Revisit leases and permits in the withdrawn energy and mineral areas

What has happened

1. Jul 17, 2025 Partially done

   The Twin Metals leases in the Boundary Waters area were revisited exactly as the Quote asks: the Deputy Secretary withdrew M-37072, which had held the leases improperly renewed and cancellable, and reinstated M-37049, the opinion that they were validly renewed — the memorandum noting that the 2022 opinion itself "acknowledged that the regulations at 43 C.F.R. § 3514.30(b) allow BLM to amend a lease rather than cancel it". Congress then voided the withdrawal (P.L. 119-85). No parallel action has been found for leases or permits in the Thompson Divide, and no allowlisted record of the consultation with state elected officials the Quote specifies. **Corrected 2026-09-06 (read-queue ticket 07):** the Chaco buffer is no longer untouched — on 2026-07-15 the BLM opened comment on a draft environmental assessment for revoking Public Land Order No. 7923 in full (#1472). That revisits the *withdrawal*, and would reopen 336,404 acres to leasing if adopted; it does not revisit any existing lease or permit, which is what this Quote asks for, and nothing has been decided. The rung is unchanged and the Twin Metals memorandum still carries it.

   • Deputy Secretary memorandum: Reinstatement of Solicitor Opinion M-37049 (Twin Metals Minnesota leases) and Withdrawal of Solicitor Opinion M-37072

     Primary Executive branch Jul 17, 2025

   • Public Law 119-85 — congressional disapproval of the BLM rule relating to Public Land Order No. 7917

     Primary Congress Apr 27, 2026