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.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This joint resolution uses the Congressional Review Act to disapprove Bureau of Land Management Public Land Order No. 7917, the Interior Department order that withdrew federal lands in Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, Minnesota, from mineral and geothermal leasing. If effective, the specific withdrawal has no force or effect, so those federal lands are no longer protected by that 20-year leasing bar and future leasing or permitting decisions move back to the ordinary federal land-management process.
Who Benefits and How
Mining companies, mineral exploration firms, and geothermal leasing applicants interested in northeastern Minnesota benefit because the resolution removes the BLM order that blocked new leasing access on the covered federal lands. Local contractors, workers, and local governments that support mineral exploration or mine development may benefit through renewed leasing applications, investment, jobs, and tax activity if projects move forward.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Forest Service bear implementation burdens because they must treat Public Land Order No. 7917 as legally ineffective and manage any renewed leasing interest under the remaining public-land, forest, environmental-review, and valid-existing-rights rules. Conservation groups, outdoor-recreation interests, tribal governments, and downstream communities that supported the withdrawal lose the specific leasing shield intended to reduce mineral-development pressure around the Rainy River watershed and Superior National Forest area.
Key Provisions
- Blocks Public Land Order No. 7917 from continuing to bar mineral or geothermal leasing on the covered Minnesota federal lands.
- Limits Interior and BLM to the remaining public-land, forest, permitting, environmental-review, and valid-existing-rights rules when handling renewed leasing interest.
- Directs the practical legal effect toward reopening future leasing and permitting decisions rather than preserving the 20-year withdrawal.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Nullifies Bureau of Land Management Public Land Order No. 7917, which withdrew federal lands in Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, Minnesota, from mineral and geothermal leasing.
Key Policy Areas
Natural Resources, Energy
Primary Purpose
Nullifies Bureau of Land Management Public Land Order No. 7917, which withdrew federal lands in Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, Minnesota, from mineral and geothermal leasing.
Policy Domains
Congressional disapproval of Minnesota federal-land withdrawal
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Mining and mineral-leasing companies
- Geothermal leasing applicants
- Northeastern Minnesota local development interests
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Bureau of Land Management
- U.S. Forest Service
- Conservation and tribal interests supporting the withdrawal
- Department of the Interior
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
Signed into LawSigned by President.
Became Public Law No: 119-85.
Presented to President.
Passed Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 50 - 49. …
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay …
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1807-1812)
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure agreed to in …
Measure laid before Senate by motion.
Motion to table the point of order that the measure …
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "us_forest_service"
- → U.S. Forest Service
- "bureau_of_land_management"
- → Bureau of Land Management
- "department_of_the_interior"
- → Department of the Interior
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology