Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Minnesota Senate Bill SF875 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1.1 A bill for an act
2	2	1.2 relating to natural resources; modifying Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness
3	3	1.3 mining restrictions; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 84.523.
4	4	1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
5	5	1.5 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 84.523, is amended to read:
6	6	1.6 84.523 BWCA; MANAGING MINERALS AND RELATED RESOURCES.
7	7	1.7 Subdivision 1.Definition.(a) For the purposes of this section, the term following terms
8	8	1.8have the meanings given them.
9	9	1.9 (b) "Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness" means that area of lands and waters
10	10	1.10included within the boundaries designated in federal regulation REG U-3, Code of Federal
11	11	1.11Regulations, title 36, section 293.16, as that regulation provided on January 1, 1975. Public
12	12	1.12Law 95-495.
13	13	1.13 (c) "Rainy River headwaters" means that area of land and waters included within the
14	14	1.14Rainy River headwaters of the Rainy River basin designated on the Minnesota Department
15	15	1.15of Natural Resources map entitled Minnesota's Watershed Basins as identified in Minnesota
16	16	1.16Rules, part 7050.0470, subpart 2, item A, subitem (1), and designated on the map of
17	17	1.17Minnesota's Major Watersheds under Minnesota Rules, part 7050.0469 (HUC 09030001).
18	18	1.18 Subd. 2.Intent.The legislature finds that a combination of state legislative and
19	19	1.19administrative actions and court decisions have established a public policy of primarily
20	20	1.20wilderness management for state lands and waters within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area
21	21	1.21Wilderness. This state policy, together with a similar federal policy and international actions
22	22	1.22consistent with these state and federal policies, has created an area of hundreds of thousands
23	23	1Section 1.
24	24	25-02129 as introduced01/13/25 REVISOR CKM/AC
25	25	SENATE
26	26	STATE OF MINNESOTA
27	27	S.F. No. 875NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
28	28	(SENATE AUTHORS: CWODZINSKI)
29	29	OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
30	30	Introduction and first reading02/03/2025
31	31	Referred to Environment, Climate, and Legacy 2.1of acres of land and water containing myriad lakes and streams, wooded shores, virgin
32	32	2.2forests, and other natural attractions of surpassing scenic beauty and solitude, free from
33	33	2.3substantially all commercial activities and artificial development such as hydroelectric dams
34	34	2.4and power lines, resorts, roads, sawmills, and timber harvesting in no-cut zones.
35	35	2.5 Subd. 3.Mining; prohibition.Except with the prior approval of the legislature in those
36	36	2.6cases of national emergency which have been declared by the Congress and which direct
37	37	2.7the need for exploration and mining of federal lands within the Boundary Waters Canoe
38	38	2.8Area Wilderness or the Rainy River headwaters, and after an investigation and determination
39	39	2.9by the commissioner of natural resources pursuant to subdivision 5 no state-owned or
40	40	2.10administered land may be leased for exploration or mining of minerals, and no state permits,
41	41	2.11licenses or leases shall be issued to use any other state natural resources for any mineral
42	42	2.12exploration or mining operations in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the
43	43	2.13Rainy River headwaters. Mining for taconite or iron ore, sand, gravel, and granite may be
44	44	2.14allowed on state-owned or administered land in the Rainy River headwaters if the
45	45	2.15commissioner of natural resources determines that the mining will not be detrimental to the
46	46	2.16Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
47	47	2.17 Subd. 4.Peat harvesting; prohibition.Except with prior approval of the legislature in
48	48	2.18those cases of national emergency which have been declared by the Congress and which
49	49	2.19direct the need for exploitation of peat deposits on federal land within the Boundary Waters
50	50	2.20Canoe Area Wilderness, and after an investigation and determination by the commissioner
51	51	2.21of natural resources pursuant to subdivision 5 no state-owned or administered land may be
52	52	2.22leased for the purpose of harvesting peat, and no state permits, licenses or leases shall be
53	53	2.23issued to use any other state natural resources for the purpose of harvesting peat in the
54	54	2.24Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
55	55	2.25 Subd. 5.Investigation and determination.In the event of a national emergency declared
56	56	2.26by Congress which requires, for the protection of national interests, exploitation of natural
57	57	2.27resources of the type found in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness or the Rainy
58	58	2.28River headwaters, the commissioner of natural resources shall investigate and determine if
59	59	2.29there are reasonable alternative methods for providing the needed resources. If the
60	60	2.30investigation shows there are reasonable alternatives to exploitation of natural resources in
61	61	2.31the area, no permit for development shall be issued. If the commissioner of natural resources
62	62	2.32determines there is a need to provide resources from within the Boundary Waters Canoe
63	63	2.33Area Wilderness, and that there is no reasonable alternative available to meet the need, a
64	64	2.34permit may be issued upon approval by the state legislature.
65	65	2Section 1.
66	66	25-02129 as introduced01/13/25 REVISOR CKM/AC 3.1 Subd. 6.State-owned lands.Acquired lands owned by the state within the Boundary
67	67	3.2Waters Canoe Area Wilderness defined in subdivision 1 are designated as state wilderness
68	68	3.3areas under section 86A.05, subdivision 6.
69	69	3Section 1.
70	70	25-02129 as introduced01/13/25 REVISOR CKM/AC