The National Park Service says an expanded Alton coal mine will hurt Bryce Canyon’s views and tourism, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it likely will wipe out the southern Utah area’s sage grouse population. Those are among skeptical government comments submitted to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management as it completes its environmental review of a plan to expand the Coal Hollow Mine from private land onto BLM-held tracts about 10 miles southwest of the park.
Meanwhile, Kane County officials have reiterated their support for the project. The County Commission said in a news release that the mine will create at least 240 jobs and provide $1.5 billion in economic benefits to Garfield and Kane counties over 30 years. Salt Lake Tribune