Key cabinet nominees have opposed mining near Boundary Waters, but Joe Biden has been silent
What the Biden administration could mean for the future of Twin Metals and copper-nickel mining in the Rainy River Watershed. 2:00 pm, Jan. 31, 2021 ×
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack speaks to the delegates on the second night of the 2012 Democratic National Convention at Time Warner Cable Arena, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Harry E. Walker / TNS)
DULUTH When President Joe Biden was vice president, the Obama administration in 2016 did not renew key mineral leases for Twin Metals, the proposed underground copper-nickel mine in the same watershed as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and initiated a 20-year moratorium on mining in the watershed.
Minnesota over the years hasn t been quite sure what to do with its bears. Early settlers feared them or killed them for food, and from 1945 to 1965 the state paid $10 bounties to people who dispatched bruins that toppled garbage cans, broke into cabins or otherwise made nuisances of themselves.
Considered vermin, bears decades ago were sometimes gut-shot by Minnesota deer hunters who watched the animals run off to die in distant locations.
All of which began to change when the state declared the black bear a game animal and held its first hunting season for bruins in 1971. That designation polished the animal s image, set in motion its formal management and initiated world-class research by Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff in the agency s Grand Rapids office.
His letter states:
Nominating Representative Haaland is a direct threat to working men and women and a rejection of responsible development of America’s natural resources.
As a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Representative Haaland jumped at the opportunity to introduce the Green New Deal in the House, a so-called plan to “completely transform” our economy and that “goes farther than just calling for a ban on hydraulic fracturing.” The harmful effects of the Green New Deal are well-documented, but it includes eliminating air travel, responsible petroleum development, and the use of non-electric vehicles, costing each American family $65,000 and the United States $93 trillion annually. […]
VIRGINIA â St. Louis County Board members again split when passing a resolution that puts them on record supporting the current environmental review process for copper-nickel mining, specifically opposing more regulations during a Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday.
The resolution generally states that the county board wonât support legislation that creates a moratorium on copper-nickel mining in Minnesota. Rulemaking, permitting and environmental review for proposed projects are handled at the state and federal level, prompting the all-too-familiar debate among commissioners whether Tuesdayâs vote was symbolic or whether the county was reinforcing past votes supporting the industry.
Two bills â one in the Minnesota Senate and one in the U.S. House â aim to either delay or outright block copper-nickel mining in the state. A âProve it Firstâ was introduced by State Sen. Jen McEwen, DFL-Duluth, earlier this month, that would require scientific p
Fox21Online
January 26, 2021
DULUTH, Minn. – Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness quota permit reservations will be available starting tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. for the 2021 season.
Visitors are encouraged to book their reservations for May 1 through September 20 online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.
A permit is required for visitors taking an overnight paddle, motor or hiking trip, or a motorized day trip into the BWCAW between those dates.
Group sizes are strictly limited to nine people and four watercraft.
Some tips and reminders for making a BWCAW quota permit reservation:
One permit per day per permit holder. The Forest Service reserves the right to cancel multiple same-day reservations and overlapping reservations under the same permit holder name. Visitors are allowed up to seven reservations in one cart, and one cart per transaction.