Computer-Aided Regional Planning For Mineral Resources

Minnesota is involved in planning controversies related to taconite and potential copper-nickel mining. Mine facility planning includes the Reserve dining on-land tailings disposal issue and the potential for a new copper-nickel mining district. Both provide a unique opportunity for innovative planning in the attempt to be responsive to public and private interests. Concerns that emanate as a result of mineral resource activities include environmental protection, land use competition, land exchanges, highway and utility extensions, and legal constraints on public or private lands. The purpose of this newly-developed planning approach is to anticipate such issues and provide a rational information base for dealing with them. The result will be a framework plan for guiding public planning, and an impact assessment for reviewing the implications of industrial project proposals. The approach uses a computer-stored resource inventory of natural and cultural information. Geographic data is mapped and entered into a computer storage and retrieval system. This enables systematic analysis of mineral resources along with environmental and land use considerations. Computer mapping describes the relationship of each activity and allows identification of potential conflicts; it also shows geographical extent in the form of statistical compilations. Resource data is being collected and compiled using a standard metric grid (Universal Transverse Mercator). Individual cells are 100 m. squares and represent areas of about 2.5 acres. The study area contains about 145,000 cells. Data inventories are being compiled in 25 natural and cultural resource categories. Geologic variables include Bedrock Geology, Taconite Reserves and Potential Resources, Depth to the Duluth Complex Contact and two soil inventories. Topographic and hydrologic variables include elevation, slope, slope orientation, surface hydrology, and watersheds. There are also 6 biological data variables and 7 land use inventories.