The Forest Service will hold a second public listening session prior to determining whether or not to consent to renewal of two mineral leases held by Twin Metals Minnesota within the Superior National Forest. The second listening session will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on July 19, 2016 at the Ely Memorial High School, 600 East Harvey Street, Ely, Minnesota.
The first public listening session takes place in Duluth from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on July 13, 2016, at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.
Both listening sessions will begin with a short (5 – 10 minute) presentation by the Forest Service describing the status of the leases and determination to be made.Both sessions will include a lottery system to identify which attendees will have the opportunity to provide a 3-minute oral presentation.
The listening sessions are occurring during a 30-day public input period from June 20, 2016 to July 20, 2016.
In addition to providing input during the listening sessions, public input may be mailed to the Superior National Forest, Attention Twin Metals Lease Renewal, 8901 Grand Ave Place, Duluth, MN 55808; or emailed to;
The public input period and listening sessions will help Forest Service decision makers improve their understanding of public views related to two leases which are currently held by Twin Metals Minnesota. The two leases are located within the same watershed as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota. On June 6, 2016 the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requested that the Forest Service provide a decision on whether it consents or does not consent to the renewal of the leases. A response letter to the BLM with the Forest Service's final consent determination will be sent in the weeks following the close of the public input period and the agency's examination of the issue.
A summary of the public input received will be posted on the Superior National Forest website. Updates regarding the lease renewals, including the Forest Service determination regarding consent, will be publicly announced and posted online at: www.fs.usda.gov/superior