Notice of Competitive Coal Lease Sale, Wyoming, 14482-14483 [E8-4891]
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14482
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 53 / Tuesday, March 18, 2008 / Notices
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA)
In compliance with NEPA (42 U.S.C.
4321 et. seq.), we have made an initial
determination that the activities
proposed by this permit are
categorically excluded from the
requirement to prepare an
environmental assessment or
environmental impact statement.
Dated: February 13, 2008.
Lynn Lewis,
Assistant Regional Director, Acting,
Ecological Services, Region 3, Fort Snelling,
Minnesota.
[FR Doc. E8–5377 Filed 3–17–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WY–920–1320–EL, WYW174407]
Notice of Competitive Coal Lease Sale,
Wyoming
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Competitive Coal
Lease Sale.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that
certain coal resources in the South
Maysdorf Coal Tract described below in
Campbell County, Wyoming, will be
reoffered for competitive lease by sealed
bid in accordance with the provisions of
the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as
amended (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.).
DATES: The lease sale reoffer will be
held at 10 a.m., on Tuesday, April 22,
2008. Sealed bids must be submitted on
or before 4 p.m., on Monday, April 21,
2008.
ADDRESSES: The lease sale will be held
in the First Floor Conference Room
(Room 107), of the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) Wyoming State
Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, P.O.
Box 1828, Cheyenne, WY 82003. Sealed
bids must be submitted to the Cashier,
BLM Wyoming State Office, at the
address given above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mavis Love, Land Law Examiner, or
Robert Janssen, Coal Coordinator, at
307–775–6258, and 307–775–6206,
respectively.
This coal
lease sale is being held in response to
a lease by application (LBA) filed by
Cordero Mining Company, Gillette,
Wyoming. The South Maysdorf Coal
Tract was previously offered on
November 28, 2007, and the one bid
received at that sale was rejected
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:39 Mar 17, 2008
Jkt 214001
because it did not meet the Bureau of
Land Management’s estimate of fair
market value. The coal resource to be
offered consists of all reserves
recoverable by surface mining methods
in the following-described lands located
in central Campbell County
approximately 3–4 miles east of State
Highway 59, 6–11 miles south of Bishop
Road, and adjacent to the western and
southern lease boundary of the Cordero
Rojo mine:
T. 46 N., R. 71 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
Section 4: Lots 5 through 7, 10 through 15,
18 through 20;
Section 9: Lots 1 through 5;
Section 10: Lots 1 through 6;
Section 11: Lots 1 through 12;
T. 47 N., R. 71 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
Section 21: Lots 1 through 3, 6 through 11,
14 through 16;
Section 28: Lots 1 through 3, 6 through 11,
14 through 16;
Section 33: Lots 1 through 3, 6 through 11,
14 through 16.
Containing 2,900.24 acres more or less.
The tract is adjacent to Federal and
State of Wyoming leases to the east and
north controlled by the Cordero Rojo
Mine. It is adjacent to additional
unleased Federal coal to the west and
south. It is also adjacent to about 540
acres of private coal controlled by the
Cordero Rojo Mine. All of the acreage
offered has been determined to be
suitable for mining except for the main
line railroad right-of-way in the far
southeast portion of the LBA. Features
such as the county roads and pipelines
can be moved to permit coal recovery.
The Belle Fourche River crosses the
LBA, but can be diverted to allow
mining. In addition, numerous oil and/
or gas wells have been drilled on the
tract. The estimate of the bonus value of
the coal lease will include consideration
of the future production from these
wells. An economic analysis of this
future income stream will determine
whether a well is bought out and
plugged prior to mining or reestablished after mining is completed.
The surface estate of the tract is owned
by Cordero Mining Company, Cordero
Rojo, Inc., a private individual, and the
United States.
The tract contains surface mineable
coal reserves in the Wyodak seam
currently being recovered in the
adjacent, existing mine. On the LBA
tract, the Wyodak seam is generally a
single seam averaging about 60 feet
thick. An area containing no coal trends
east/west across portions of section 4 in
the southern portion of the LBA. Also,
the southern portion of the LBA may
have a rider of approximately 5–7 feet
thick, which splits off the main seam
with interburden ranging from 4–25 feet
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
thick. Overburden depths to the
Wyodak seam range from 60–340 feet
thick on the LBA.
The tract contains an estimated
288,082,000 tons of mineable coal. This
estimate of mineable reserves includes
the main Wyodak seam and rider
mentioned above but does not include
any tonnage from localized seams or
splits containing less than 5 feet of coal.
It does not include the adjacent State of
Wyoming or private coal although these
reserves are expected to be recovered in
conjunction with the LBA. It also
excludes coal within and along the
railroad right of way as required by
typical mining practices. The total
mineable stripping ratio (BCY/Ton) of
the coal is about 3.5:1. Potential bidders
for the LBA should consider the
recovery rate expected from thick seam
and multiple seam mining.
The Maysdorf South LBA coal is
ranked as subbituminous C. The overall
average quality on an as-received basis
is 8404 BTU/lb with about 0.29% sulfur.
These quality averages place the coal
reserves near the lower/middle of the
range of coal quality currently being
mined in the Wyoming portion of the
Powder River Basin.
The tract will be leased to the
qualified bidder of the highest cash
amount provided that the high bid
meets or exceeds the BLM’s estimate of
the fair market value of the tract. The
minimum bid for the tract is $100 per
acre or fraction thereof. No bid that is
less than $100 per acre, or fraction
thereof, will be considered. The bids
should be sent by certified mail, return
receipt requested, or be hand delivered.
The Cashier will issue a receipt for each
hand-delivered bid. Bids received after
4 p.m., on Monday, April 21, 2008, will
not be considered. The minimum bid is
not intended to represent fair market
value. The fair market value of the tract
will be determined by the Authorized
Officer after the sale. The lease issued
as a result of this offering will provide
for payment of an annual rental of $3.00
per acre, or fraction thereof, and a
royalty payment to the United States of
12.5 percent of the value of coal
produced by strip or auger mining
methods and 8 percent of the value of
the coal produced by underground
mining methods. The value of the coal
will be determined in accordance with
30 CFR 206.250.
Bidding instructions for the tract
offered and the terms and conditions of
the proposed coal lease are available
from the BLM Wyoming State Office at
the addresses above. Case file
documents, WYW174407, are available
for inspection at the BLM Wyoming
State Office.
E:\FR\FM\18MRN1.SGM
18MRN1
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 53 / Tuesday, March 18, 2008 / Notices
Dated: March 6, 2008.
Larry Claypool,
Acting Deputy State Director, Minerals and
Lands.
[FR Doc. E8–4891 Filed 3–17–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CA–670–08–1220–DO]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Amendment to the California Desert
Conservation Area Plan and
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation
Area in Imperial County, CA
AGENCY:
Bureau of Land Management,
USDI.
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
ACTION:
Notice of intent.
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act (FLPMA) and the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA), the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), California Desert
District, El Centro Field Office, will
prepare the Imperial Sand Dunes
Recreation Area (ISDRA) Recreation
Area Management Plan (RAMP). The
management plan will amend the CDCA
plan. The management plan is needed to
replace the existing management plan
(1987) which has become outdated as a
result of the federal listing of and
designation of critical habitat for
Peirson’s milk-vetch as a threatened
species, designation of the North
Algodones Dunes as wilderness, and
substantial changes in visitor use. A
2006 Federal court order remanded a
previous 2003 ISDRA RAMP to BLM for
further consideration. The 2006 court
order also vacated and remanded the
previous U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS) critical habitat designation for
the federally threatened Peirson’s milkvetch. On February 14, 2008, the FWS
published a final rule revising critical
habitat for the Peirson’s milk-vetch.
DATES: The public is invited to submit
comments on the scope of the plan
amendment and EIS. Written comments
must be postmarked by May 31, 2008.
Three public meetings will be held in El
Centro, California; San Diego,
California; and Phoenix, Arizona. The
time and place for these meetings will
be published in the San Diego Union
Tribune, Arizona Republic, Imperial
Valley Press, and the Yuma Daily Sun
at least 15 days prior to the meetings.
BLM intends to complete the
management plan under an accelerated
schedule by fall 2009. This schedule
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17:39 Mar 17, 2008
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will allow BLM to replace the temporary
administrative closures of five areas in
the ISDRA (Federal Register: November
16, 2000—Volume 65, Number 222)
with a long term management plan prior
to the beginning of the peak recreation
use period in 2009–2010.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 2000,
the Center for Biological Diversity, and
others (Center) filed for injunctive relief
in U.S. District Court against BLM
alleging that BLM was in violation of
section 7 of the Endangered Species Act
(ESA) by failing to formally consult with
the FWS on the effects of adoption of
the CDCA Plan, as amended, upon
threatened and endangered species. In
2006 the court vacated and remanded
BLM’s 2005 Record of Decision (ROD)
approving the 2003 ISDRA RAMP/Final
EIS. The order and injunction: (1)
Remanded the 2003 RAMP for further
consideration by BLM; (2) vacated and
remanded to the FWS portions of the
Biological Opinion (BO) for the 2003
RAMP; and (3) required that BLM
maintain the temporary vehicle closure
of five areas to protect the Peirson’s
milk-vetch until such time as a new
RAMP, final EIS, ROD, and BO are
completed and filed with the court.
The ISDRA project area encompasses
approximately 150,000 acres of public
lands bounded to the west by the Old
Coachella Canal, to the east by the
Union Pacific Railroad, to the North by
Mammoth Wash, and to the south by
Interstate 8 and the California/Mexico
border. The primary activities in the
ISDRA include camping and off
highway vehicle use. Issues addressed
in the RAMP/EIS will include: wildlife
and botany; cultural resources and
paleontology; water resources; noise;
land use; geology and soils; mineral
resources; socioeconomics; hazardous
materials and solid waste; public health;
visual resources; and traffic and
transportation.
The following Planning Criteria will
be utilized during production of this
document:
• The plan will be completed in
compliance with FLPMA, NEPA, and all
other relevant Federal law, Executive
orders, and management policies of the
BLM;
• The planning process will include
an EIS that will comply with NEPA
standards;
• The Plan will set forth a framework
for managing recreational activities in
order to maintain existing natural
landscapes and to provide for the
enjoyment and safety of the visiting
public.
• Where existing planning decisions
are still valid, those decisions may
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14483
remain unchanged and be incorporated
into the new RMP (or amendment);
• The plans will recognize valid
existing rights; and
• Native American Tribal
consultations will be conducted in
accordance with policy and Tribal
concerns will be given due
consideration. The planning process
will include the consideration of any
impacts on Indian trust assets.
• Consultation with the SHPO will be
conducted throughout the plan.
• Consultation with USFWS will be
conducted throughout the plan.
The tentative project schedule is as
follows:
—Draft plan amendment/draft EIS—
February 2009.
—Proposed plan amendment/final EIS—
July 2009.
—Record of Decision—October 2009.
Public participation will be especially
important at several points during the
analysis and planning process. The
scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7) for this
analysis will include identification of
issues and viable alternatives as well as
identification and notification of
interested groups, individuals and
agencies to determine level of
participation and obtain additional
information concerning issues to be
addressed in the RAMP/EIS.
Comments, including names and
addresses of respondents, will be
available for public review at the El
Centro Field Office during normal
working hours (8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
except holidays), and may be published
as part of the EIS or other related
documents. Before including your
address, phone number, e-mail address,
or other personal identifying
information in your comment, you
should be aware that your entire
comment—including your personal
identifying information—may be made
publicly available at any time. While
you can ask us in your comment to
withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so. All submissions from
organizations and businesses, and from
individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, will be
available for public inspection in their
entirety. Relevant documents will be
available for inspection at the El Centro
Field Office during normal working
hours. Some documents will also be
posted on the BLM internet Web site.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to
Erin Dreyfuss, Planning and
Environmental Coordinator, El Centro
Field Office, California Desert District,
E:\FR\FM\18MRN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 53 (Tuesday, March 18, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14482-14483]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-4891]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WY-920-1320-EL, WYW174407]
Notice of Competitive Coal Lease Sale, Wyoming
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Competitive Coal Lease Sale.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that certain coal resources in the
South Maysdorf Coal Tract described below in Campbell County, Wyoming,
will be reoffered for competitive lease by sealed bid in accordance
with the provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended (30
U.S.C. 181 et seq.).
DATES: The lease sale reoffer will be held at 10 a.m., on Tuesday,
April 22, 2008. Sealed bids must be submitted on or before 4 p.m., on
Monday, April 21, 2008.
ADDRESSES: The lease sale will be held in the First Floor Conference
Room (Room 107), of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wyoming State
Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, P.O. Box 1828, Cheyenne, WY 82003.
Sealed bids must be submitted to the Cashier, BLM Wyoming State Office,
at the address given above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mavis Love, Land Law Examiner, or
Robert Janssen, Coal Coordinator, at 307-775-6258, and 307-775-6206,
respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This coal lease sale is being held in
response to a lease by application (LBA) filed by Cordero Mining
Company, Gillette, Wyoming. The South Maysdorf Coal Tract was
previously offered on November 28, 2007, and the one bid received at
that sale was rejected because it did not meet the Bureau of Land
Management's estimate of fair market value. The coal resource to be
offered consists of all reserves recoverable by surface mining methods
in the following-described lands located in central Campbell County
approximately 3-4 miles east of State Highway 59, 6-11 miles south of
Bishop Road, and adjacent to the western and southern lease boundary of
the Cordero Rojo mine:
T. 46 N., R. 71 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
Section 4: Lots 5 through 7, 10 through 15, 18 through 20;
Section 9: Lots 1 through 5;
Section 10: Lots 1 through 6;
Section 11: Lots 1 through 12;
T. 47 N., R. 71 W., 6th P.M., Wyoming
Section 21: Lots 1 through 3, 6 through 11, 14 through 16;
Section 28: Lots 1 through 3, 6 through 11, 14 through 16;
Section 33: Lots 1 through 3, 6 through 11, 14 through 16.
Containing 2,900.24 acres more or less.
The tract is adjacent to Federal and State of Wyoming leases to the
east and north controlled by the Cordero Rojo Mine. It is adjacent to
additional unleased Federal coal to the west and south. It is also
adjacent to about 540 acres of private coal controlled by the Cordero
Rojo Mine. All of the acreage offered has been determined to be
suitable for mining except for the main line railroad right-of-way in
the far southeast portion of the LBA. Features such as the county roads
and pipelines can be moved to permit coal recovery. The Belle Fourche
River crosses the LBA, but can be diverted to allow mining. In
addition, numerous oil and/or gas wells have been drilled on the tract.
The estimate of the bonus value of the coal lease will include
consideration of the future production from these wells. An economic
analysis of this future income stream will determine whether a well is
bought out and plugged prior to mining or re-established after mining
is completed. The surface estate of the tract is owned by Cordero
Mining Company, Cordero Rojo, Inc., a private individual, and the
United States.
The tract contains surface mineable coal reserves in the Wyodak
seam currently being recovered in the adjacent, existing mine. On the
LBA tract, the Wyodak seam is generally a single seam averaging about
60 feet thick. An area containing no coal trends east/west across
portions of section 4 in the southern portion of the LBA. Also, the
southern portion of the LBA may have a rider of approximately 5-7 feet
thick, which splits off the main seam with interburden ranging from 4-
25 feet thick. Overburden depths to the Wyodak seam range from 60-340
feet thick on the LBA.
The tract contains an estimated 288,082,000 tons of mineable coal.
This estimate of mineable reserves includes the main Wyodak seam and
rider mentioned above but does not include any tonnage from localized
seams or splits containing less than 5 feet of coal. It does not
include the adjacent State of Wyoming or private coal although these
reserves are expected to be recovered in conjunction with the LBA. It
also excludes coal within and along the railroad right of way as
required by typical mining practices. The total mineable stripping
ratio (BCY/Ton) of the coal is about 3.5:1. Potential bidders for the
LBA should consider the recovery rate expected from thick seam and
multiple seam mining.
The Maysdorf South LBA coal is ranked as subbituminous C. The
overall average quality on an as-received basis is 8404 BTU/lb with
about 0.29% sulfur. These quality averages place the coal reserves near
the lower/middle of the range of coal quality currently being mined in
the Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin.
The tract will be leased to the qualified bidder of the highest
cash amount provided that the high bid meets or exceeds the BLM's
estimate of the fair market value of the tract. The minimum bid for the
tract is $100 per acre or fraction thereof. No bid that is less than
$100 per acre, or fraction thereof, will be considered. The bids should
be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, or be hand
delivered. The Cashier will issue a receipt for each hand-delivered
bid. Bids received after 4 p.m., on Monday, April 21, 2008, will not be
considered. The minimum bid is not intended to represent fair market
value. The fair market value of the tract will be determined by the
Authorized Officer after the sale. The lease issued as a result of this
offering will provide for payment of an annual rental of $3.00 per
acre, or fraction thereof, and a royalty payment to the United States
of 12.5 percent of the value of coal produced by strip or auger mining
methods and 8 percent of the value of the coal produced by underground
mining methods. The value of the coal will be determined in accordance
with 30 CFR 206.250.
Bidding instructions for the tract offered and the terms and
conditions of the proposed coal lease are available from the BLM
Wyoming State Office at the addresses above. Case file documents,
WYW174407, are available for inspection at the BLM Wyoming State
Office.
[[Page 14483]]
Dated: March 6, 2008.
Larry Claypool,
Acting Deputy State Director, Minerals and Lands.
[FR Doc. E8-4891 Filed 3-17-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P
