Economic Impacts of the Fort Union Coal Project on Farms and Ranches - Montana and North Dakota

摘要

Impacts of coal strip mining on agriculture and farm and ranch incomes are estimated for 21 tracts in Montana and North Dakota containing a total of 488 farms and ranches. In Montana, the nine mining tracts studied (143,538 acres) have 113 farms and ranches, and $1,895,000 net income. In North Dakota, the 12 tracts (193,260 acres) have 375 farms and ranches, and $4,600,158 net income. During the peak mining years, the Montana net incomes would drop an average of 13.2 percent, or $2,694 per million tons of coal mined. The North Dakota net incomes would drop an average of 11.7 percent, or $5,823 per million tons mined.