At the 20 August 2026 Trust Lands board meeting (the first public board meeting on the Carbon lease), newly elected chair Mike Nelson, a trustee who said he once worked for Westinghouse Electric, said the board wanted to step carefully because the technology is new and can frighten people, and that the trust would help with explanations to 'inquiring members of the public' so that 'we speak with one voice', moving together 'to make sure that this proposal is approved' (auto-transcript). Per the approved minutes, Trustee Mike Mower and Chair Nelson thanked Valar for 'open communication' and public engagement, and Liz Mumford, director of the School and Institutional Trust Beneficiaries' Advocacy Office, supported the lease citing its 'economic potential and transparency'. Outgoing chair Bryan Harris opened the meeting. The board approved the lease on 17 September (mine-011). On public notice, the record shows: the committee meetings where terms were shaped were not on the public notice site (csite-017), and the public notice named neither Valar nor a nuclear use (csite-005). The board's legal mission is revenue for schools.

• 2026-08-20 TLA Board of Trustees Meeting Audio Transcript (auto-generated) (Utah Trust Lands Administration (Utah Public Notice Website), 2026-08-24) primary government “make sure that this proposal is approved and that all the parties are satisfied”
• 08.20.2026 FINAL TLA Minutes (Utah Trust Lands Administration (Utah Public Notice Website), 2026-09) primary government “expressed appreciation for Valar Atomics' open communication, public engagement”