- Acumen Powered by Robins Kaplan LLP®
- Affirmative Recovery
- American Indian Law and Policy
- Antitrust and Trade Regulation
- Appellate Advocacy and Guidance
- Business Litigation
- Civil Rights and Police Misconduct
- Class Action Litigation
- Commercial/Project Finance and Real Estate
- Corporate Governance and Special Situations
- Corporate Restructuring and Bankruptcy
- Domestic and International Arbitration
- Entertainment and Media Litigation
- Health Care Litigation
- Insurance and Catastrophic Loss
- Intellectual Property and Technology Litigation
- Mass Tort Attorneys
- Medical Malpractice Attorneys
- Personal Injury Attorneys
- Telecommunications Litigation and Arbitration
- Wealth Planning, Administration, and Fiduciary Disputes
Acumen Powered by Robins Kaplan LLP®
Ediscovery, Applied Science and Economics, and Litigation Support Solutions
-
November 7, 2024Robins Kaplan Achieves National Tier 1 Rankings in Multiple Practice Areas on 2025 Best Law Firms List
-
November 1, 2024Robins Kaplan Recognized for “Tipping the Scales” by Diversity & Flexibility Alliance
-
October 28, 2024Philip Sieff Honored with Minnesota Icon Award
-
November 14, 2024Roots, Branches, and Wings: Risks and Rewards of Generational Wealth
-
November 18, 2024Careers in Litigation
-
September 2024Meet Our New Partner and Trial Advocacy Seminar Keynote Speaker: B. Todd Jones
-
September 18, 2024Astellas Pharma, Inc. v. Sandoz Inc.
-
September 2024Q&A with Alan Harter, Founder of Pactolus Private Wealth Management
-
September 16, 2022Uber Company Systems Compromised by Widespread Cyber Hack
-
September 15, 2022US Averts Rail Workers Strike With Last-Minute Tentative Deal
-
September 14, 2022Hotter-Than-Expected August Inflation Prompts Massive Wall Street Selloff
Find additional firm contact information for press inquiries.
Find resources to help navigate legal and business complexities.
Robins Kaplan LLP Achieves Victory In Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Pro Bono Matter
January 26, 2022
Robins Kaplan LLP is pleased to announce a significant victory in a legal challenge to the federal government’s renewal of two expired copper-nickel mining leases on land adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced the cancellation of the two leases, finding that they were improperly renewed under the administration of former President Donald Trump.
In 2018, Robins Kaplan filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, alleging that the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) reinstatement of these expired mining leases will allow further exploration and development of a sulfide-ore copper-nickel mine that is incompatible with the wilderness character of the area. That lawsuit claims the BLM’s decision to reinstate the expired leases was arbitrary, capricious, contrary to law, and exceeded the government agency’s authority, while improperly disregarding a decision by the U.S. Forest Service to not consent to the lease renewal due to the inherent risk of damage from the proposed mine. In 2020, after the BLM completed the renewal of those leases, Robins Kaplan filed a second lawsuit claiming that the renewal was conducted without an adequate environmental review under improper political pressure from certain legislators.
On January 26, the Interior Department announced the cancellation of the mineral leases, based on a legal determination by its Solicitor General that the leases had been renewed in violation of multiple legal authorities, including by failing to recognize the Forest Service’s consent authority and failing to conduct an adequate environmental review. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland explained, “After a careful legal review, we found the leases were improperly renewed in violation of applicable statutes and regulations, and we are taking action to cancel them.”
“The Interior Department’s action heralds a complete victory in our long-running effort to preserve and protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness,” said partner Steve Safranski, counsel to the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. “We are proud to have partnered with the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness to ensure the future of this area which has been a national ecological treasure and an iconic destination in Minnesota for generations.” This decision was hailed by Minnesota Congresswoman Betty McCollum as a “monumental victory for the Boundary Waters.”
Protected by federal law for more than 100 years, and now by federal statute, the BWCAW is the largest wilderness area east of the Rocky Mountains. It is renowned for its water quality and provides an abundant habitat for thousands of species of wildlife, including three threatened or endangered species, and offers opportunities for ecological studies and exceptional wilderness experiences. The National Geographic Society recognized the BWCAW as one of the planet’s “50 Places of a Lifetime.”
Robins Kaplan partners Richard Allyn and Bryan Mechell and counsel Eric Barstad and staff attorney Siobhan Jamsa also represented the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness in this case.
Related Professionals
Richard B. Allyn
Partner
Bryan J. Mechell
Partner
Eric Barstad
Counsel
Siobhan M. Jamsa
Staff Attorney
Related Publications
Related News
If you are interested in having us represent you, you should call us so we can determine whether the matter is one for which we are willing or able to accept professional responsibility. We will not make this determination by e-mail communication. The telephone numbers and addresses for our offices are listed on this page. We reserve the right to decline any representation. We may be required to decline representation if it would create a conflict of interest with our other clients.
By accepting these terms, you are confirming that you have read and understood this important notice.