The Copperwood Mine:

threatening Lake Superior’s vitality for sulfide waste mining

The Copperwood Project is a proposed copper sulfide mine at the juncture of Porcupine Mountains State Park, the North Country Trail, and Lake Superior. It would be the closest sulfide mine to Lake Superior in history, with plans to mine up to 100 feet from the lake’s surface. Copperwood plans to host operations directly adjacent to the Presque Isle Scenic Area, clearcutting many acres of forest and filling over 60 acres of wetlands.

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Fall colors at Porcupine Mountains State Park light the forest golden yellow. Photo courtesy Jane Fitkin.

Fall colors at Porcupine Mountains State Park. Photo courtesy Jane Fitkin.

foamy water flows through conifer forest down the Presque Isle River toward Lake Superior. Photo courtesy Tom Grotewohl

Sunset on Lake Superior near the Presque Isle Rivermouth. Photo courtesy Tom Grotewohl

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is blessed with spectacular access to outdoor recreation opportunities and abundant freshwater.

A few ways in which these characteristics are showcased are through Porcupine Mountains State Park, located on Lake Superior near Ontonagon, and the North Country Trail, the longest National Scenic Trail in the US and a recently designated piece of the National Parks System. Unfortunately, with natural beauty also often comes resource extraction, and the Superior watershed has been plagued with more than its fair share of mines, logging operations, and more.

This map shows Copperwood's location (purple, green, blue, black) and proximity to Porcupine Mountains State Park and Lake Superior. Map courtesy Orvana Minerals (previous owner of the Copperwood project).

This overall site plan shows Copperwood's proximity to both Lake Superior (top left) and the North Country Trail (bottom, just south of Tailing Disposal Facility). The company plans to mine beneath Porcupine Mountains State Park and host surface operations just west of the park (not pictured). Map courtesy Highland Copper Gypsy Creek Wetland Mitigation Plans, page 2

The proposed mine’s average ore grade is only 1.5%,

which means that 1.5% of what they pull out if the ground will be copper, and the rest will be sulfide-bearing mine waste that will need to be stored, onsite, permanently. To do so, the mining company is currently destroying wetlands to construct a 320-acre tailings pond to hold the waste, which will sit approximately 2 miles from the Lake Superior shoreline on terrain sloping toward the lake.

Further, the immediate area in Ontonagon and Gogebic counties has seen two separate severe, 1-in-1,000-year storms in the past decade which have caused significant damage to roads, bridges, and infrastructure (1, 2). This tailings dam is designed to withstand only 1-in-100-year storms (see comment 52), which are much less severe; this makes a rupture of the tailings dam likely.

This model from the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) shows the path of destruction when the eastern portion of the dam collapses.

When the dam breaks, the mine waste will reach Lake Superior within minutes.

This model from the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission shows the path of tailings flow and depth if just the eastern portion of the dam was to fail. Mine waste would reach the Presque Isle River and Gypsy Creek in minutes, to be followed by Lake Superior.

Even if the dam doesn’t rupture, pollution from sulfide mines isn’t the exception – it’s the rule. There has never been a sulfide mine that has not contaminated neighboring water sources.

A study done in 2012 found that, of the 14 copper sulfide mines producing nearly all copper in the United States, 92% failed to contain seepage, and every single one spilled toxic waste into the surrounding environment. Some like to refer to Marquette County’s Eagle Mine as the model for environmentally sound mining, yet even Eagle Mine has experienced spills and several instances of high levels of chronic wastewater toxicity.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

October 3, 2025: Michigan Legislature passes a final budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Markkanen's $50 million earmark for Copperwood infrastructure is not included.

April 2025: Rep. Greg Markkanen (R-Hancock) submitted a Legislatively Directed Spending Request to the Michigan state budget seeking $50 million for Wakefield Township to fund "infrastructure improvements" that would enable the Copperwood Mine. This earmark request is co-sponsored by Rep. Karl Bohnak (R-Marquette) and Rep. Dave Prestin (R-Cedar River).

Efforts to fund the Copperwood Mine through a $50 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation have also been revived, for a third time.

December 18th, 2024: After thousands of people contacted representatives to demand rejection of the Copperwood grant, and facing mounds of evidence contradicting Highland Copper's misleading claims, the Senate Appropriations Committee blocked the SOAR grant to Copperwood yet again. This was a clear message from the Senate: this project doesn't deserve our taxpayer money.

December 11th, 2024: After the grant was revived in a second round of negotiations with Highland Copper, the Michigan House Appropriations Committee again approved the $50 million SOAR grant to Copperwood—among a bundle of other unrelated projects.

November 14th, 2024: In a press release, Highland Copper announces it has "substantially completed" early stage site preparation for the Copperwood Mine—including the clearing and destruction of wetlands and diversion of local streams.

July 19th, 2024: NMU President Brock Tessman wrote a letter to Highland Copper rescinding previous support of the Copperwood Mine, citing "concerns about the long-term economic benefits." This letter was not released to the public until January 2025.

July 14th, 2024: The grant to Copperwood met strong opposition in the Senate Appropriations Committee, which ended up blocking the SOAR grant.

June 20th, 2024: The House Appropriations Committee approved the $50 million SOAR grant to Copperwood.

March 26th, 2024: Despite strong and abundant public comment given at MSF meetings opposing the grant, the Michigan Strategic Fund board approved a $50 million SOAR grant (proposed by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation) for Highland Copper to build the Copperwood Mine. The MSF's SOAR grants also must be approved by both the Michigan House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

June 27th, 2018: In a public notice from the DEQ's Water Resources Division, Highland Copper requested multiple amendments to Copperwood's permits. This included proposing to dredge and fill nearly 60 acres of wetlands, destroy over 16,000 linear feet of streams, and excavate some 7,700 cubic yards of Lake Superior bottomlands. These impacts were cleared to allow for the construction of an access road, a tailings pond, mill, and water intake system—among other infrastructure.

June 17th, 2014: Highland Copper finalizes purchase of the Copperwood project from Orvana Minerals, along with all of the necessary permits that Orvana had previously acquired from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. At this time, the project is still in its feasibility stage.

Copperwood presents a clear threat to Lake Superior. Luckily, the mine currently lacks about 95% of its funding; Highland Copper currently needs $425 million to build the mine, but only has around $20 million in the bank.

Highland Copper was considered for a $50 million taxpayer-funded grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund's SOAR fund in 2024. That grant made it through the MSF, but was halted twice by the Michigan Senate Appropriations Committee due to massive public opposition and the corporate handout nature of the funding. It was revived again in 2025 as a budget earmark, which was again rejected by the Michigan legislature in October 2025.

Reeling from their continued underperformance in the private investor market, Copperwood Mine proponents are pushing harder than ever to use our state and federal taxpayer money to fund this dangerous project.

Highland Copper is also retaining at least 5 federal lobbyists to look for Copperwood funding in Washington, D.C. Make sure your reps know how you feel about that!

Copperwood’s lack of funding is their weakest point, so it's important to highlight our resistance in this area. Complete the action items below to voice your opposition to the project and show investors and state authorities that we won't stand for the destruction of our lakeshore.

For more information about the Copperwood Mine's impact and how it will, if built, affect our environment, economic and cultural wellbeing, visit our partners at Protecttheporkies.com. Make sure you're on both of our mailing lists to stay updated about this and other issues facing the Superior watershed.

Visit protect the porkies

What can I do?

As of about 4:00am Friday, October 3, 2025, the Michigan Legislature passed a budget which does not include $50 million in funding to benefit the Copperwood mine. This is a major win for all who have spoken up to resist this industrial attempt at resource extraction to the detriment of our environment and communities.

Let's be clear: the fight is not over. We must remain prepared for another attempt at pushing an iteration of this funding through. But in this moment, hug a tree and take a swim, for this is another battle won by the people. Then, be sure to call and thank the legislators for following through on this (suggested call script below)!

Copperwood is seeking taxpayer dollars in order to move forward with site preparation and infrastructure. We've compiled a list of action items you can take right now to put pressure on lawmakers and help prevent public funding for the Copperwood Mine:

TALKING POINTS

Feel free to use and personalize the following talking points when speaking with legislators:

Highland Copper, the Canadian company proposing the Copperwood Mine, has never opened or operate a mine before. In fact, they have already been fined for unpermitted wetland impacts in the Porcupine Mountains State Park.
The Porkies are home to the largest old-growth forest in the Midwest, and offer pristine, quiet, and wild habitat for moose, black bears, beavers, fish, and countless other wildlife.
Copperwood's average ore grade is just 1.5%, which means that just 1.5% of what they extract from the ground would be usable copper. That is hardly a worthy return on investment.
98.5% of the material extracted at Copperwood would be sulfide-bearing toxic mine waste that would be permanently stored in a tailings pond on down-sloping terrain less than 2 miles from Lake Superior.
In the event of a dam rupture, millions of tons of mine waste could reach Lake Superior's shores in minutes, causing catastrophic ecological damage.
All of the copper to be mined at Copperwood would be shipped to Canada for refining, with no promise that it would return to Michigan or the U.S.
The mine would operate for just 11 years, and would represent a minimal net increase in local jobs.
Although copper was recently added to the draft USGS critical minerals list in mid-2025, the unrefined copper that Copperwood produced is at a negative risk of supply shortage, meaning there is no urgency to mine it.
Copperwood does not have the unanimous support of local community members attending public hearings, as well as 465,000 people who have signed a petition against the mine, and over 100 Michigan organizations that have written a letter opposing the project.
If it were the right time, this mine would have trouble raising private investment. Why force taxpayers to bail out an inexperienced, foreign corporation?

Step One: Quick & Easy Actions

CONTACT MICHIGAN LEGISLATORS THROUGH A FAST-ACTION FORM

CONTACT FEDERAL LEGISLATORS THROUGH A FAST-ACTION FORM

SIGN THE CHANGE.ORG PETITION

Step Two: Medium Effort Actions

Call State Legislators

October 3, 2025 Update: The $50M funding did not make it into the final Michigan budget!!! Please call House and Senate leadership to thank them for excluding the funding from the budget and urging them to not allow any renewed attempts at funding through. Specifically, we are encouraging thanks directed to:

Sen. Winnie Brinks (Senate Majority Leader)

517-373-1801

SenWBrinks@senate.michigan.gov

Sen. Sarah Anthony (Senate Appropriations Chair)

517-373-6960

SenSAnthony@senate.michigan.gov

Sen. Sam Singh (Senate Majority Floor Leader)

517-373-3447

SenSSingh@senate.michigan.gov

Sen. Sue Shink (Appropriations Member)

517-373-2426

SenSShink@senate.michigan.gov

Sen. Thomas Albert (Appropriations Member)

517-373-1734

SenTAlbert@senate.michigan.gov

Sen. Mallory McMorrow (Appropriations Member)

517-373-2523

SenMMcMorrow@senate.michigan.gov

Sen. Jeff Irwin (Appropriations Member)

517-373-2406

SenJIrwin@senate.michigan.gov

Rep. Matt Hall (Speaker of the House)

(517) 373-1784

MattHall@house.mi.gov

Rep. Ann Bollin (House Appropriations Chair)

(517) 373-7515

AnnBollin@house.mi.gov

Rep. Matt Maddock

(517) 373-1780

MattMaddock@house.mi.gov

Rep. Jason Morgan

517-373-0855

JasonMorgan@house.mi.gov

Rep. Donavan McKinney

517-373-0849

DonavanMcKinney@house.mi.gov

Sample script:

Hello, my name is _____________ and I live in ___________. I'm calling to thank ___________ for their opposition to public funding benefitting the Copperwood Mine, and to urge the [representative/senator] to reject any renewed attempts for public funding to benefit the Copperwood Mine. As [Sen./Rep. ________] knows, Copperwood is an incredibly risky and devastating project for the UP, and its public funding would constitute an incredibly inappropriate use of taxpayer money.

Not only would Copperwood be the closest sulfide mine to Lake Superior in history, posing numerous catastrophic environmental risks, but it is being pushed by an inexperienced Canadian company that has never operated a mine before. Funding for the mine has been rejected by the Michigan legislature three times due to pushback from thousands of constituents. Any public funding of Copperwood is effectively a corporate handout to accelerate a risky project for a foreign company to extract our mineral wealth and ship it out of the country with no guarantee of it returning. The mining company also won't commit to hiring majority local or even Michigan residents. This is a short-sighted project which will have devastating long-term consequences for our communities in the UP, as well as potentially catastrophic consequences to Lake Superior, which holds 10% of earth's surface fresh drinking water.

Again, thank you for your work on this issue so far, and please do not allow any public funding to benefit the Copperwood Mine. Thank you.

Call Federal Legislators

Speaking with elected officials and their office staffers through a phone call is a very effective way at communicating issues in a way that legislators will remember. Phone calls hold more weight than writing letters and emails, or signing a petition—as legislators and their offices must listen directly to public comments, and are more likely to recognize an influx in attention towards an issue.

Contacting the officials responsible for voting on Copperwood funding will ensure your voice has the most impact. Below is a list of federal representatives that Highland Copper is lobbying for potential federal funding:

Top Targets - Federal Representatives

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (202) 224-4822
Sen. Gary Peters (202) 224-6221
Rep. Jack Bergman (202) 225-4735

When calling elected officials, it's important to explain your concerns in a respectful, clear, and concise manner. You may have more knowledge of an issue than the representative, so educate them about why you are taking a stance and why they should too.

You may not be able to speak with the legislator directly, as a staff member may likely be tasked with answering phone calls. Don't fear that you will be grilled or questioned—it is the job of legislators and their offices to hear public feedback and opinions.

To make it easier for you, we've prepared a script for you to follow—feel free to adapt and personalize as you see fit!

"Hello, my name is _____ and I live at ____. I am calling to urge [legislator's name] to to reject any funding that will enable Highland Copper and the Copperwood Mine in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

It is inappropriate for the government to bail out Highland Copper, a foreign corporation with no prior mining experience and a track record of failing to fund its projects, and enable the funding of a risky mining project in such a prized wilderness area as Porcupine Mountains State Park.

Copperwood holds no guarantee of long-term economic prosperity for the western Upper Peninsula, and would put the ecological integrity of the Lake Superior watershed at risk.

Thank you."

DONATE TO CITIZENS FOR SUPERIOR

ASK 3 FRIENDS TO TAKE ACTION

The more people who make their voice heard, the greater the chance of legislators hearing us. So spread the word!

Massive public opposition and outcry was instrumental in the denial of the SOAR grants to Copperwood twice in 2024 by the Michigan Senate, and we have to make sure our representatives haven't forgotten.

Take this moment to educate 3 friends about the Copperwood Project, and ask them to join you in taking action to prevent taxpayer funding of the Copperwood Mine. Don't know how to approach them? We've prepared some ideas below:

"Hey, [friend's name], do you have a second to talk about something important? There's this really dangerous proposal to build a copper sulfide mine next to the Porcupine Mountains, North Country Trail, and Lake Superior! It's called the Copperwood Project, backed by a Canadian company that has never even operated a mine before—and they want to use our taxpayer money to build it! The Michigan Legislature will be voting on funding soon, and it would really mean a lot to me if you signed a petition against it or made a phone call to an elected official. There's tons of resources that you can find at citizensforsuperior.org!"

"Hey! Have you ever been to the Porkies? It's such a beautiful place, with the Lake of the Clouds and Lake Superior on either side of you. I'd love to go with you, but I've been busy doing what I can to stop taxpayer funding of a copper sulfide mine proposed to be built right next to the park. A decision on funding could come any day now, and it's really easy to speak out against it. Just go to citizensforsuperior.org, they have a petition you can sign and scripts to follow if you want to reach out to elected officials!"

Step Three: Most Effort Actions

SEND A PERSONAL EMAIL TO LEGISLATORS (STATE & FEDERAL)

Writing to your elected officials in an email is another effective way at communicating issues of concern, while allowing for more length and depth than a phone call.

Contacting the officials responsible for voting on Copperwood funding will ensure your voice has the most impact. Below is a list of Michigan state legislators who sit on the two committees that are currently considering the Copperwood grants, and a list of federal representatives that Highland Copper will lobby for potential federal funding:

Top Targets - Michigan state legislators

Speaker of the House Matt Hall
- matthall@house.mi.gov
Sen. Sarah Anthony
- SenSAnthony@senate.michigan.gov
Sen. Sean McCann
- SenSMcCann@senate.michigan.gov
Rep. Nancy Jenkins Arno
- NancyJenkinsArno@house.mi.gov
Rep. Ron Robinson
- RonRobinson@house.mi.gov
Rep. Jasper Martus
- JasperMartus@house.mi.gov

Top Targets - Federal representatives

Sen. Elissa Slotkin
- senator@slotkin.senate.gov
Sen. Gary Peters
- senator@peters.senate.gov
Rep. Jack Bergman
- Bergman.constituent@mail.house.gov

When writing an email to legislators, it is still important to remain respectful, clear, and to-the-point. Identify the most important points you'd like to raise—ideally the strongest and most effective at persuading legislators to support your position. Emails provide room to expand on these points, but be sure to limit your writing to key information.

To make it easier for you, we've prepared a script for you to follow—feel free to adapt and personalize as you see fit!

"Dear ____, my name is ____ and I live at ____. I am writing to urge you to oppose granting taxpayer funding to Highland Copper and the Copperwood Mine, in the form of the $50 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Legislatively Directed Spending Request earmarked for Wakefield Township—both of which are currently being considered in the Michigan Legislature.

Highland Copper has been trying to spur investment for Copperwood for 15 years, and the project still lacks most of the $425 million needed to build the mine—demonstrating the lack of private interest in this risky project. It is not the responsibility of Michigan taxpayers to bail out Highland Copper, a foreign corporation with no prior mining experience, and enable the funding of an ill-conceived mining project in such a prized wilderness area.

The location of this proposed project, directly adjacent to Lake Superior, Porcupine Mountains State Park, and the North Country Trail, would put the ecological and recreational integrity of the area at risk. Copperwood's tailings pond would be visible from the Porkies' Lake of the Clouds Overlook, the most iconic view inside a park that receives over 500,000 visitors annually and was recently ranked as the most beautiful state park in the nation.

All copper mined at Copperwood would be shipped to Canada, with no promise that it would ever return to the U.S. or Michigan, and leave behind 30 million tons of toxic mine waste less than 2 miles from Lake Superior. With an 11-year mine life, Copperwood also holds no guarantee of long-term economic prosperity for the western U.P. In fact, many of the jobs Highland Copper claims will be created by the project will go to out-of-county and out-of-state residents.

Copperwood does not have the support of Wakefield Township community members attending public hearings, 465,000+ people who have signed onto a Change.org petition, and over 70 Michigan organizations that have written a letter opposing the mine. This project does not deserve our tax dollars. Please stand with the people, reject taxpayer funding for the Copperwood Mine, and encourage your colleagues to do so as well.

Thank you for your time and consideration."

CONTACT STATE LEGISLATORS DIRECTLY THROUGH CONSTITUENT WEBSITES (MI RESIDENTS ONLY)

Constituent comments and concerns submitted directly through the personal websites of state legislators may often receive higher priority than emails or phone calls. These inboxes are checked routinely, and your voice carries significant weight as a constituent of your legislators.

Follow the steps below to contact your legislators directly through constituent websites:

Find your state representative and senator at https://www.legislature.mi.gov/
Then, go to https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Legislature/Legislators and find your state representative and senator
Click "Web Page"
Ideally, you should be taken to that legislator's personal website. If the legislator does not have a personal website, you will likely be taken to an "About The Representative" page with an option to contact them. Click "Contact".

As in the action items above, it is important to stay clear and respectful when submitting constituent comments to your legislators. However, as you are a constituent, your legislator should be inclined to consider your comments more thoroughly than if you were contacting a legislator you are not a constituent of. Feel free to take a more compelling stance; explain why the Copperwood issue affects you personally and how it might influence your support of your legislator.

To make it easier for you, we've prepared a script for you to follow—feel free to adapt and personalize as you see fit!

"Dear ____, my name is ____ and I live at ____. I am urging you to deny granting taxpayer funding to Highland Copper and the Copperwood Mine, in the form of the $50 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Legislatively Directed Spending Request earmarked for Wakefield Township—both of which are currently being considered in the Michigan Legislature.

At a time when the cost of living is so high, it is not right that my taxpayer dollars should be spent to bail out Highland Copper, a foreign corporation with no prior mining experience, and enable the funding of an ill-conceived mining project in such a prized wilderness area.

My family visits the Porcupine Mountains State Park and Lake Superior area every year for vacation, and Copperwood's tailings pond would be visible from the Lake of the Clouds overlook—our favorite view in the park. I sincerely hope to keep bringing my family to the Porkies, but I wouldn't be able to stomach the sight of 30 million tons of toxic waste next to such a peaceful area.

This project does not deserve out tax dollars. Please, reject taxpayer funding for the Copperwood Mine, and encourage you colleagues to do so as well.

Thank you."

Relevant Documents:

Copperwood Grant Advocacy Two-Pager

Highland Copper Information:

2024 Highland Copper Corporate Presentation

2023 Highland Copper Financial Statement

General Copperwood Information:

2023 Copperwood Feasibility Study

2024 Porcupine Mountains State Park - Copperwood Mine Factsheet

Permits:

Copperwood Wetland Impacts Permit Application

2018 Copperwood Wetland Impacts Final Permit

2018 Mining Permit Public Comments and Responses

Additional Permitting Documents via MIEnviroPortal

MSF Grant:

March 2024 (FINAL) Michigan Strategic Fund Grant Proposal and Terms

January 2024 Michigan Strategic Fund Grant Proposal and Terms

CSCLS and Protect the Porkies display information about efforts, including to stop the Copperwood Mine, at the Community Table at the Marquette Farmers Market in May 2024. Photo courtesy Jane Fitkin.