• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Trump opens up popular Minnesota wilderness area to mining

Rogue Valley

Rogue Valley

Lead or get out of the way
DP Veteran
Joined
Apr 18, 2013
Messages
94,147
Reaction score
82,407
Location
Barsoom
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Independent
Trump opens up popular Minnesota wilderness area to mining

memberimage.ashx

The Trump administration is opening this beautiful nature reserve to mining for cronies.

9/7/2018
Trump administration officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in a quietly released statement on Thursday that 234,000 acres of land near a popular Minnesota wilderness area will officially open to mining. “Interested companies now may soon be able to lease minerals in the watershed in the Superior National Forest,” the USDA said in its announcement, noting that it had removed a “major obstacle” to mining in Minnesota’s Rainy River Watershed. The watershed sits next to the popular Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the northeastern part of the state. The Boundary Waters area is a hugely popular wilderness area with over 1,000 lakes, providing more than 1,000 miles of canoe routes and numerous hiking trails. According to a group of environmental organizations that are currently suing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke over the issue, pollution from sulfide-ore copper mining could harm water quality and the region’s ecology. Impacts on tourism, a key economic driver for the area, would also be a risk, they argue. These areas were set to be banned to industry activities under the Obama administration.

Trump’s statement followed a decision issued by the Interior Department in May to reinstate two expired federal mineral leases held by Twin Metals Minnesota for sulfide-ore copper mining. The foreign-owned company is pursuing a copper-nickel project in the area and stands to benefit from the administration’s promise to reverse an Obama-era decision restricting industrial access from hundreds of thousands of acres in the national forest. Alex Falconer, executive director of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, countered that “the Trump administration broke its word to us, to Congress, and to the American people when it said it would finish the environmental assessment.” The campaign also states that USDA’s decision “disregards” the views of more than 180,000 people who submitted public comments to the U.S. Forest Service’s first comment period for its study — 98 percent of which supported the need to protect the watershed.
Click to expand...

The Trump administration is ruining yet another national natural treasure so cronies and political donors can jack-up profits by despoiling the land.

This is for the benefit of - Twin Metals Minnesota - a foreign-owned extracting company.

The owner of Twin Metals Minnesota also happens to be leasing a house to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner in Washington, D.C.’s Kalorama neighborhood.

If you object to such plunder of our national resources, vote Democrat on November 6.

Related: Trump Vows to Open Minnesota's Superior National Forest to Mines
 
Swampers gonna swamp.....
 
zinke — pruitt/wheeler — trump >>> 3 lethal weapons to our Nation’s Natural Resources
 
Remember: having an environment is for sissy libbos who hate jobs.
 
From the OP article, the land is "near a popular Minnesota wilderness area will officially open to mining. Since when is "near" is within a wilderness boundary? National Forests and BLM land are suppose to be managed under multiple use. Exceptions are made for wilderness areas and other land that have been specifically set aside.


Its the typical environmental group demanding protection while industry wants the resources. That is why environmental impact statements are done for major projects. That is why agencies like the Forest Service do Resource Plans and EIS. Through the planning process the public and State(s) have their input into the Forest Plan.
 
mike2810 said:
From the OP article, the land is "near a popular Minnesota wilderness area will officially open to mining. Since when is "near" is within a wilderness boundary? National Forests and BLM land are suppose to be managed under multiple use. Exceptions are made for wilderness areas and other land that have been specifically set aside.


Its the typical environmental group demanding protection while industry wants the resources. That is why environmental impact statements are done for major projects. That is why agencies like the Forest Service do Resource Plans and EIS. Through the planning process the public and State(s) have their input into the Forest Plan.
Click to expand...

You obviously 🙄 don’t understand what ‘near’ means.
 
Linc said:
You obviously �� don’t understand what ‘near’ means.
Click to expand...

Then define it as it applies to this topic.

Near means something very different to an astronomer than it does to an architect. Get me?
 
They did open it up to mining, or did they vowed to open it up to mining? The OP seems to say both. Which is it?

It looks like 234,000 acres of over 3,900,000 acres, less than 6% of the area, may be opened up for mining.
 
If you'll all remember, Scott Pruitt got a sweetheart rent deal in Washington from the owner of a lobbying firm with business before the EPA.

Now Ivanka and Jared are renting from the owner of a foreign company that wants to extract minerals from nature preserves in Minnesota.

Mighty strange how people close to Trump get such sweetheart deals from industrialists with deep pockets.
 
Linc said:
You obviously �� don’t understand what ‘near’ means.
Click to expand...

Enlighten me then, what does "near" mean to you?



Bet you never worked for a federal land management agency. It would help if you understood the resource planning process that agencies like the Forest Service has to implement to allow mining. You have heard of NEPA, correct?
 
Last edited:
Rogue Valley said:
Trump opens up popular Minnesota wilderness area to mining

memberimage.ashx

The Trump administration is opening this beautiful nature reserve to mining for cronies.



The Trump administration is ruining yet another national natural treasure so cronies and political donors can jack-up profits by despoiling the land.

This is for the benefit of - Twin Metals Minnesota - a foreign-owned extracting company.

The owner of Twin Metals Minnesota also happens to be leasing a house to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner in Washington, D.C.’s Kalorama neighborhood.

If you object to such plunder of our national resources, vote Democrat on November 6.

Related: Trump Vows to Open Minnesota's Superior National Forest to Mines
Click to expand...

What’s wrong with mining?
 
mike2810 said:
Enlighten me then, what does "near" mean to you?

Bet you never worked for a federal land management agency. It would help if you understood the resource planning process that agencies like the Forest Service has to implement to allow mining. You have heard of NEPA, correct?
Click to expand...

Bet you think that water knows better and would never stray from the mines.
 
Rogue Valley said:
Bet you think that water knows better and would never stray from the mines.
Click to expand...

What exactly are they mining there?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Rogue Valley said:
Bet you think that water knows better and would never stray from the mines.
Click to expand...

Funny. I figured this thread would not have an intelligent discussion on land use planning and how the NEPA process plays a role. Just because Trump wants to or will open the land to mining does not mean it will automatically occur.

Your crack about water is not worth responding back to you. Educate yourself about land use planning and implementation for federal agencies. Get back to me when you have a clue.
 
mike2810 said:
Funny. I figured this thread would not have an intelligent discussion on land use planning and how the NEPA process plays a role. Just because Trump wants to or will open the land to mining does not mean it will automatically occur.

Your crack about water is not worth responding back to you. Educate yourself about land use planning and implementation for federal agencies. Get back to me when you have a clue.
Click to expand...

Then don't respond. You get a clue yourself bub.
 
Rogue Valley said:
Twin Metals Minnesota? Gonna go out on a limb here and say.... metals.
Click to expand...

And what do the locals in the immediate area of twin metals think about this? If it were county land would the county commission approve a mining project?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
"Thursday's announcement won't open up the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to mineral exploration. But the 365 square miles in question are adjacent to the BWCAW and within its watershed."

"The area of the Superior National Forest that hangs along the southern edge of the Boundary Waters is home to the Duluth Complex, believed to be one of the richest untapped deposits of copper, nickel and precious metals in the world.
Mining companies have been exploring the region for decades, although no copper-nickel mine has yet opened.

"The reopening of mining possibilities elevates the debate between two competing visions for the economic future of northeastern Minnesota.
One would create, essentially, a new branch of the Iron Range: It hinges on the creation of a new, potential copper-nickel mining region that could create hundreds — if not thousands — of direct, high-paying jobs, and the spinoff economic activity that accompanies them. "

"the other vision for the region's future: An economy based on outdoor recreation and the natural amenities of northeastern Minnesota that draw tourists and retirees and people who want to move to a place like Ely because of its access to the pristine wilderness of the Boundary Waters.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2018/09/06/boundary-waters-mining

Time will tell who has the better vision for the area.
 
MrWonka said:
And what minuscule chance Republicans thought they might have had of taking a Senate seat from Minnesota or flipping it Red like Wisconsin just went from slim to none. I'm from Minnesota and I can tell you that Minnesotans protect the boundary waters like it's our child. Any company that tries to put a mine anywhere near there is gonna get ****ed up.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the informed opinion.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom