Minnesota Couple Embarks on 2,000-Mile Canoe Trip

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) - Fifty years after the Wilderness Act was signed into law, a Minnesota couple is taking a nearly 2,000-mile canoe trip across the country to Washington, D.C.

Reports say Dave and Amy Freeman embarked on their journey on Aug. 24 to celebrate the anniversary and highlight their opposition to proposed sulfide mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The Freemans hope to educate people about the environment and their mission to protect the 1.1 million-acre recreational area along the way. They also plan to collect signatures and their canoe, as well as an online petition, which they hope to show President Obama when they reach Washington, D.C. in December.

Dave Freeman says he and his wife are concerned that sulfide mining will damage the fresh waters of northern Minnesota.