Title: Minnesota's Economic Rights in the Superior National Forest Act
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Minnesota's Economic Rights in the Superior National Forest Act
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.
The bill prohibits any extension or establishment of national monuments on NFS lands in Minnesota except by express authorization of Congress.
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 condition that, at the end of each 10-year renewal period, Interior may readjust lease terms and conditions to encourage production or to address changing conditions within the lease area. Interior may: (1) suspend operations under a lease when the lease can only be operated at a loss due to market conditions or when operations are interrupted by strikes; and (2) issue permits for the use of surface lands subject to, but not included in, the lease for the exploration, development, and use of the deposits covered by the lease. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 shall apply to all such mineral leases.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3905 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3905

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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 2, 2017

   Mr. Emmer (for himself, Mr. Peterson, and Mr. Lewis of Minnesota) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Minnesota's Economic Rights in the 
Superior National Forest Act''.

SEC. 2. CONDITION ON MINERAL WITHDRAWAL OF NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS 
              IN MINNESOTA.

    Minerals within the National Forest System lands in the State of 
Minnesota shall not be subject to withdrawal from disposition under 
United States mineral and geothermal leasing law unless the withdrawal 
is specifically approved by an Act of Congress enacted after the date 
of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. CONDITION ON MONUMENT DESIGNATION ON NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM 
              LANDS IN MINNESOTA.

    Section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e) Limitation on Extension or Establishment of a National 
Monument in Minnesota.--No extension or establishment of national 
monuments on National Forest System lands in the State of Minnesota may 
be undertaken except by express authorization of Congress.''.

SEC. 4. CLARIFYING THE NATURE OF MINERAL RIGHTS ON FOREST SYSTEM LANDS 
              IN MINNESOTA.

    (a) Mineral Leases Issued Within Forest System Lands in 
Minnesota.--
            (1) In general.--All mineral leases issued within the 
        exterior boundaries of National Forest System lands in the 
        State of Minnesota under the authority of the Act of June 30, 
        1950 (16 U.S.C. 508b), or section 402 of Reorganization Plan 
        No. 3 of 1946 (5 U.S.C. App.), are indeterminate preference 
        right leases that--
                    (A) shall be issued for an initial 20-year period; 
                and
                    (B) as provided in paragraph (2), shall be 
                renewable after the period described in subparagraph 
                (A) for 10-year renewal periods.
            (2) Requirements for renewal.--A lease shall be renewed 
        under paragraph (1)(B)--
                    (A) if the lessee has complied with the terms and 
                conditions of the lease during the preceding lease 
                period; and
                    (B) on the condition that, at the end of each ten-
                year renewal period, such reasonable readjustment of 
                the terms and conditions of the lease may be prescribed 
                by the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with 
                the Secretary of Agriculture, for the purpose of--
                            (i) encouraging production; or
                            (ii) addressing changing conditions within 
                        the lease area.
    (b) Suspension of Operations.--The Secretary of the Interior may 
suspend operations under a lease described in subsection (a) when--
            (1) the lease can only be operated at a loss due to market 
        conditions; or
            (2) operations are interrupted by strikes.
    (c) Permits for Use of Surface Lands.--With respect to lands 
subject to a lease pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary of the 
Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, may issue 
permits for the use of surface lands not included in the lease for 
purposes connected with, and reasonably necessary to, the exploration, 
development, and use of the deposits covered by the lease.
    (d) Applicability to Mineral Leases.--This section shall apply with 
respect to all mineral leases described in subsection (a), including--
            (1) leases that on the date of the enactment of this 
        section are not in effect; and
            (2) the hard rock mineral leases for the Superior National 
        Forest in Minnesota identified as MNES-01352 and MNES-01353.
    (e) Applicability of National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.--
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4331 et seq.) 
shall apply with respect to a mineral lease described in subsection 
(a). In the case of the renewal of the existing hard rock mineral 
leases referred to in subsection (d)(2), the Bureau of Land Management 
shall complete the pending environmental assessment no later than 30 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (f) Exclusion of Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.--Nothing in 
this section may be construed as permitting the prospecting for 
development and utilization of mineral resources within the Boundary 
Waters Canoe Area Wilderness or Mine Protection Area.
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