The
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold the state?s 31st sale of metallic minerals exploration and mining leases, tentatively scheduled for January 2010. The lease sale plans are being announced at this time in order to give mining companies, public interest groups and all other interested parties additional time to review the areas under consideration.
The purpose of Minnesota?s metallic minerals rules is to promote and regulate the exploration, mining and removal of metallic minerals on state-owned and state-administered lands. These lease rules authorize exploration and development of these minerals and impose certain requirements on the lessee. The requirements include: the payment of rentals that increase with the passage of time, the payment of royalty for all ore mined and removed, the submission of data and other reports, and the addressing of environmental considerations. In addition, the state lessee must comply with all applicable regulatory laws.
The areas under consideration for the lease sale cover portions of Aitkin, Benton, Carlson, Itasca, Morrison, Pine and St. Louis counties. The lands being considered have been offered in previous metallic minerals lease sales, but based on the interest shown by industry, new geologic data, and exploration techniques developed during the past few years, it is felt that there is potential for the discovery of mineral resources within these lands.
The exact time and place of the lease sale will be announced by legal notice at least 30 days prior to the sale. Mining unit books, listing the state lands to be offered at the lease sale, will be available for inspection or purchase at that time.
A map showing the general areas under consideration is available from the DNR Division of Lands and Minerals, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4045, by phone at 651-259-5959, or by visiting the MDNR Web site.
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lands_minerals/leasesale/index.html
