On Thursday, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources granted final approval to Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company to lease public land in order to open a controversial sulfide mine near Marquette in Michigan's Upper Peninsula pending the resolution of court cases against the proposed mine. The lease--along with a "Mining and Reclamation Plan"--was approved by the DNR despite mine opponents' objections to the plan. Opponents argued that there are specific problems regarding how Kennecott will address subsidence and leak prevention, that the state has an inadequate enforcement budget, and that the lease is a form of corporate welfare.

The National Wildlife Federation said in a press release that the decision amounted to "corporate welfare. Michelle Halley, attorney for the National Wildlife Federation, said the announcement on Thursday by the DNR to grant Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company (KEMC) the unprecedented lease is a clear-cut case of "the DNR sacrificing public land for private gain."

Despite the awarding of the permit, opponents of the mine expressed hope that they still will be able to stop the construction of the mine. They cited the fact that the permit and lease do not go into affect until pending court cases are resolved, as well as Kennecott's need for a permit from the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Thus far, Kennecott has apparently not applied for the required permit from the EPA.

To that end, mine opponents--including Save the Wild UP--are encouraging people to send a letter to federal officials opposing the mine.