BLM Proposes Limits on North Dakota Federal Lands for Coal and Oil, Sparking Conflict with State Officials

The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing to limit the use of federal lands in North Dakota for coal mining and oil and gas production in the coming decades, creating a significant conflict with the state’s Republican senators and the mining industry. The proposal, updated to the state’s 36-year-old resource management plan, covers more than 58,000 acres of federally managed lands and over 4 million acres of mineral leases in the state. It would close off oil, gas leasing in areas with “low development potential” or state-designated drinking water source protection areas, and allow federal coal to be leased within 4 miles of existing coal mine permit boundaries. The BLM does not expect the plan to affect coal produced on federal land until about 2040, which would prevent future mines from being developed using federal coal.