Department of the Interior July 14, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule implements provisions of the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 by revising the regulations governing proceeds from public lands withdrawn for Native selection under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

Under the provisions of 30 U.S.C. 188(d) and (e), and 43 CFR 3108.2-3(a) and (b)(1), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a petition for reinstatement from Freeman Investments of oil and gas lease WYW152214 for lands in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

This notice is an invitation to participate in Coal Exploration program. Ark Land Company has filed the application for the Granger Ridge Tract. All qualified parties are invited to participate with Ark Land Company on a pro rata cost sharing basis in its program for the exploration of certain Federal coal deposits in the following described lands in Carbon County, Utah:

A 39.99 acre parcel of public land in San Bernardino County, California is being considered for direct sale to Searles Valley Minerals, Inc. to resolve an unauthorized use of public land. This land is difficult and uneconomic to manage as part of the public lands and is not suitable for management by another Federal agency.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes a direct sale under Section 203 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (90 Stat. 2750, 43 U.S.C. 1713), of approximately 0.58 acres in Walton County, Florida, at no less than fair market value.

Under the provisions of Public Law 97-451, Philip Rice timely filed a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease TXNM 107338 for lands in Wise County, Texas, and it was accompanied by all required rentals and royalties accruing from December 1, 2004, the date of termination.

The plats of survey of the following described land will be officially filed in the Colorado State Office, Bureau of Land Management, Lakewood, Colorado, effective 10 a.m., July 1, 2005. All inquiries should be sent to the Colorado State Office (CO-956), Bureau of Land Management, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, Colorado 80215- 7093. The plat, representing the dependent resurveys and surveys, in Township 21 South, Range 69 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Group 1335, Colorado, was accepted June 15, 2005. The plat, in two sheets, representing the metes-and-bounds survey of a portion of the boundary of the American Flats Wilderness Addition to the Uncompahgre Wilderness as described in Pub. L. 103-77, the ``Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993'', in Suspended Townships 43 North, Ranges 6 and 7 West, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Group 1369, Colorado, was accepted June 10, 2005. The supplemental plat creating lost 14, 15, 16 and 17 as a result of M.S. 18249, Grand Aspen, Black Cat and Protection lodes, being cancelled on March 4, 2005, in Township 48 North, Range 2 East, Sec. 29, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted April 19, 2005. These plats and resurvey notes were requested by the Bureau of Land Management for administrative and management purposes. The plat of survey requested by the U.S. Forest Service, Durango, Colorado, for the purpose of identifying the boundaries of National Forest lands, in Molas Park, in suspended Township 40 North, Range 7 West, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Group 1422, Colorado, was accepted May 19, 2005. The plat, representing the dependent resurvey, and corrective dependent resurvey, in Township 32 North, Range 7 West, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Group 1418, Colorado, was accepted April 18, 2005. This survey was requested by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, through the State Director, Colorado, in order to identify Southern Ute tribal trust lands. The plat, representing the dependent resurvey and surveys in Township 48 North, Range 4 West, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Group 1396, Colorado, was accepted June 30, 2005. This survey was requested by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, with the approval of the State Director, Colorado, in order to identify the boundary of Ute Mountain Ute lands for management purposes.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has received two applications to lease a total of 13,089.55 acres of Federal coal at the East Lynn Lake project in Wayne County, West Virginia. The lease applications for mining the federal coal on these were applied under the provisions of 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 3425.1. The BLM will prepare a LUA/EIS prior to holding a competitive Federal coal lease sale. Both applicants are proposing to mine the coal by underground mining methods from existing mines they operate on adjacent private land. The lands being considered for lease border East Lynn Lake on portions of both its north and south shores, but no mining would occur directly beneath the lake itself. This notice, in accordance with Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), announces the beginning of the review process and invites the public, other Federal Agencies, State and local governments to submit information on coal resource development potential and on resources which may be affected by coal development for lands within the analysis area. The BLM also asks that you suggest issues that should be considered in developing the LUA and include statements explaining why the land should or should not be considered for leasing.