President Donald Trump signed H.J. Res. 140 into law this week, overturning the Biden administration’s withdrawal of 225,504 acres of land in the Superior National Forest from mineral exploration and development. The resolution was led by House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Chairman Pete Stauber.
The decision is significant for the American mining industry and could affect access to critical minerals needed for modern technologies. Supporters say that opening up these lands will help strengthen domestic mineral supply chains and support jobs in Minnesota's mining sector.
“It is a great week for American mining. By unlocking the mineral-rich lands of the Duluth Complex, America may access large deposits of the minerals that power the 21st Century. I commend Representative Stauber for his commitment over the past 4 years to overturn the Biden administration’s misguided mineral withdrawal. I also want to thank President Trump for signing this resolution to unleash domestic mining, support our mining workforce and bring mineral dominance to America,” said House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman.
Subcommittee Chairman Pete Stauber said, “It’s official. The illegal mining ban put in place by former President Biden has been overturned indefinitely, ending a reckless policy that sidelined Minnesota’s miners and undermined our nation's ability to source our own materials. Never again will any Democrat President be able to unilaterally ban mining in this strategic area of the Superior National Forest. Now, proposed mining projects aimed at unlocking trillions of dollars’ worth of critical minerals can move forward through the proper state and federal environmental review and permitting process. President Trump is the most pro-mining President in American history, and I thank him for his support in championing Minnesota’s union miners and workers. As the result of our shared commitment to American mineral dominance, Minnesota’s mighty Iron Range has a strong future ahead. It’s back at the center of a powerful economic comeback with another century's worth of mining, and I'm proud to have delivered this hard-fought victory for our state and nation.”
The Duluth Complex contains nearly eight billion tons of critical minerals including nickel, cobalt, copper, and platinum-group resources according to information provided by supporters of H.J. Res 140.
In January 2022, two decades-old mineral leases held by Twin Metals Minnesota were canceled by order from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland under Public Land Order (PLO) 7917 which withdrew more than 225 thousand acres from federal leasing for twenty years.
Supporters argue that previous actions ignored years of environmental review as well as feedback from Congress members, local communities, developers, and union workers who supported continued development efforts such as those proposed by Twin Metals.
Under terms set out by Congressional Review Act procedures H.J.Res 140 eliminates PLO 7917 but does not mandate specific projects; it allows environmental reviews or permitting processes already required under law to proceed without blanket prohibitions.
