Photo: An exploratory drill site, MN DNR

By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - January 2, 2025

On December 29, 2025, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) approved an exploration plan for Franconia Minerals (US) LLC, a subsidiary of Twin Metals Minnesota. The plan, submitted in November 2025, authorizes exploratory diamond drilling and down-hole geophysical surveys at up to 19 sites on state-managed lands in St. Louis County near Birch Lake. This decision allows for the collection of geologic data through March 31, 2027, a process the DNR describes in a release as "collecting data and information to better understand what is below the ground before any decisions about mining are made."

To mitigate environmental impacts, Fraconia's plan stated that the company will use existing infrastructure when possible, apply stabilizing mats for access, and restrict wetland activity to frozen ground conditions or utilize protective best management practices. Franconia is required to coordinate with private landowners to secure any necessary access across non-state-owned property. 

The DNR stated that mineral exploration is a "highly regulated, temporary activity" that is "distinct from active mining." The agency oversees these activities in coordination with the Minnesota Department of Health to ensure the safety of groundwater and surface waters. In a report released in 2022 regarding a MN Dept of Health and DNR Drill Core Library Database of all the wells and boreholes completed between 2000-2020, 162,067 were for domestic water supply wells (81.6%), 34,590 wells and borings for scientific, engineering, monitoring, or other purposes (17.45), and 2,085 were for mineral exploration borings (1%). 

According to the DNR, "Mineral exploration in Minnesota is closely regulated to protect people, land, and water," and every exploratory boring is inspected to ensure proper construction and sealing. Additionally, the DNR frames exploration as an essential research step to generate revenue for the Permanent School Fund, which supports K-12 public education across every school district in the state. This management includes activities such as timber harvesting, mining, and real estate transactions on approximately 2.5 million acres of land and 1 million acres of mineral rights.

In contrast, Save the Boundary Waters and its lead organization, Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, responded to the decision, expressing concern about the approval. Executive Director Ingrid Lyons stated that the exploratory proposal is a "precursor to copper mining underneath Birch Lake," a popular recreational body of water that flows into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), and that the approval serves as a "flashing reminder" that the threat of sulfide-ore copper mining remains a concern for the entire watershed.

Additionally, Save the Boundary Waters said that such operations create persistent noise and light pollution that could be audible for miles, potentially "polluting, impairing, and destroying a key characteristic of the Boundary Waters." 

 Image: MN DNR