Ely Echo
Joe Balash, Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management
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Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) executes its mission to manage hard rock mineral leases on the Superior National Forest, fully aware of the positive effects mining confers to the economy and culture of the region. If constructed, the mine is estimated to bring 650 direct and 1,300 indirect jobs to Ely, Babbitt, and the greater northeast Minnesota community.
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Our challenge as professional land resource managers is to scrupulously weigh each decision based on the best available science, in accordance with the laws passed by Congress, and after considerable consultation with the public we serve. Our charge is to recognize opportunities to improve all our lives by accessing valuable minerals for the greatest good, while sharing in all our personal responsibility for public lands stewardship. This decision does just that.