Department of the Interior November 9, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLMPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Big Game Habitat Conservation for Oil and Gas Management and by this notice is providing information announcing the opening of the comment period on the Draft RMP Amendment/EIS.

In accordance with the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, ST Oil Company, LLC, Moore Energy LLC, Shoreline Company LLC, and Leaf River Resources LLC, filed a timely petition for reinstatement of oil and gas leases UTU88835 and UTU88838 for lands in San Juan County, Utah. The petition was accompanied by all required rentals and royalties accruing from April 1, 2018, the date of termination. No leases were issued that affect these lands. The Bureau of Land Management proposes to reinstate these leases.

With this notice, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is announcing that it is postponing Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 261 pending further action by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. To comply with an injunction sought and obtained by the State of Louisiana and other plaintiffs from the district court, as well as a subsequent order from the Fifth Circuit, BOEM had previously provided notice of its intent to hold Lease Sale 261 on November 8, 2023. On October 26, 2023, however, the Fifth Circuit stayed the relevant injunction and order pending the merits panel's decision on appeal. To avoid preempting the Fifth Circuit's decision, and avoid duplication of effort, BOEM is now deferring Lease Sale 261 pending disposition of the appeal that is before the Fifth Circuit. Therefore, BOEM will not open and announce bids for the sale on November 8, 2023. BOEM will make future announcements regarding when and under what terms Lease Sale 261 will be held after the Court issues its ruling or provides additional direction to BOEM. Additional information and announcements will be made available on BOEM's website prior to the sale date. See https://www.boem.gov/sale-261.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Yuma Field Office, Yuma, Arizona, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to consider the effects of the Ranegras Plains Energy Center Project (Project) and by this notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues. The BLM also announces the segregation of 4,763 acres of public lands from appropriation under the public land laws, including the Mining Law, but not the mineral leasing or materials acts, for a period of 2 years from the date of publication of this notice, subject to valid existing rights. This segregation will facilitate the orderly administration of the public lands while the BLM considers potential solar and battery energy storage development on the described parcels.