BLM Proposes Changes to Coal Evaluation Handbook
The Bureau of Land Management proposes changes to its Coal Evaluation Handbook (H-3073-1) to improve how the bureau conducts Fair Market Value evaluations for competitive coal leasing. The public and industry are invited to comment on the proposed handbook revisions until Oct. 14, 2026.
Proposed changes are intended to improve the BLM’s Fair Market Value analysis and administrative processes by increasing transparency, accounting for uncertainties in analysis for Fair Market Value determinations, and allowing for adjustment of the discount rate to better account for market risk and reflect today’s market conditions. The effort balances transparent communication with the need to protect confidential Fair Market Value determinations essential for competitive bidding.
These revisions are part of the BLM’s coal modernization effort that focuses on updating outdated Fair Market Value methodologies and strengthening coal lease management policies. This modernization effort that began with public and industry listening sessions held in Golden, Colorado, on July 30, 2026, and in Casper, Wyoming, on Aug. 6, 2026, respectively. Feedback from these sessions informed BLM’s proposed changes to the handbook. This overall initiative supports the Trump administration’s priorities to remove regulatory barriers and expand domestic energy production to advance American Energy Dominance.
The BLM will accept written comments on proposed revisions to the handbook by email at [email protected]. The BLM invites comments from individual persons, entities, or organizations only, and will not accept group or amalgamated comments from multiple persons, entities, or organizations, to avoid implicating the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.