There shouldnt even BE federal lands. All land should be private and not under Obama's control. Anyone who depends on federal decisions is a bit delusional- they can change their minds at a second's notice depending on political winds.

Idiots would strangle their own newborn if told to do so by their political leaders - oh, wait, they already do, and it's called abortion! None of the war on coal surprises me, as connecting cause and effect is beyond the miscreants.

Even renewables aren't free from attack. Here in Oklahoma, wind turbine construction is being challenged because it might disrupt the prairie chicken. We produce enough wind power to export it to other low wind states, but the power lines needed to transport the power have faced seven years of court challenges.

Now the dimwits are wailing about how low oil and gas prices will sabotage renewable projects. If they pulled their heads out, they'd see the reduced cost of transport and construction as a blessing to big renewables. Hopeless.

Two reasons: one is political pandering and the second political retaliation. Many of the States in the West vote Republican.

Very correct. I am familiar on the attack on Maine forestry. Although I am a 4 decades long western gold miner, my sister lives in Maine and is your classic 65 year old 60's hippie that still doesn't get it. And never will. Makes for interesting family politics.

It is astounding, what has happened in the last several decades with this environmental movement thing. It plumbs the depths of the evisceration of the meaning of words to the blanket brainwashed acceptance of concepts that have no basis in reality. Astounding.

Excellent overview article. But myself, having been at ground zero in these issues since the late 1970's could write a book on this matter. Oh, wait that's right, a two volume history of the public lands has been in the works for years now by yours truly. I can never finish it, because the final chapter just gets worse and worse and worse.

I would add (to augment the article) that last year, the federal/State greenie-government complex has devised a way around the Endangered Species Act. With the huge Record of Decision on the Greater Sage Grouse they managed to set the precedent that by actually declaring the "non-listing" of the bird, they can actually impose far worse RMP's (Resource Management Plans) that actually have no definition of mitigations, and are subject to "review and revision" whenever they want.

Much of the Powder River Basin coal is sub-bituminous to bituminous. Definitely only thermal coal. But low in sulfur, which in the 70-80's was an oh so relieving answer to acid rain. Then the government-greenie complex went on to concoct other problems such as carbon pollution in order to attack.

I was based at one mine that averaged about 8000 BTU's on the northern end of the Basin and covered some of the mines in the southern end of the Basin that were a bit better at 9000-9500 BTU's. And also covered one in Colorado that was higher at 10,000+ BTU's. That was the Colowyo Mine near Craig, Colorado that the Wild Earth Guardians almost manage to shut down entirely last summer and fall. That mine directly feeds the Tri-State Plant just outside of Craig. Shut down the mine, you shut down the plant and thousands in a rural community are out of work. And electricity.

As usual, the coal industry is way more complex that one would think. Power plants are actually designed to handle certain types of coal, based upon metallurgical aspects. Some coals are higher in ash content than others, some are higher in sodium. The furnaces are setup at different plants to accommodate their source of coal. This interdependence of design, contracts, and customer relations can be complex. When a certain type of coal mines are forced to shut down, the downstream ramifications are like dominoes.

"The War In The West: Time To Stop Federal Land Acquisition"
Robert J. Smith

http://dailycaller.com/2016/01/15/the...

It's not just their ongoing war on the west. The anti-industrial revolution of the misanthropic primitives is nation wide. Obama and Jewell are planning on massive National Monument decrees locking up Federally controlled resources and converting private property across the country, from "marine sanctuaries" against fishing in the oceans, to the war on Maine forestry, and across the country. This was planned from the beginning of the Obama administration and temporarily stalled when it leaked out through a FOIA by the House Resources Committee. The end of the lame duck administration feels more emboldened to impose its record-breaking nihilism.