USGS Fact Sheet FS-145-99 September 1999
Data on surface and mineral ownership and on coal resource tonnages (see previous page) become the basis for answering complex spatial queries when combined with information on coal quality, coal thickness, structure, and other parameters generated from geologic investigations. Integrating information on Federal land status, Federal mineral status, and geology can aid management decisions concerning specific plots of land.   The table below shows statistics concerning Federal land and Federally owned coal in each of the seven priority assessment  units of the Colorado Plateau. In these seven assessment units, Federally owned coal tonnage was	calculated for the first time as part of this study. Land area that is Federally administered ranges from 24 to 99 percent; area underlain by Federal coal ranges from 54 to 99 percent; and coal tonnage that is Federally owned ranges from 58 to 99 percent.   For the resources reported in this table, all coal is less than 6,000 ft deep and is bituminous in rank; and coal beds included are 1.2 ft thick or greater. Areas currently under Federal or State leases and areas being mined were excluded from our resource calculations for reasons of confidentiality.
PRIORITY ASSESSMENT UNITS FEDERAL LAND AREA (Percent of the surface that is administered by the Federal Government) FEDERAL COAL AREA (Percent underlain by Federally owned coal) FEDERAL COAL PERCENTAGE (Tonnage that is Federally owned) FEDERAL COAL TONNAGE (in millions of short tons rounded to two significant figures) Danforth Hills 25 89 86 18,000 Yampa 24 76 69 52,000 San Juan Basin 41 54 58 130,000 Southern Piceance Basin 64 74 79 94,000 Deserado 94 99 98 360 Southern Wasatch Plateau 94 96 96 6,500 Kaiparowits 99 99 99 61,000
About 71 percent (360 billion short tons) of the total 510 billion short tons of coal in the seven combined Colorado Plateau assessment units is Federally owned (fig. 3). About 48 percent of the total 510 billion short tons of coal in the assessment units occurs beneath Federally managed land surface; the rest of the coal occurs beneath State, Tribal, or privately owned land.        The Federally owned coal deposits of the Colorado Plateau Region play an important role in supplying energy to our Nation. About 360 billion short tons of Federal coal exist in the seven Colorado Plateau assessment units studied for the National Coal Assessment.  As United	States coal resources continue to be examined for potential development, there is sustained interest in Federal coal in the Colorado Plateau Region. The U.S. Geological Survey’s digital database of surface and coal ownership (USGS Fact Sheet FS-012-98), joined with USGS geologic investigations, assists policy makers and planners in decisions concerning multiple use of Federal lands and coal resource development.   References Cited      U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 1998, Coal Industry Annual, 1997: DOE/EIA-0584(97).      U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-012-98: Federal coal in the United States - A digital database of coal ownership status, 6 p.
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USGS Fact Sheet FS-145-99