Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) hosted a meeting with Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Congressman Rick Nolan (MN-08) to urge the rejection of the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) application to withdraw approximately 425,000 acres of land from resource development in Minnesota.

“I was pleased to organize and have a productive discussion with Secretary Perdue and Congressman Nolan to address an issue with significant importance to Minnesota’s economy,” said Emmer. “It is imperative the Trump Administration reverses the previous administration’s last-minute actions to withdraw more than 400,000 acres of land previously designated for resource development. Secretary Perdue expressed his willingness to partner with us on this important issue, to get government out of the way, and to allow our economy to flourish in Northern Minnesota and across the country.”

Congressman Emmer led a letter in the House urging Secretary Perdue and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to halt the withdrawal process and reinstate leases in the area. This letter followed a Western Caucus trip to Northern Minnesota to see the proposed withdrawal area firsthand and talk to local Minnesotans, industry stakeholders, and elected officials in the impacted area.

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