A mineral development company has asked for lease exploration rights to more than 10,000 acres of land in the Upper Peninsula.
Keweenaw Land Association's lease request would apply to land in Baraga, Dickinson, Iron, Marquette and Menominee counties in the U.P.
The association previously inherited mineral rights to 400,000 acres of land in the U.P., as the eventual successor to a ship canal development company that operated in the area in the late 1800s.
At a public hearing held on Wednesday, people's comments about the company's bid for an additional exploration lease were overwhelmingly negative.
Nicole Keway Biber is with Clean Water Action. She is also a member of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (Waganakising Odawa).
Keway Biber said companies and the state are spending huge sums to clean up past mining sites.
"We need to start thinking about restoration," she said. "So please do not let this so-called exploration happen, because it's just going to end up digging and destroying the land more."
Another speaker called on the DNR to reform its leasing practices. Kathleen Heideman is with the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition. She said the DNR allows companies seeking mineral exploration rights to "self-nominate," as opposed to the state conducting a traditional sealed bid auction.
"The DNR certainly does not let loggers and paper companies to self-nominate for state forest land cutting," said Heideman. "The use of the self nomination process is outdated and short-sighted, and is at odds with the DNR's mission to protect and conserve the state's natural resources."
Heideman also said the state's lease exploration fee of $3.00 per acre is too low, given the increasing value of the minerals that might be discovered.
DNR officials at the hearing said demand for minerals like copper is being driven by the transition to clean energy.
They also said the requested permit by Keweenaw Land Association is only to explore, and that additional mining permits would need to be requested and approved in the event of any mineral deposits being located.
Keweenaw Land Association declined to comment on its lease application.
