The Superior National Forest scheduled a “Public Listening Session” for 5-7:30 p.m. on July 13 at the DECC in Duluth, Minnesota. The purpose of this public meeting was to receive information and comments about hardrock mineral leases between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as lessor and Twin Metals as lessee in the Kawishiwi Ranger District. These leases, numbers 1352 and 1353, were first issued by the BLM in 1966 and subsequently renewed. They are nearing an expiration date and Twin Metals is asking that they be renewed again.
Surprisingly, the Forest Service and BLM displayed just a single map, at a scale of about 1 inch = 4 miles, showing the current leases. Lease 1352 lies west of State Highway 1 and appears to include about 4 square miles of federal surface and minerals south of the Kawishiwi River and across Birch Lake to the St. Louis County line. Lease 1353 includes another 4 square miles of federal surface and minerals east of Highway 1, adjacent to the Spruce Road.
Local news media suggested about 500 persons may have attended this meeting. But without federal mineral leasing information provided, little useful commentary was forthcoming—just the usual pro and anti-mining rhetoric; the latter was more sentimental than factual. A single BLM employee couldn’t even discuss agency leasing practice!
Audience and speakers were evenly split between pro and anti-mining sentiments. Over 2 hours, 30 speakers were equally split with pro-mining in favor of renewed leases.
The greater concern over this matter is whether the Forest Service and BLM will remain neutral in their decision-making process; and respect their multiple use mandates for the administration of, and national profit from, these federal lands.
Dick Buchheit
Grand Marais
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