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Show Local scout group from Panguitch called "The Mormoneers", entertain visiting State School Board members and representatives of Garfield, Coal Exploration Applications Made By Utah Power & Light Four applications for coal exploration licenses in Garfield and Emery counties have been filed with the Bureau of Land Management by Utah Power & Light Company. These are the first coal Wayne, Piute and Kane Schoql Boards at a dinner held prior to evening meetings. exploration license applications received by BLM in Utah since enactment of the Mineral Leasing Amendments Act in 1975. According to Paul L. Howard, BLM state director in Utah, Congress in 1978 passed an amendment to the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, authorizing the exchange of preference right lease applications held by Utah Power & Light in Garfield County for leases on other federal coal lands in Emery County. The UP&L coal exploration applications include 46 drill holes on approximately 42,000 acres of the Wasatch Plateau coal field in western Emery County. The areas of UP&L primary interest are in the Manti-LaSal National Forest, including portions of North Horn Mountain, Trail Mountain and Seeley Mountain. Exploration licenses and subsequent drilling will be necessary to gather data for evaluating the size and monetary value of the coal reserves in the proposed land exchange. The 1978 amendment by ' . Congress provided the land to be exchanged should be of equal value but a difference In value of up to 25 percent may be equalized in money. Issuance of coal exploration licenses confers only the right to explore in accordance with specific terms and conditions and doesn't commit BLM to issue actual coal leases, Howard pointed out. Utah Power & Light eventually will publish a "notice of Invitation" for other parties to par ticipate in the drilling on a pro-rata cost sharing basis. Information from a drilling program will be available to the participants but otherwise will be treated by the government as confidential until the area involved has been leased or the U.S. Geological Survey determines the competitive position of the licenses wouldn't be damaged. |