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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eastern States today submitted to the Federal Register for publication a notice of the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) application requesting that the Department of the Interior withdraw ecologically significant lands within the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota from new mineral and geothermal exploration and leasing.  Publication of this notice temporarily segregates the lands for two years, subject to valid existing rights. 

The USFS has applied to withdraw 234,328 acres of its lands near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from disposition under mineral and geothermal leasing laws for 20 years, subject to valid existing rights.  In order to preserve the status quo in the area while the proposed withdrawal is studied, the lands will be segregated – meaning no new mining or geothermal activity will be allowed -- for up to two years.

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is the only large lake-land wilderness in the National Wilderness Preservation System and receives more than 150,000 visitors per year who help drive the local economy through tourism and outdoor recreation.  In creating the wilderness designation there more than 50 years ago, Congress directed the USFS to safeguard its waters, protect its fish and wildlife, and minimize environmental impacts associated with mineral development.

This requested withdrawal follows a USFS decision to withhold consent to the renewal of two mineral leases on the Superior National Forest located near the wilderness area due to potential impacts on resources in the Rainy River Watershed. As a result of that decision, the BLM, which is responsible for Federal mineral management, denied the lease renewal application made by Twin Metals Minnesota.  The two affected leases were originally issued in 1966 and renewed most recently in 2004. 

Upon publication of the notice, the BLM will begin accepting comments for 90 days on the proposed withdrawal.  Comments must be submitted in hard copy and should be addressed to Dominica VanKoten, Deputy State Director of Geospatial Services, Bureau of Land Management, Eastern States Office, 20 M Street SE, Suite 950, Washington, D.C. 20003.  Comments may also be sent by facsimile at 202-912-7710.  Comments must be postmarked and sent within 90 days of the notice.    

The USFS and the BLM will conduct an initial public meeting about the proposed withdrawal from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. March 16, 2017, at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, 350 Harbor Drive in Duluth, Minn.  The BLM and the USFS will hold additional meetings on the proposed withdrawal, in various regions of the state, during the 90 day period, in order to gather information on the withdrawal proposal. The 90 day period will allow the BLM to begin gathering and evaluating information that it will be required to present to the Secretary of the Interior, who will make the final decision on the withdrawal proposal; the BLM will participate as a cooperating agency with the USFS in preparation of their environmental impact statement (EIS) analyzing the withdrawal proposal.  

The comment period announced today also coincides with the USFS’s 90-day scoping comment period associated with preparing an EIS to analyze an amendment to the Superior National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan to reflect the withdrawal.  Comments must be delivered in hard copy via postal service, fax, or e-mail.  They may be addressed to Connie Cummins, Forest Supervisor, Superior National Forest. Written comments are to be mailed to 8901 Grand Avenue Place, Duluth, MN  55808-1122. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to comments-eastern-superior@fs.fed.us or via facsimile to 218-626-4398.

There will be additional opportunities in the future for public participation during the preparation of the EIS.

If you are interested in providing comments, be aware that your comment as well as your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment may be made publicly available at any time.  While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.  Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message. You will receive a reply during normal business hours from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST.

BLM