Show Vernal LM gives I activity highlights The July newsletter of the Vernal District Bureau of Land Management contained the following highlights of activities in the Uintah Basin natural resource lands PHOSPHATE LEASE U. U S. S Steel Corporation has submitted a preliminary mining plan as part of their application to lease phosphate on acres of land seven miles east of off the Stauffer Chemical Mine and 12 miles northeast r of Vernal The District is know conducting Bw environmental analysis' analysis of the impacts associated with the proposed lease Preliminary plans call for an underground mine and surface mill adjacent to Little Brush Creek that would employ approximately approximately approximately ap ap- proximately persons in the initial phase of the two phase project and persons in the ultimate development phase Phase I of the development would open the mill and mine and bring production to a level of about tons of product per year Phase II would increase increase increase in in- crease the capacity to tons per year year of economic and technical conditions can justify expansion COMMENCEMENT of the project would depend on receiving a phosphate lease from and marketing and technical feasibility studies Phosphate reserves on the lease are expected to last in excess of 40 years if normal underground mining recovery is achieved Phase II of the operation would require water at a rate of from 1200 to 1400 gallons per minute Disposal of the tailings would be done by filling mined out portions of the mine and dry wash near the mill The title to the surface on approximately 2500 acres are he held d by eight individuals with the phosphate held in federal ownership The remaining acres are national resource lands r I WILD HORSES The Bureau is looking for qualified people to adopt wild horses and burros that will be rounded up throughout the western states this summer Passage of the Wild and Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act in 1971 herds have been growing at about 20 percent each year This means excess ss animals need to be removed periodically to maintain a proper balance with wildlife and domestic livestock to protect watersheds from damage by overgrazing The Bureau will capture the animals and applicants will be responsible for transporting the animals from the capture site to their homes Ownership of thel the l horses uses and burros will remain with the Federal government but they are assigned to individuals Individuals Individuals In In- for the lifetime of the animals Animals assigned to individuals cannot be sold or Led Jl for commercial purposes APPLICATIONS for adoption of excess animals can be made by writing to Horse Adopt-a-Horse Bureau of Land Management Washington D. D C C. C OIL SHALE The White River Shale Project submitted its Detailed Development Plan for oil shale lease tracts Ua and on June 3 The plan outlines four development phases Phase I would be the sinking of an a access ac access ac- ac cess shaft for initial development development development develop develop- ment of the ore body Phase II rr the would the be-the of ofa a 2000 to ton Per per day mine and retort to test and select the process technically best suited to production of oil Phase III and IV would be designed to prod produce c approximately and barrels per day of shale oil and employ ap ap approximately approximately ap- ap proximately 2000 persons in the final phase Copies of th the Detailed Development Plan are are available for inspection in the District Office and the Uintah County Library Public comment comment com corn ment will be received by the Area Oil Shale Supervisor U. U S. S Geological Survey Ul until tIl August 27 27 Public hearings will be held heldon on the plan August 10 in Ver- Ver the Uin h County Court CourtHouse CourtHouse House from 3 to 5 p pm p.m. m. m and from 7 to 10 pm p.m. j and on August 12 in Salt Lake City at the Salt Palace Suite A from 3 to 5 pm p.m. and from 7 to 10 pm p.m. I DRIVE THRU THE TIIE AGES Theres There's more to the Vernal Districts District's Drive Thru the Ages Ages' geologic tour by auto than meets the eye Tourists will soon be able ble to tune their AM radios to to 1606 to receive a short message as they begin their travel north through the exposed rock formations which record the earths earth's history The BLitt is installing a 10 watt radio transmitter about four miles north of Vernal near the highway pull-off pull which orients visitors to the tour They will l le e able to hear a two minute radio message as they pick up a brochure and look at a painting showing a cross section ot of the earth s crust The painting g depicts the geologic formations between Vernal and th the Daggett County line along State Highway 44 The radio transmitter will broadcast a repeat m recorded message message which can be received up to toa Vt a of a mile The station will automatically begin transmitting in the morning and turn itself off at night It will operate during th the tourist season from April i through October |