Mesabi Daily News
Steve Giorgi
“KEEP OUT;” “NO JOBS HERE,” are the signs that we can post north of Hinckley, as the rulings keep rolling out from distant places regardless of the majority opinion of the residents in the impacted area. These leases have been renewed consistently since 1966. The United States Forest Services’ own guidelines determined in 2004, in the Superior National Forest Land & Resource Management Plan, that mining within the SNF was a “desired condition.” Twin Metals most recent renewal was also in 2004 and was done with no fanfare, protest, public hearings. They simply made their renewal application, followed all regulatory procedures and standards, and the leases were renewed.