"The US Department of Interior plans to integrate the responsibilities of two sub-agencies with diverse portfolios overseeing surface mining, federal land management, oil and natural gas royalty collection and hard-rock mining, among other areas, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Wednesday."

"Salazar plans to issue a secretarial order combining functions of Interior's Office of Surface Mining, which primarily oversees state regulation of coal mining on private land, with the Bureau of Land Management, which has a broader mandate to encourage multiple uses of federal lands, including leasing areas for oil, natural gas or renewable energy development; permitting hard-rock mining for uranium, copper and other mineral extraction; and protecting untouched wilderness, according to an Interior news release."

Platts had the story October 26, 2011. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Interior Plans Merger Of OSM, Lands Agency" (Charleston Gazette) [3]

"Interior Plans Merger of Lands, Coal Mining Agencies" (E2 Wire/The Hill) [4]