperwood Mine has been blocked this year, but it’s perhaps the most definitive. A petition with over 350,000 signatures and letters from more than 70 organizations signaled that Michigan’s residents weren’t willing to tolerate a mine threatening their beloved landscapes and waters. Groups like Friends of the Land of Keweenaw and Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition are confident this defeat sends a clear message: Michigan’s natural resources aren’t for sale.

Future uncertain for Copperwood, but locals remain vigilant.

Highland Copper may hope for a legislative change in 2025, but activists are already doubling down on their opposition. As Kathleen Heideman of the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition put it, “With nothing less than the future of Lake Superior at stake, the Senate Appropriations Committee clearly heard the public’s strong opposition to taxpayer funding of the Copperwood project, and their love for the Porcupine Mountains. We applaud the decision to remove the Copperwood Mine funding from consideration.”

So for now, the Copperwood Mine project is dead in the water, leaving Lake Superior and the Porcupine Mountains to thrive another day.