The Bureau of Land Management in Colorado issued a coal lease modification for Bowie Resources, LLC., and issued a decision on a lease by application for the nearby Oxbow coal mine. Combined, these mines employ more than 625 miners in Colorado, producing nearly 8 million tons of coal per year and generating approximately $25.5 million per year in federal royalties.Bowie, located near Paonia, will be able to access their lease for 160 acres of public lands in the Uncompahgre Field Office early next week. The BLM closed the appeal period and issued the lease early to avoid economic impacts associated with bypassing 1.43 million tons of coal due to the layout of their federal lease and mining operation plans.The BLM issued a Decision Record and associated Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for a lease by application submitted by Oxbow Corporation for 786 acres of public lands, also located in the Uncompahgre Field Office, for a 30-day public appeal process.Coal production generated $44 million in royalties in 2009 in Colorado. Fifty percent of federal royalties are paid to the state.The BLM manages 8.4 million acres of public lands in Colorado - ranging from 4,000 to more than 14,000 feet in elevation - along with 29 million acres of the public's subsurface mineral estate. BLM public lands include alpine tundra, colorful canyons, and majestic mesas. The agency manages these lands for a multitude of uses, including recreation, mining, wildlife habitat, wilderness, energy development, and livestock grazing.The associated planning documents are located on the Uncompahgre Field Office page at (if unavailable Jan. 21 they will be posted early next week): http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Information/nepa/ufo.html For more information about BLM Colorado's coal program visit: http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Programs/minerals/coal.html
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
