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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Managers of the Uinta National Forest say it's time to study the forest for future oil and gas exploration.
The study will cover about 778 thousand acres. That includes all of the forest except designated wilderness areas and privately held mineral resources near Strawberry Reservoir.
Only a portion of the forest is already available to energy leases. And federal officials say most of that area is already spoken for.
Energy leasing in the forest has already generated some controversy. Environmental and sportsmen's groups opposed leases issued around Strawberry last year, particularly in the Diamond Fork area above the reservoir. The region is home to what is not only considered a blue-ribbon fishery, but prime big game habitat.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
