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The State Land Board approved a uranium company's request to lease land near Maybell Friday, despite the efforts of a local group.

Standard Uranium plans to mine uranium on the property, but Northwest Colorado Cares opposes uranium mining in the area.

The land board's decision, which passed 3-2, gives Standard permission to access the property, but the company still has to get mining permits from the state and the county before they can start mining.

In a letter to the land board, Northwest Colorado Cares said the economic benefits of uranium mining would not match the environmental and public health problems they say the mine will create.

Northwest Colorado Cares Spokesperson Terrie Barrie said she was disappointed with the land board's decision, but knew it was unlikely that the board would reject the lease.

"We knew this one would be very tough to defeat because there has been uranium mining in Moffat County in the past," Barrie said.

Uranium mining was prevalent in the county in the 1950s. Part of the area Standard plans to mine was mined during the county's uranium boom.

Barrie said Northwest Colorado Cares plans to protest Standard's plans throughout the permitting process.

"Obviously we would like to stop the mining process completely," Barrie said. "But, I'm not sure if we can."

If the state and county approve mining permits for Standard, Barrie said the group plans to make sure the company follows every state and federal regulation.

The Colorado Mining Association sent a letter to land board in support of Standard's request.

CMA President Stuart Sanderson said he sent the letter because rejecting the mine isn't the land board's role. Sanderson said the agencies that issue permits -- the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology and Moffat County -- should be the ones to make a decision on the mine.

Sanderson said the land board should allow the company to access the property and other agencies should decide on mining.

"You can't ask the state land board to make determinations that are really the job and function of other agencies," Sanderson said.

Getting the required permits commonly takes up to a year, Sanderson said.

"It could be sooner than that, it could potentially be longer," Sanderson said. "It's hard to say."

Frank Ludeman, manager of business development for Standard, said mining near Maybell is at least five years out.

The company still has to get all the required permits and determine whether the ore will be profitable.

"Before you know it, you've got five years under your belt and you haven't got a pound of rock in the box," Ludeman said.

Brandon Johansson can be reached at 824-7031 or bjohansson@craigdailypress.com