>Ummm.. nope. I suggest you look at the rules put in place by Sec. of Interior Ken Salazaar, specifically to stop mining on federal lands in Utah. Salazaar is very much an environmentalist.
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>>The federal government does collect grazing fees for much of the public land in western UT and NV. Mining companies can pretty much operate at will in those areas too. The mining companies pay substantial state and local taxes and they support a highly paid workforce.
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>>Just curious, what sort of commercial use did you have in mind? It is pretty desolate country.
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>Oil shale is one. There is enough oil shale in the US to supply us with oil for decades. And, getting the oil from the shale is economically feasible.

And environmentally disastrous. It's interesting how the oil-shale proponents try to keep the public (or the government for that matter) from finding out what chemicals are being pumped into the water supply during the fracturing process.

Disclosure: I wrote an application for one of the biggest oil-shale companies that helps them internally track chemical contamination of water wells.

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>>Disclosure: I was a resident of rural NV for 12 years as a mining geologist.