Trump officials are mulling a proposal to update decadesold rules governing exploration for hard rock minerals such as uranium, copper and cobalt on Forest Service lands, largely in the western U.S.
The White House completed its review of a proposed rule on Friday after meeting with industry trade associations including the National Mining Association and companies like HudBay Minerals, which is pursuing an open-pit copper mine in Arizona with the help of former Trump officials.
The Forest Service announced last year that it was moving to revamp rules for activities allowed under the 1872 Mining Law to address the growing demand for critical minerals and President Donald Trump’s recently inked directives that declared a national energy emergency and called for more domestic mining.
The mining sector is angling for the Forest Service to adopt provisions that allow small-scale exploration on Forest Service land — on 5 acres or less — without a full plan of operations. Companies would only be required to notify the agency — but not secure permission — to explore for minerals there. The Bureau of Land Management already takes a similar approach.
