Mesabi Daily News
Senator Al Franken

For generations, mining has played a unique role in the economy, and the culture, of our state.

I travel to the Iron Range as often as I can. And whenever I’m there, I meet with workers who are rightly proud to be earning good paychecks in good jobs, producing steel for skyscrapers, iron ore nuggets for electric arc furnaces, and much more.

Mining is a true Minnesota tradition. So, too, is respect for our environment and careful stewardship of our natural resources — not just for our own sake, but for the sake of our children, grandchildren, and future generations.

Nobody knows this better than Iron Rangers, who enjoy both the economic opportunities offered by mining and the quality of life provided by Northern Minnesota’s beautiful landscape and abundant recreational opportunities.

Read more: http://www.virginiamn.com/mine/article_e83c973e-41a2-11e3-b0eb-001a4bcf887a.html

Mesabi Daily News
Bill Hanna

Dick and Pam Backstrom are a lifetime mining couple.

How important is mining to their lives, their marriage, their family, their community? Well, when they talk mining, they often finish each other’s sentences. Literally.

The founders of IDEA Drilling who still continue as part-owners of the company, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last June.

IDEA is currently doing exploratory work for Twin Metals Minnesota, which has offices in the Twin Cities, Ely and Babbitt, and plans a long-term nonferrous mining project that would create more than 1,300 permanent jobs, thousands more spin-off positions for other businesses and vendors and about 5,000 construction jobs.

Read more: http://www.virginiamn.com/news/local/article_86515948-4106-11e3-b8bf-0019bb2963f4.html

Hibbing Daily Tribune

Building off the success of our first special 48-page section called MINE, today we present to you MINE II, the second ACM newspapers publication focusing on the importance — past, present and into the future — of mining to the Iron Range.

The MINE venture is a cooperative effort of the Mesabi Daily News, Hibbing Daily Tribune, Grand Rapids Herald-Review and Chisholm Tribune Press.

Mining is the very foundation of the Iron Range. It cuts to the core of our heritage and traditions, and holds so much continued financial promise for the region. And the stories of mining’s history, its current status and its promise for a better future for the Range are never-ending.

Read more: http://www.hibbingmn.com/news/local/article_81066318-4109-11e3-8912-0019bb2963f4.html

Mesabi Daily News
Bill Hanna

Mineral leases — 31 of them — for exploratory drilling in Northeastern Minnesota were approved by the Executive Council Friday after a more than 10-month delay.

The council, comprised of the state’s five constitutional offices, voted 4-1 to issue the leases to the highest bidders. Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Landwehr and his staff had recommended the leases be awarded prior to the council’s December 2012 meeting. Their recommendation held into this year.

Mesabi Daily News

Exploratory mining is about drilling holes in the ground to bring up core samples from which companies and developers can determine the potential profitability of a mineral deposit in that area.

Plain and simple, such drilling is not a mining project that requires greater environmental review.

Yet some environmentalists have used exploratory drilling to play their harassing game of delay to try to thwart legitimate mining activity.

That’s what is once again being attempted by some individual landowners who are supported by preservationist groups to try to block the awarding of 31 mineral leases for exploratory mining in the region.

Read more: http://www.virginiamn.com/opinion/editorials/article_845739e8-3b8c-11e3-bb99-001a4bcf887a.html