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Date:  December 30, 2008 Contact:  Mark Jacobsen (406) 233-2831 Record of Decision Signed for Coal Bed Natural Gas Plan  The Bureau of Land Management announces that the Record of Decision approving the Final Supplement to the Montana Statewide Oil and Gas Environmental Impact Statement (Final SEIS) and Proposed Amendment of the Powder River and Billings Resource Management Plans was signed today by C. Stephen Allred, Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management, U.S. Department of the Interior. The plan addresses management of coal bed natural gas development on BLM-administered lands and minerals in Powder River, Carter, Treasure, Big Horn, Custer, Rosebud, Carbon, Golden Valley, Musselshell, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Wheatland and Yellowstone counties. “We’ve worked long and hard with our cooperators, partners and a number of interest groups to develop a plan that embraces adaptive management practices for coal bed natural gas development in the Montana Powder River Basin,” says Elaine Raper, manager for the BLM Miles City Field Office. “The signing of the Record of Decision is an important step forward for implementation.” The SEIS analyzed several alternatives for coal bed natural gas development. The selected alternative uses adaptive management to provide for phased development while limiting impacts to cultural and natural resources such as wildlife, air and water. “We thank all of the cooperators, state and federal agencies that assisted in the development of the Final SEIS,” says BLM Montana State Director Gene Terland. The public may obtain a copy of the Record of Decision and related documents by downloading it from: http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/miles_city_field_office.html Interested parties may also send requests for CDs or books of the ROD to the BLM Miles City Field Office at: P.O. Box 219, Miles City, MT 59301. For more information contact BLM Planning Specialist Mary Bloom at (406) 233-2800.   -30-