First BLM public listening session on federal coal program set for Wednesday in Washington D.C.

The first of five Bureau of Land Management public listening sessions on the federal coal program will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. BLM is seeking input about how the agency can best help taxpayers receive returns on coal resources managed by the federal government on their behalf.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said in a statement: "It’s important to have an honest and open conversation about modernizing the federal government’s coal program. These listening sessions are an opportunity to better understand how taxpayers, stakeholders and local communities perceive the federal government’s coal program today and how we can improve and strengthen it for future generations.”

Additional sessions will be held: Aug. 11 in Billings, Mont.; Aug. 13 in Gillette, Wyo.; Aug. 18 in Denver and Aug. 20 in Farmington, N.M. Wednesday's event will be held in the South Interior Building Auditorium, 1951 Constitution Ave, NW. The listening session will be available by livestream by clicking here.