Land Management Bureau November 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

BNI Coal Company's Coal Lease Application NDM 95104 for certain coal resources within the Fort Union Coal Region. The land included in Coal Lease Application NDM 95104 is located in Oliver County, North Dakota, and is described as follows:

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Coeur d'Alene District Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Seminoe Road Gas Development Project DEIS that analyzes the environmental consequences of a proposed coalbed natural gas development and production operation in south central Wyoming.

This proposed rule would update the regulations of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that tell how to obtain recreation permits for commercial recreational operations, competitive events and activities, organized group activities and events, and individual recreational use of special areas. The proposed rule is needed to remove from the regulations inconsistencies with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA), which authorizes the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to establish, modify, charge, and collect recreation fees at Federal recreation lands and waters for the next 10 years.

Under the provisions of section 371(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the lessee(s), Culbertson Management Trust, Dan W. Irwin, and Kathleen Irwin Schuster, timely filed a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease NMNM 13277 in Lea County, NM. The lessees paid the required rental accruing from the date of termination, June 1, 2002. No leases were issued that affect these lands. The lessee agrees to the new lease terms for rentals and royalties of ($25 per acre) and 24\2/3\ percent rate. The lessees paid the $500 administration fee for the reinstatement of the lease and $158 cost for publishing this Notice. The lessees met the requirements for reinstatement of the lease per Sec. 31(e) of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 188(e)). We are proposing to reinstate the lease, effective the date of termination subject to: The original terms and conditions of the lease; The increased rental of ($25) per acre; The increased royalty of 24\2/3\ percent or 4 percentages above the existing competitive royalty rate; and The $158 cost of publishing this Notice.

The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Advisory Committee (GSENMAC) meeting scheduled for November 15 and 16, 2005 is cancelled.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to amend its regulations on preparation for timber sales to allow third party scaling on density management sales with an upper limit on the quadratic mean diameter at breast height (DBH) of the trees to be harvested of 20 inches. Third party scaling would be limited to the situations described in the amended provision, that is, if a timber disaster has occurred and a critical resource loss is imminent, and tree cruising and BLM scaling are inadequate to permit orderly disposal of the damaged timber, or if BLM is carrying out density management timber sales subject to the size limits stated above. Thus, third party scaling would generally not be used for sales of higher-value and/or larger diameter timber. BLM is amending the regulations in order to improve the efficiency of density management timber sales where the timber to be harvested may be designated by prescription (a written prescription included in the timber sale contract). The regulations will no longer require that BLM perform all scaling except in the event that a timber disaster is threatening imminent critical resource loss, and scaling by BLM would be inadequate to permit orderly disposal of the damaged timber. In the case of density management timber sales when the quadratic mean DBH of trees to be cut and removed is equal to or less than 20 inches, the regulations will only allow third party scaling by scalers or scaling bureaus under contract to BLM.

Under the provisions of Section 371(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the lessee(s), Anderson Oil Ltd., John M. Beard Trust, and Patina Oklahoma Corp., timely filed a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease NMNM 9023 in Lea County, NM. The lessee paid the required rental accruing from the date of termination, March 1, 2003. No leases were issued that affect these lands. The lessee agrees to the new lease terms for rentals and royalties of $5 per acre and 16\2/3\ percent or 4 percentages above the existing competitive royalty rate. The lessee paid the $500 administration fee for the reinstatement of the lease and $166 cost for publishing this Notice. The lessee met the requirements for reinstatement of the lease per Sec. 31(e) of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 188(e)). We are proposing to reinstate the lease, effective the date of termination subject to: The original terms and conditions of the lease; The increased rental of $5 per acre; The increased royalty of 16\2/3\ percent or 4 percentages above the existing competitive royalty rate; and The $166 cost of publishing this Notice.

Under the provisions of Section 371(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the lessee, Chief Oil and Gas LLC, timely filed a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease TXNM 100506 in Wise County, TX. The lessee paid the required rental accruing from the date of termination, March 1, 2002. No leases were issued that affect these lands. The lessee agrees to the new lease terms for rentals and royalties of $10 per acre and 16\2/ 3\ percent or 4 percentages above the existing competitive royalty rate. The lessee paid the $500 administration fee for the reinstatement of the lease and $166 cost for publishing this Notice. The lessee met the requirements for reinstatement of the lease per Sec. 31(e) of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 188(e)). We are proposing to reinstate the lease, effective the date of termination subject to: The original terms and conditions of the lease; The increased rental of $10 per acre; The increased royalty of 16\2/3\ percent or 4 percentages above the existing competitive royalty rate; and The $166 cost of publishing this Notice.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Nevada Northeastern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will meet as indicated below. Topics for discussion at each meeting will include, but are not limited to: February 16, 2006 (Battle Mountain, Nevada) Land Tenure, Sage Grouse Conservation Projects, Shoshone Range Off- Highway Vehicle Trail; tentatively April 27, 2006 (Eureka, Nevada); June 15, 2006 (Ely, Nevada)Ely Resource Management Plan Comments, Minerals activities update; August 17 & 18, 2006 (Wells, Nevada) Travel Management Planning, Spruce Mountain Tour. Managers' reports of field office activities will be given at each meeting. The council may raise other topics at any of the three planned meetings.

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 40 CFR 1500-1508 Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (CEQ), notice is given that the Bureau of Land Management, Carson City Field Office (BLM) has prepared, with the assistance of a third-party consultant, a Final EIS for the proposed North Valleys Rights-of-Way Projects, and has made the document available for public and agency review. The proposed Projects include the construction and operation of two separate water supply and transmission projects located in Washoe County, Nevada. Rights-of-way applications were submitted to the BLM from Intermountain Water Supply, LTD and Fish Springs Ranch, LLC for production well(s), pump station(s), transmission pipeline(s), terminal water storage tank, electrical substation, overhead power lines, and access road rights-of-way.

In accordance with the approved Headwaters Forest Reserve Resource Management Plan, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), California State Office, is issuing interim final supplementary rules and requesting comments. These interim final supplementary rules will apply to the public lands within the Headwaters Forest Reserve, Arcata Field Office, Humboldt County, California, and will be effective upon publication and remain in effect until publication of a final supplementary rule. BLM has determined that these rules are needed to protect the area's natural resources and provide for the health and safety of the public and neighboring residents. These rules do not propose or implement any land use limitations or restrictions other than those included within BLM's decisions in the Headwaters Forest Reserve Approved RMP, or allowed for by existing law or regulation.

Notice is hereby given, in accordance with Public Laws 92-463 and 94-579, that the California Desert District Advisory Council to the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior, will participate in a field tour of BLM-administered public lands on Friday, January 27, 2006, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and meet in formal session on Saturday, January 28 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the La Casa Del Zorro Desert Resort, located at 3845 Yaqui Pass Road in Borrego Springs, California. The Council and interested members of the public will depart from the resort for a field tour at 7:30 a.m. The public is welcome to participate in the tour, but should plan on providing their own transportation, drinks, and lunch. Tour stops and presentations will be announced via a public letter and news release at a later date.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM)'s Royal Gorge Field Office is proposing supplementary rules to regulate conduct on specific public lands within Park County, Colorado. The rules apply to the public lands called Guffey Gorge, also known as Guffey Gulch. BLM has determined these rules necessary to protect the area's natural resources and to provide for public health and safe public recreation.

The Federal Register Notice has an incorrect date for nominations to be submitted to the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. The corrected notice extends the date to November 30, 2005. The nominations should be submitted to the National Wild Horse and Burro Program, Bureau of Land Management, Department of Interior, P.O. Box 12000, Reno, Nevada 89520-0006, Attn: Ramona DeLorme: fax (775) 861-6711.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has officially filed the plats of survey of the lands described below in the BLM Idaho State Office, Boise, Idaho, effective 9 a.m., on the dates specified.

In accordance with Section 202 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the BLM announces the availability of the DEIS for the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument RMP. The DEIS documents the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts of three alternative management plans for BLM-administered public lands within the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. When completed, the RMP will fulfill the obligations set forth by NEPA, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, and associated Federal regulations.

Pursuant to the provisions of 30 U.S.C. 188(d) and (e), and 43 CFR 3108.2-3(a) and (b)(1), a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease COC66816 for lands in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, was timely filed and was accompanied by all the required rentals accruing from the date of termination.

A public meeting is being held by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to solicit suggestions from the public and industry on how to best implement the geothermal provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.