International mining companies are once again interested in the Upper Peninsula. This excellent article in yesterday’s Washington Post explores how acid mining is incompatible with tourism built upon activities such as hunting, fishing, mountain biking, snowmobiling, skiing and kayaking.

Russ Magnaghi, director of Upper Peninsula studies at Northern Michigan University, fears that a new mining surge could mean history repeating itself.

“You have people talking about our heritage, that this is what made us great and if we have it again we’ll be great again,” he said. “Mining can seem romantic. But the reality is it’s very destructive to the environment, and it’s a very temporary thing. Are tourists going to vacation at an industrial site? You could end up with no tourism, no mining, no nothing.”

Read Upper Peninsula Looks Ahead, And Back, as Mine Interests Call in the Washington Post.