{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr3905-115/featured_minnesota-s-economic-rights-in-the-superior-national-forest-act-1512889261.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr3905-115/featured_large_minnesota-s-economic-rights-in-the-superior-national-forest-act-1512889261.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr3905-115.png"},"introduced_on":"2017-10-02","title_override":"Restoring Mining Leases in a Minnesota Nat’l Forest and Blocking Monument Designations There Without Congress' Approval","summary_override":"

This bill — known as the MINER Act — would require that the removal of National Forest System lands in Minnesota from availability for mining or the establishment of a national monument on such lands be approved by Congress. The bill would also restore two mineral leases in Minnesota’s Superior National Forest that were canceled by the Obama administration’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in December 2016 and modify those lease terms. Nothing in this bill could be construed as allowing the prospecting and utilization of mineral resources in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness or Mine Protection Area.

The bill would also specify that mineral leases on forest system lands in Minnesota be issued for an initial 20-year period and renewable for 10-year periods if the lessee complied with the lease’s terms and conditions during the prior period and the lease encourages production or addresses changing conditions in the lease area. The Secretary of the Interior could suspend operations under a lease if the lease can only be operated at a loss due to market conditions or if operations are interrupted by strikes.

Environmental reviews required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for mineral leases covered by this bill would have to be completed within 30 days of this bill’s enactment. The Dept. of the Interior and the Forest Service (through the Dept. of Agriculture) would be authorized to grant permits for using surface lands not included in the lease for purposes connected to the development, exploration, and use of deposits covered by the lease.

The bill’s full title is the Minnesota’s Economic Rights in the Superior National Forest Act.

","official_title":"To require congressional approval of any mineral withdrawal or monument designation involving the National Forest System lands in the State of Minnesota, to provide for the renewal of certain mineral leases in such lands, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Minnesota's Economic Rights in the Superior National Forest Act","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)\n\nMinnesota's Economic Rights in the Superior National Forest Act\n\n(Sec. 2) This bill declares that minerals with the National Forest System (NFS) lands in Minnesota shall not be subject to withdrawal from disposition under U.S. mineral and geothermal leasing laws unless such withdrawal is approved by an Act of Congress.\n\n(Sec. 3) The bill prohibits any extension or establishment of national monuments on NFS lands in Minnesota except by express authorization of Congress.\n\n(Sec. 4) The bill declares that certain mineral leases issued within the exterior boundaries of NFS lands in Minnesota are indeterminate preference right leases that shall be: (1) issued for an initial 20-year period; and, (2) after such period, shall be renewable for 10-year periods if the lessee has complied with the terms and conditions of the lease during the 20-year period and on the co...","summarized":true,"cost":2000000,"cost_commentary":"The CBO estimates that enacting this bill would increase offsetting receipts from mineral leases, decreasing spending by $2 million over the 2018-2027 period.","impact":"Companies with mining leases that would or could be affected by the bill; and relevant federal agencies.","argument_for":"The Obama administration was wrong to revoke the mining leases that had been issued in Minnesota’s national forests to help the local economy via copper mining. The mining leases should be restored, and Congress should be responsible for approving monument designations or mining lease withdrawals on that land.","argument_against":"The Obama administration was right to revoke these mining leases because they'd threaten the pristine nature of the region as a tourist attraction supporting the local economy. Mining shouldn’t be allowed in Minnesota’s national forests until the current environmental review process plays out at its scheduled pace, if ever.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr3905-115","bill_id":"hr3905-115","formal_id":"H.R. 3905","chamber":"house","congress":115,"last_action_at":"2017-12-01T00:00:00.000Z","active":true,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":"2017-11-30T18:51:18.000Z","debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th/house-bill/3905","plain_text_url":"https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-115hr3905rfs/html/BILLS-115hr3905rfs.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr3905-115.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th/house-bill/3905/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2017-12-01","related_bill_ids":["hres631-115"],"progress":"Passed House","house_passage_result":true,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":749,"committees":[{"name":"National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSII10","subcommittee":true},{"name":"Committee on Natural Resources","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSII","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Energy and Mineral Resources","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSII06","subcommittee":true},{"name":"Committee on Energy and Natural Resources","chamber":"senate","committee_id":"SSEG","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr3905-115","details":"/api/bills/hr3905-115/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr3905-115","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr3905-115/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr3905-115/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":3,"slug":"hr3905-115-minnesota-s-economic-rights-in-the-superior-national-forest-act","latest_chamber_votes_id":"hr3905-115","official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":4794,"yea_vote_count":509,"nay_vote_count":4265,"passed_house":true,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["public-land-and-resources","government","environment"],"issue_ids":["states","public-land-and-resources","private-sector","epa","federal-agencies","business","government","environment"],"sponsor_id":18}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"states","name":"States","slug":"states","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding States. 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It has everything to do with further eradicating more of President Obama’s legacy. A vote in favor of this measure just makes you complicit in this travesty. Your actions will have repercussions and will come back to haunt you in 2018. ","show_argument_for":false,"show_argument_against":true,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":null,"upvotes_against_count":0,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/3876c8b7-447f-480e-9007-5fed25f91ef1"},"body":"This has nothing to do with mining or national monument executive designations. It has everything to do with further eradicating more of President Obama’s legacy. A vote in favor of this measure just makes you complicit in this travesty. Your actions will have repercussions and will come back to haunt you in 2018. 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Restoring Mining Leases in a Minnesota Nat’l Forest and Blocking Monument Designations There Without Congress' Approval