Jo Co Commission Approves Protest Letter to BLM

At the request of Johnson County Commission Chairman Bill Novotny, the remaining commissioners voted to approve his signing of a letter of protest to be sent to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) concerning their decision to halt future coal leases in the Powder River Basin.

Novotny made the request of the commission at their meeting Tuesday.

The letter to the BLM specifies the importance of keeping mining jobs in the Powder River Basin, as well as outlining the economic impacts of those jobs to Johnson, Campbell, and Converse Counties.

The commission approved Novotny to sign the protest documents on behalf of Johnson County.