Bill > SF875

This bill modifies existing Minnesota law regarding mining and resource extraction in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) and the Rainy River headwaters. The bill updates definitions, clarifying the geographical boundaries of the BWCAW and introducing a new definition for the Rainy River headwaters. It reaffirms the state's policy of preserving the wilderness area's natural beauty and minimal commercial development. The bill maintains strict restrictions on mining and peat harvesting within the BWCAW, allowing such activities only in extreme national emergencies declared by Congress and only after a thorough investigation by the commissioner of natural resources to ensure no reasonable alternatives exist. Notably, the bill introduces a nuanced provision that allows limited mining of taconite, iron ore, sand, gravel, and granite in the Rainy River headwaters, but only if the commissioner determines such mining will not be detrimental to the BWCAW. The legislation also formally designates state-owned lands within the BWCAW as state wilderness areas, further reinforcing protections for this environmentally sensitive region.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF0875&ssn=0&y=2025