Metallic minerals lease sale
Notice of Intent to Hold State Metallic Minerals Lease Sale
State Lands to be Offered for Metallic Minerals Exploration
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announces that plans are being developed to hold the state's 30th sale of metallic minerals exploration and mining leases. The sale is scheduled for January 14th of 2009.
The purpose of Minnesota's metallic minerals rules (Minnesota Rules, parts 6125.0100 - .0700) is to promote and regulate the exploration for, mining and removal of metallic minerals on state-owned and state-administered lands. These rules, and the leases issued under these 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 offered for the lease sale cover portions of Beltrami, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Roseau and Saint Louis Counties. The lands being offered have been offered in previous metallic minerals lease sales, but based upon the interest shown by industry, new geologic data, and exploration techniques developed during the past few years, it is felt that within these lands there is potential for the discovery of mineral resources.
The lease sale will take place in the East-West Conference Room located on the 4th floor of the DNR Central Office Building, 500 Lafayette Road, Saint Paul, Minnesota. Mining unit books, listing the state lands to be offered at the lease sale, are available as PDF files below, unit books are also available for inspection at the Hibbing and Saint Paul offices of the Division of Lands and Minerals.
A map
showing
the general areas under consideration may be obtained from the Division of Lands
and Minerals, Box 45, 500 Lafayette Road, Saint Paul, MN 55155-4045, telephone
651-259-5959.
Note: The Division of Lands and Minerals office in Hibbing has maps and reports on Minnesota's mineral resources, as well as drill core and exploration reports available for inspection. To arrange for a time to visit the Hibbing office, please contact Rick Ruhanen at (218) 231-8469. We also recommend our public access to minerals data web site.
If you have any questions about the lease sale, please contact Kathy A. Lewis at 651-259-5404 or kathy.lewis@dnr.state.mn.us.