U.S. Representative Pete Stauber (R-Brainerd) said on April 21 that his recently passed resolution to undo President Biden’s mining ban in the Superior National Forest is significant not only for Minnesota but also for America’s economic and national security.
The statement follows congressional passage of legislation to reverse a federal mineral withdrawal and enable permitting reviews for potential critical mineral development in northern Minnesota. According to Stauber, “This great piece by the Wall Street Journal editorial board highlights why my recently passed resolution to undo Biden’s mining ban in the Superior National Forest matters not just for Minnesota, but for America’s economic and national security.”
Stauber made the statement in a post on X after the U.S. Senate passed H.J. Res. 140, a Congressional Review Act resolution he introduced to reverse Public Land Order 7917. The House Committee on Natural Resources said the order withdrew 225,504 acres of National Forest System lands in Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis counties from mineral exploration and development for 20 years. House Committee on Natural Resources.
The Duluth Complex in northern Minnesota represents a world-class mineral deposit containing nearly 8 billion tons of critical minerals. Development in the region could support high-paying union jobs on the Iron Range and contribute to local economies long reliant on responsible resource extraction. Minnesota’s mining heritage includes the production of iron ore that powered American industry through major historical conflicts. House Committee on Natural Resources.
The House Natural Resources Committee said the United States relies on foreign sources for many critical minerals used in defense, technology, and energy sectors. The committee said mineral deposits in northern Minnesota could be considered through state and federal permitting processes if the withdrawal is reversed. House Natural Resources Committee
Stauber is a Duluth native serving his fourth term as the representative for Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District. He chairs the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. Representative Peter Stauber
