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H.J.Res. 140119th CongressSigned into lawLatest action Apr 27, 2026Decoded by AI · checked against the record
Official title: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to Public Land Order No. 7917 for Withdrawal of Federal Lands; Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, MN.
Introduced:
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A 20-year federal mining withdrawal covering three Minnesota counties was canceled by Congress and signed into law April 27, 2026.
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Congress used the Congressional Review Act to cancel a January 2023 Bureau of Land Management rule that had blocked mining and mineral leasing on federal lands in Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties in northeastern Minnesota for 20 years. The cancellation means those lands are now available again for mining activities, including copper, nickel, and other mineral extraction. The rule is treated as if it never existed, and BLM cannot issue a substantially similar rule without new congressional authorization.
The resolution affects people and organizations in northeastern Minnesota, including mining companies, Ojibwe tribes and other Indigenous communities, environmental groups, and outdoor recreation businesses. Anyone who relies on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and nearby waterways is also affected.
Supporters of the original withdrawal argued the mining ban protected water quality and wilderness in the region. Supporters of this resolution argue it reopens the area to economic development and domestic mineral production.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: the President signed it. It's law.Now law
Latest action: — Became Public Law No: 119-85.