BLM proposes amendment to Miles City Field Office Management plan
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MILES CITY, Mont. – The Bureau of Land Management has issued a final supplemental environmental impact statement and proposed amendment to its Miles City Field Office land use plan. Release of the final SEIS and proposed amendment opens a 30-day public protest period.
The BLM developed the SEIS and plan amendment in response to a 2022 order from the United States District Court for the District of Montana. The BLM’s proposed alternative, Alternative D, would amend the 2015 Miles City Field Office resource management plan and make BLM-managed coal resources in the planning area unavailable for future leasing. Federal coal production is anticipated to continue through 2035 at Spring Creek Mine and 2060 at Rosebud Mine under existing leases.
As required by the court’s order, the supplemental analysis evaluates alternatives for federal coal leasing in the Miles City Field Office and includes updated information and analysis regarding the health impacts, both climate and non-climate, of developing fossil fuels in the area.
In 2022, the two operating mines in the Miles City planning area produced a combined total of 18.5 million short tons of coal, down from more than 28 million short tons in 2007 as older coal-fired electric power plants have closed and generation has shifted to natural gas and renewable energy sources.
Both U.S. total coal production and Powder River Basin coal production peaked in 2008 and have since declined steeply, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Written protests must be received by June 17, 2024. Please visit the BLM Filing a Plan Protest page for instructions.
To review the proposed resource management plan amendment and associated analysis, visit the BLM National NEPA Register. For more information, contact project manager Irma Nansel at 406-233-3653.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.