ELY — Two Minnesota adventurers who canoed 2,000 miles from Ely to Washington, D.C., last year have announced their next expedition — they plan to spend an entire year in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Dave and Amy Freeman said they plan to launch their canoe Sept. 23 into the Kawishiwi River near Ely and spend an entire year in the wilderness area, camping at about 120 sites and traveling more than 3,000 miles by canoe, foot, ski, snowshoe and dog sled. Supporters will join them for periodic resupply missions.

As with their Paddle to DC, the Freemans want to call attention to the threat they said copper-nickel mining poses to the BWCA.

Mining supporters sayidthe minerals can be mined safely and the area needs the jobs.