BLM ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF RECORD OF DECISION (ROD) FOR BLACKFOOT BRIDGE MINE.

POCATELLO, Idaho -- The following information was released by the Bureau of Land Management:

Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Pocatello Field Office issued a decision to approve the Blackfoot Bridge Mine and Reclamation Plan subject to environmental protection measures, mitigation, monitoring and conditions described in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and in the Record of Decision (ROD). The BLM's decision also recommends issuing the proposed lease modifications to lease I-05613. The decision is consistent with the Preferred Alternative as described and analyzed in the FEIS.

Under the approved Plan, P4 Production, LLC, a subsidiary of Monsanto Company, would utilize open pit mining methods to extract ore from two undeveloped phosphate leases located about 10 miles northeast of Soda Springs. The Federal phosphate leases held by P4 grant them exclusive rights to develop phosphate minerals in the Blackfoot Bridge area.

The ROD is now available, and implementation of the decision may begin at the close of a 30-day appeal-filing period which began today (Friday, June 17, 2011). Copies of the Blackfoot Bridge Mine ROD are available at the BLM Pocatello Field Office, 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, Idaho. Electronic copies of the FEIS and ROD are available via Internet at http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/0.html. For more information, contact Kyle Free at the BLM, Pocatello Field Office at Kyle_Free@blm.gov or by calling (208) 478-6368.

The BLM manages more land - over 245 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.