Montana land board postpones coal lease decision

The state Land Board on Monday delayed until next month its decision whether to lease millions of tons of state-owned coal for possible development in southeastern Montana, saying more time is needed for the public to examine the proposed bid-letting. “I think it is appropriate for us to have a little more time to look at this,” said Secretary of State Linda McCulloch, who made the motion to delay action on leasing the Otter Creek coal tracts until the board’s Dec. 21 meeting. The five-member board, chaired by Gov. Brian Schweitzer and composed of the top state officeholders, voted unanimously for the delay. Read the full story from the Helena Independent Record.