“The City of Colstrip and the men and women living and working here carry on a long and proud tradition of Mining and Energy Production in our state. Colstrip is a proud community that has been built upon the energy produced from this amazing resource, coal. The continuing benefits from this amazing resource need to continue.” – John N. Williams, Mayor, City of Colstrip
Read Mayor Williams’ full letter HERE.
“Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, and the Republican Congress, we are entering a new era of American energy dominance ,” Governor Greg Gianforte said. “The resolutions championed by Montana’s congressional delegation will further President Trump’s efforts to revitalize our energy sector after four years of Joe Biden’s attacks on Montana coal. I applaud the delegation for its swift work to support Montana’s miners and their families. I look forward to continuing our work to secure Montana’s energy future.” – Greg Gianforte, Governor of Montana
Read Governor Gianforte’s full letter HERE.
“Montana’s electric cooperatives strongly support the congressional resolutions to overturn the Miles City Resource Management Plan Amendment that prohibited coal development in eastern Montana. Coal is an essential resource for reliable, baseload electricity generation and is a significant economic contributor to many communities served by co-ops.” – Mark Lambrecht, CEO, Montana Electric Cooperatives
“The Miles City RMPA is a deeply flawed and economically harmful rule that undermines Montana’s ability to responsibly develop its coal resources, threatens local government finances, and imposes an unprecedented ban through regulatory fiat. S.J. Res. 61 and H.J. Res. 104 offer the most direct, durable, and legally sound method to correct this overreach.” – Commissioner Richard Dunbar, President Montana Association of Oil, Gas, and Coal Counties
Read Commissioner Dunbar’s full letter HERE.
“MCC urges Congress to disapprove the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to “Miles City Field Office Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment issued November 20, 2024. Rescinding this rule returns coal leasing to the 2015 Resource Management Plan position and allows for a new rule supported by the Trump Administration that fosters present and future coal production in the MCRMP area and Montana. Mining coal on federal land is essential.” – George H. Harris, Executive Director, Montana Coal Council
Read Harris’ full letter HERE.
“The 2024 MCFO RMP amendment finalized by the Biden Administration was a legally flawed and politically motivated attempt to prohibit new federal coal leasing on more than 1.2 million acres within the MCFO planning area. Your resolutions would require that a future RMP “may not be reissued in substantially the same form.” This means that, since the intent and effect of the Biden RMP was to impose a federal coal leasing moratorium in the planning area, a prohibition on a substantially similar rule would prohibit the BLM from instituting a future coal leasing moratorium.” -Rich Nolan, President & CEO, National Mining Association
Read Nolan’s full letter HERE.
“Re-opening Eastern Montana to coal development will increase the supply of coal, stabilizing both our operating costs at Colstrip, and costs to customers throughout our service area in Montana, and putting downward pressure on electricity prices overall. Coal generation from Colstrip has proven to be a reliable, affordable source of energy for over four decades, most critical to our service area during peak-demand months of the summer and dangerously low sub-zero winter months. Continuing coal leasing and enabling a reliable supply of coal to Colstrip, made possible by S.J.Res. 61 and H.J.Res. 104, is critical to providing reliable, affordable, and secure power to our customers.” -Shannon M. Heim, Vice President and General Counsel, NorthWestern Energy
Read Heim’s full letter HERE.
“The RMPA unfairly targets coal at the expense of working families and rural economies. Congressional disapproval under the CRA is the swiftest remedy and will pave the way for a thoughtfully drafted future management plan that guarantees the prosperity of the United States, Montana, and individuals. I urge the Senate to vote “yes” on this resolution and help safeguard Montana’s economic backbone for generations.” – Vern K. Lund, CEO, Navajo Transitional Energy Company
Read Lund’s full letter HERE.
“The Colstrip facility remains vital to ensuring grid stability, especially during peak demand in winter and summer extremes. Without a dependable long-term fuel supply—enabled through continued leasing authority in Eastern Montana—the future of this essential infrastructure is threatened. Moreover, the uncertainty introduced by the 2024 RMPA undermines planning, investment, and the viability of long-term operations that support hundreds of Montana jobs and millions in local tax revenue. By returning to the 2015 RMP, these joint resolutions will restore regulatory predictability, help meet regional energy needs and reinforce the Administration’s commitment to energy security and resource development.” – Jon P. Heroux, Esq., Corporate Counsel, Westmoreland Mining LLC
Read Heroux’s full letter HERE.
“The Montana Association of Counties has long-established policy supporting responsible energy development in Montana. We thank Senator Daines for his leadership on working to rescind the Miles City RMPA and allowing for the State of Montana, its local governments, and the federal government to develop a comprehensive energy plan for our public lands.” – Gordon Oelkers, Roosevelt County Commissioner and MACo President