The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has invited the public to comment on a proposed amendment to its Miles City Field Office management plan. The window for submission of comments remains open until June 17, 2024.

On May 16, the BLM issued a final supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS). According to the bureau's news release from the same day, this amendment is a response to a court order from the US District Court for the District of Montana in 2022. The court order mandates that the SEIS evaluate alternatives for federal coal leasing in the Miles City Field Office and provide updated information about both climate and non-climate health impacts related to potential fossil fuel development in the area. The BLM's proposed alternative would render coal mining resources under its management unavailable for future leasing.

The Miles City planning area currently houses two coal mines which, combined, produced 18.5 million short tons of coal in 2022. This marks a decrease from over 28 million short tons produced in 2007, as per another BLM news release.

Individuals wishing to file a protest can do so by mailing it to BLM Director, ATTN: Protest Coordinator (210), Denver Federal Center, Building 40 (Door W-4), Lakewood, CO 80215. Alternatively, protests can be submitted electronically via the BLM ePlanning project website.

The requirements for filing a protest include that: "Any person who participated in the planning process and has an interest which may be adversely affected by the approval or amendment of a resource management plan may protest such approval or amendment. A protest may raise only those issues that were submitted for the record during the planning process."

In addition to this stipulation, each protest must contain contact information of the protester, statements about issues being protested and parts of the plan or amendment being protested against. It should also include copies of all documents addressing the issues submitted during the planning process, or an indication of when these issues were discussed for the record. A brief statement explaining why the State Director's decision is wrong must also be included, as per the protest planning procedures document.