Superior National Forest Restoration Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 978 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 978

  To rescind Public Land Order 7917, to reinstate mineral leases and 
  permits in the Superior National Forest, to ensure timely review of 
           Mine Plans of Operations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 5, 2025

Mr. Stauber (for himself, Mr. Finstad, Mrs. Fischbach, Mr. Fulcher, Mr. 
 Tiffany, Mr. Begich, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Hunt, Ms. Maloy, Ms. Hageman, 
and Mr. Gosar) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To rescind Public Land Order 7917, to reinstate mineral leases and 
  permits in the Superior National Forest, to ensure timely review of 
           Mine Plans of Operations, 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 ``Superior National Forest Restoration 
Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. SUPERIOR NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS IN MINNESOTA.

    (a) Rescission.--The order titled ``Public Land Order No. 7917 for 
Withdrawal of Federal Lands; Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, 
MN'', issued by the Bureau of Land Management and dated January 31, 
2023, is hereby rescinded.
    (b) Timely Review.--The Secretary shall complete all necessary 
environmental and regulatory reviews, including processes subject to 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), 
for all Mine Plans of Operations within the Superior National Forest 
lands in the State of Minnesota--
            (1) with respect to a Mine Plan of Operations submitted or 
        resubmitted in the 10-year period beginning on the date of the 
        enactment of this section, not later than 18 months after the 
        date on which such Mine Plan of Operations is submitted or 
        resubmitted; and
            (2) with respect to a Mine Plan of Operations reviewed 
        pursuant to this section, all necessary supplemental 
        environmental and regulatory reviews shall be reviewed by the 
        Secretary not later than 6 months after the date on which such 
        supplemental Mine Plan of Operations is submitted, and all 
        necessary regulatory and environmental permits shall be issued 
        not later than 6 months after the Mine Plan of Operations is 
        approved.
    (c) Reissuance of Mineral Leases.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall issue each mineral 
        lease, preference right lease, and prospecting permit canceled 
        by the Secretary relating to lands within Superior National 
        Forest during the period beginning on January 31, 2021, and 
        ending on the date of the enactment of this section. Such 
        mineral leases, preference right leases, and prospecting 
        permits shall be reissued on the same terms as were in effect 
        on the date of such cancellations, except that--
                    (A) prospecting permits shall be reissued with 
                their original terms and conditions as established upon 
                initial issuance; and
                    (B) all mineral leases and preference right leases 
                shall be modified to--
                            (i) an initial term of 20 years beginning 
                        on the date of the enactment of this section;
                            (ii) a nondiscretionary right to renewal 
                        for 5 subsequent 10-year terms; and
                            (iii) a right to make reasonable 
                        adjustments of the rental and royalty terms at 
                        renewal.
            (2) Judicial review.--A lease or permit issued under 
        paragraph (1) is not subject to judicial review.
    (d) Issuance of New Preference Right Leases.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, not later than 5 days after the date of the enactment of 
        this section, the Secretary shall grant preference right leases 
        for any preference right lease applications that were rejected 
        after January 31, 2021, and prior to the date of the enactment 
        of this section and have received a notice of preliminary 
        valuable deposit determination.
            (2) Lease terms.--Such preference right leases shall be 
        issued with terms consistent with subsection (c)(1).
    (e) Permits for Use of Surface Lands.--With respect to lands 
subject to a lease pursuant to subsection (d), the Secretary, 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.
    (f) Secretary Defined.--For the purposes of this section, the term 
``Secretary'' means--
            (1) the Secretary of the Interior; or
            (2) when used with respect to any unit of the National 
        Forest System, the Secretary of Agriculture.
                                 <all>