Forest Service Signs Land Deal Exchange with PolyMet

6,650 Acres Will be Transferred

DULUTH, Minn.-PolyMet Mining and Superior National Forest signed an agreement today to transfer roughly 7,000 acres between the two.

PolyMet will get nearly 7,000 acres in the Superior National Forest land of the surface, which it already has mineral rights to. PolyMet will then transfer about 7,000 acres on non-federal land to the national forest.

This exchange could lead to help along a proposed Iron Range copper-nickel mine known as North-Met.

“Really in the end felt it was in the public’s best interest … it would be very difficult to resolve this difference in agreement over the right of putting in a surface mine,” said Connie Cummins, forest supervisor for Superior National Forest. “That it really was in the best interest to go ahead and do the land exchange and pick up new federal land, new forest land that would be managed more appropriately.”

The forest service said the decision followed an environmental analysis and public engagement process. Many more steps in the permitting process do still need to take place in order for the mine to become a reality.