{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://nolan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-nolan-bill-to-facilitate-superior-national-forest-land", "House Passes Nolan Bill to Facilitate Superior National Forest Land Exchange, A Good Deal for Taxpayers, Forestry, Tourism, and Jobs", "2017-11-29", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MN", "Rick Nolan", "N000127", "nolan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The U.S. House of Representatives today passed U.S. Rep Rick Nolan\u2019s bill, H.R. 3115, the Superior National Forest Land Exchange Act, which finalizes a long-awaited land exchange in Northern Minnesota between the U.S. Forest Service and PolyMet Mining.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nThe exchange \u2013 approved earlier this year by the Obama Administration\u2019s U.S. Forest Service after undergoing seven years of scrupulous review \u2013 is key to advancing PolyMet\u2019s long-awaited project to open up the copper, nickel and other precious minerals under Iron Range land known as the Duluth Complex.\n\u00a0\nIn his remarks on the House floor, Rep. Nolan pointed out the future public and economic benefits of the legislation, including the creation of hundreds of good paying jobs in mining and related industries. Tourism-related activities in the Superior National Forest will also benefit with the increased public access to 2,000 acres of lakeshore, wetlands, and wild rice waters. Rep. Nolan also noted that the bill is supported by a bipartisan majority of the Minnesota Congressional Delegation, Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, Democratic and Republican leaders in the Minnesota legislature, and communities, businesses, private citizens, and economic development organizations throughout the region. Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has also expressed his support for the project, which relies on the land exchange for its success.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u201cThis bill is a win for taxpayers, for the environment, and for good paying jobs,\u201d\u00a0said Rep Nolan.\u00a0\u201cThe public will gain access to 2,000 acres of beautiful wetlands, lakeshore, and wild rice waters, while PolyMet\u00a0receives a smaller area bordered by existing mining operations and infrastructure that it already owns the mineral rights to. If the land exchange\u00a0\u2013\u00a0which has already been approved by the Obama Administration\u2019s Forest Service \u2013 becomes law, it would mark\u00a0an important step toward providing\u00a0our Nation the precious metals it requires to meet growing demands in defense, manufacturing, health care, environmental \u201cgreen\u201d technologies and medical research. As I have said many times before, any potential mining project must meet the rigorous state and federal environmental regulations before it can move forward.\u201d\n\u00a0\nThe legislation does not affect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in any way. The bill also does not authorize any mining project, nor interfere in any way with state and federal entities that must approve future mining projects. It simply codifies and expedites the pending administrative transaction \u2013 6,690 acres of private land become public, granting visitors and tribal members access to trails and recreation, abundant timber resources, a huge tract of wild rice water at Hay Lake, and almost 2,000 acres of wetlands. In return, PolyMet will receive and transfer into private ownership 6,650 acres of contiguous mining-friendly land surrounded by existing mining operations and infrastructure.\n\u00a0\nRep. Nolan\u2019s office received numerous letters in support of the bill, including:\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The communities of Babbitt and Hoyt Lakes.\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Range Association of Municipalities \u2013 representing 40 communities across the region.\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Port of Duluth.\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Duluth Building Trades.\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Duluth Chamber of Commerce.\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Democratic and Republican leaders of the Minnesota legislature.\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The bipartisan Iron Range Delegation to the Minnesota legislature.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://nolan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-nolan-bill-to-facilitate-superior-national-forest-land"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.2200560197234154, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}