Let's get the facts right.
The News Tribune's Feb. 10 editorial (Our View: "Trump can undo order to change rules on mining") missed the mark in fundamental ways.
Contrary to what the editorial suggested, the decision it criticized was that of the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which manage the Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It was not an executive order from President Barack Obama.
Further, the mineral leases were not "yanked." Rather, the decision was initiated by a request of Twin Metals, owned by Antofagasta of Chile, to renew expired federal mineral leases on national forest lands next to the Boundary Waters. This review took several years, which is common under Republican and Democratic administrations, and involved a review of the science associated with copper mining and the sensitivity of lands next to the Boundary Waters. Last summer, the U.S. Forest Service invited comments from the public; there was overwhelming support for denying the request to renew the leases and for withdrawing sensitive public lands from the federal mining program. This was requested by over 74,000 people. The Forest Service made its decision: "After careful consideration, including two public listening sessions and a 30-day public input period, the Forest Service determined that the inherent risks of mining sulfide ore adjacent to the irreplaceable BWCAW is unacceptable."
The Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management now have launched a two-year study to determine if national forest lands in the watershed of the Boundary Waters should be withdrawn from the mining program for 20 years. I encourage all members of the public to participate in this process.
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Jon Nelson
Duluth
