Homeowners try to lease mineral lands beneath home

PINEDALE — After two harrowing rounds of state lease auctions that invited bids for the mineral estates under their home beside the New Fork River, a local couple is applying for the 240-acre lease in the state’s “over the counter” option.

Applying for an unsold Office of State Lands and Investments’ lease “over the counter” falls in a time period after two unsuccessful auctions.

Homeowners Jan Allen and Mike McFarland, who live next to the New Fork River, took this route after a July lease sale and another in November brought no bidders for Parcel 188 or three other parcels underlying the Bar...