MEEKER, Colo.- The Bureau of Land Management signed 3,157 acres of federal coal reserves in Rio Blanco and Moffat Counties for potential coal mining.
The BLM signed a final decision in a future competitive coal lease sale.
Blue Mountain Energy Inc. submitted a lease for the parcel.
It's adjacent to the company's Deserado Mine, that is seven miles northeast of Rangely and currently employees 164 people.
In fiscal year 2011, coal energy production on BLM Colorado's public lands directly contributed $884 million to the economy.
