Alan Gignoux / Dreamstime.com / A coal mine in the forests of Appalachia.

Steve Hogseth, of Wild Kane County, gave the following as a three-minute comment during the hearing on May 19, 2016, in Salt Lake City, held by the Department of the Interior to encourage public comment on the future of coal in the U.S.

My name is Steve Hogseth. While I am representing myself, my children, and my grandchildren, more importantly I am representing all children and all grandchildren on the planet.

I clearly understand the concern over coal mining jobs. We all know we are facing a global dilemma, with two critical elements at stake … energy and a healthy environment. I’m confident that by incorporating astute management we can systematically wean ourselves from fossil fuels and… this is very important … promote education to help train and transition our coal miners to greener jobs. The…