Won’t mineral extraction be hindered by wilderness designation?
Coal Substantial coal deposits within the Utah Wilderness Coalition’s proposal lie in the Kaiparowits, Book Cliffs, and Henry Mountains coal fields. These deposits generally are too remote from markets, and are too difficult to reach, and present extreme problems of mining and reclamation. Of these, only the Book Cliffs field has significant current production. Current coal production could be sustained from reserves in central Utah for nearly two centuries. This production would not be impacted by wilderness designation. Oil & Gas Although the BLM states that 80 of its wilderness study areas (WSAs) could contain oil and gas, it acknowledges that there is low likelihood of finding deposits of developable quantity. Recent exploration suggests that deeply buried Precambrian rocks may contain hydrocarbons. The depth of these speculative deposits exceeds that of existing Utah oil fields and extraction costs would be substantially greater. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Utah al
