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1 ' INTRODUCTION ' The coal mining industry is established to some extent in most states, however, most mining has been carried out in the eastern U. S. 1 (Spaulding and Ogden, 1968). This is an anachronism since the Rocky Mountain states possess 56 percent of the coal reserves (Figure lb). Coal seams in the west are typically 50 to 75 ft thick with an over- burden of 30 to 40 ft compared to eastern mines where a 10 ft thick seam is considered exceptional. Western coal reserves amount to 198 billion ' minable tons which translate into a 400 year supply. Forty-three percent of this tonnage is subject to surface mining in seven western states. From 1950 to 1967, Utah was the leading producer of coal west of the Mississippi; the coal being mined chiefly from underground mines. In the 60's, strip mining came intc wide use in other states and Utah's production was surpassed by most states (Atwood, 1975). However, ' there are over 150 million tons of strippable coal reserves in Utah. In the next ten years, mining activity will increase five to six times. ' The majority (82%) of the coal reserves are owned or controlled by the federal government, primarily the Bureau of Land Management(BLM) ' (Mapel, 1977). The BLM administers the lease site selection and leasing of mineral lands. This agency, in consultation with other interested agencies, also sets the lease development stipulations. After the lease is granted, the lease development is regulated by the U. S. Geological Survey Office. ' The actual leasing of coal lands takes place in several steps. ' First, industry nominates specific lease sites in designated coal- lease areas. States or citizens groups may also nominate areas to be ' withheld from leasing.. This step is followed by an evaluation phase in