House passes Stauber’s legislation to overturn Biden’s mining withdrawal in SNF

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Republican Congressman Pete Stauber’s Superior National Forest Restoration Act passed the House of Representatives Tuesday.

The legislation will overturn the Biden Administration’s mineral withdrawal of 225,000 acres in the Superior National Forest, restore long-held mineral leases, and ensure timely reviews of Mine Plans of Operation.

“Today’s House passage of my Superior National Forest Restoration Act is great news for our state and nation. Instead of flat-out rejecting any mining project from developing the Duluth Complex located within the Superior National Forest, it is important to allow project-specific reviews that are based on the facts and science to take place. My legislation will remove the obstacles put in place by the Biden Administration, allowing our skilled miners to prove that they are ready to safely deliver Minnesota’s mineral wealth to the nation using the best environmental and labor standards in the world. As the demand for minerals continues to skyrocket, we must invest in mineral production here at home rather than continue our dependence on child slave labor and environmentally damaging adversaries overseas. I urge Senator Schumer to bring this important job-creating legislation to the Senate Floor immediately.”

The Duluth Complex, located within northern Minnesota’s Superior National Forest, is a world-class mineral deposit containing nearly 8 billion tons of copper, nickel, cobalt, and platinum group metals. These minerals will soon see huge upswings in demand due to their use in battery storage, electric vehicles (EVs), and other rapidly expanding sectors.

Despite the potential economic benefit to Minnesota’s Eighth District and growing demand for minerals, the Biden Administration has taken multiple actions to prevent the responsible development of the Duluth Complex.

On January 26, 2022, the Biden Administration cancelled two decades-old mineral leases held by a prospective mine operator in the region, Twin Metals Minnesota. A year later, on January 31, 2023, the Biden Administration’s mineral withdrawal of 225,504 acres in the Superior National Forest went into effect, blocking development for 20 years.