On September 29, 2021, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Superior National Forest submitted an application for the withdrawal of approximately 225,504 acres of National Forest System lands in the Rainy River Watershed, Minnesota, from disposition under the United States mineral and geothermal leasing laws, for a 20-year term, subject to valid existing rights.
On October 21, 2021, the BLM published the receipt of the application in the Federal Register, which began a 2 year segregation period of the mineral estate within the proposed withdrawal area. This means that no new mineral leases could be issued in the subsequent 2 year timeframe. This date also initiated a 90-day public comment period on the proposed withdrawal, which was open until January 19, 2022. And, the USFS was required to complete an environmental analysis during this same timeframe. The USFS and BLM would then assemble the prepared documentation for consideration by the Secretary of the Interior, who would use the information in the case files to make a decision on the withdrawal. The potential withdrawal period could span up to 20 years.
Additional information about this project is available on the U.S. Forest Service's project page for the "Requested Rainy-River Watershed Withdrawal" at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=60916.
The DOI issued a press release concerning this project on January 26, 2023, which may be viewed at https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/biden-harris-administration-protects-boundary-waters-area-watershed
The Secretary of the Interior signed Public Land Order 7917 on January 26, 2023, which formally withdrew approximately 225,504 acres of National Forest System lands in Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis counties, Minnesota, from disposition under the United States mineral and geothermal leasing laws, for a period of 20 years, subject to valid existing rights, to protect and preserve the fragile and vital social and natural resources, ecological integrity, and wilderness values in the Rainy River Watershed, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Mining Protection Area (MPA), and the 1854 Ceded Territory of Lake Superior Chippewa in northeastern Minnesota from the potential adverse effects of mineral and geothermal exploration and development.
