Land Management Bureau December 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces an extension of the public comment period on the Bay Draft Resource Management Plan/ Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/EIS). The original notice, issued September 29, 2006, provided for a comment period to end on January 5, 2007. The BLM is extending the comment period until February 5, 2007.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) policies, the BLM announces the availability of the ROD and approved Ukiah Resource Management Plan for lands and resources administered by its Ukiah Field Office. The California State Director has signed the ROD, making the RMP effective immediately.

43 CFR Subpart 8364Closure and Restrictions, 8364.1 (a) states: ``To protect persons, property, and public lands and resources, the authorized officer may issue an order to close or restrict use of designated public lands.'' In coordination with several livestock grazing permittees and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, all BLM- administered roads within the Cherry and Frenchie Fires of 2006 will be closed to all motorized vehicle travel (e.g., all-terrain vehicles, pickup trucks, motorcycles, sport utility vehicles, snowmobiles, etc.), including existing roads and two-tracks within the perimeter. This action is necessary for the protection of watershed resources and highly erosive soils to allow adequate time to allow for the rehabilitation of the burned area. No motorized vehicle travel into these areas will be allowed, including motorized travel for purposes of retrieval of big game, unless specifically authorized (in writing) by the authorized officer (BLM Four Rivers Field Office Manager). The following acts are exempt from this action: (1) Access within the area by other means (e.g., foot or horseback); (2) persons with a BLM permit or contract specifically authorizing motor vehicle use; (3) owners or lessees of land in the closed area with written authorization; (4) any BLM employee or livestock grazing permittee providing maintenance to a structure or facility; and (5) any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of an official duty. Extension of the closure order may occur if it is determined that the rehabilitation of the burned area has not been successful. Once rehabilitation of the burned area is determined to be successful, motorized vehicle access will resume in accordance with the 1988 Cascade Resource Management Plan (RMP) Record of Decision (ROD), opening the area to off-road vehicle use, providing no resource damage occurs. Roads and fire lines will be appropriately signed to inform the public of the closure. This closure will affect the following areas:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2006 a Notice of Availability (NOA) of a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Pinedale Anticline Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Project. The NOA contained incorrect information. The ADDRESSES section contained an incorrect Web address as to where the document would be available electronically. The DATES section contained unclear and incorrect information. The correct information is provided below.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will file the plat of survey of the lands described below in the BLM-Eastern States, Springfield, Virginia, 30 calendar days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.

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) Front Range Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will meet as indicated below.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to sell by direct sale, two parcels of public land aggregating approximately 10.0 acres, more or less, in the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, within the City of Henderson in Clark County, to M Holdings, LLC. The sale will be under the authority of the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-263, 112 Stat. 2343), as amended, (``SNPLMA''). The land will be offered noncompetitively as a direct sale in accordance with the applicable provisions of Sections 203 and 209 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) (43 U.S.C. 1713 and 1719), and the BLM's land sale and mineral conveyance regulations at 43 CFR parts 2710 and 2720 at not less than the appraised Fair Market Value (FMV) of the parcels.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving lands for conveyance pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to Bethel Native Corporation. The lands are in the vicinity of the Kwethluk River at Three Step Mountain and the Tuluksak River, approximately 30 miles east of the Native village of Tuluksak, Alaska, and are located in:

Under Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Pinedale Field Office announces the availability of a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) on a proposal for long-term development of natural gas resources in the Pinedale Anticline Project Area (PAPA). The BLM published the Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a SEIS for the Pinedale Anticline Project in the Federal Register on October 21, 2005.

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) Northwest Colorado Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to sell a 5-acre parcel of public land in the southwest portion of the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada to Clark County for affordable housing purposes. BLM proposes that the parcel be sold by direct sale to Clark County at less than the appraised fair market value (FMV), pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (Pub. L. 105-263, SNPLMA) and the Nevada Guidance on Policy and Procedures for Affordable Housing Disposals (Nevada Guidance) approved on August 8, 2006. BLM will sell the parcel under direct sale procedures in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq. (FLPMA), and the BLM land sale and mineral conveyance regulations at 43 CFR parts 2710 and 2720.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Central Montana Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below.

Notice is hereby given that the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Colorado State Office, will offer certain coal resources in the B, D/E seams in Gunnison County, Colorado, hereinafter described as Federal coal lease application (LBA) COC 67232 for competitive lease by sealed bid in accordance with the provisions for competitive lease sales in 43 CFR 3422.2(a), and the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended and supplemented (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.).

The termination of benefits for stripper well properties was effective February 1, 2006, and replaced by Section 343 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which was established a Marginal Property Production Incentives Program (MPPIP).

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 Windsor Beaver Creek LLC for competitive oil and gas lease WYW147368 for land in Sheridan 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.

The plats of survey of the following described lands were officially filed in the Bureau of Land Management Oregon/Washington State Office, Portland, Oregon, on September 28, 2006.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to extend the duration of Public Land Order (PLO) No. 6675 for an additional 20 years. PLO No. 6675 withdrew 264.39 acres of public lands in Taos and Rio Arriba Counties from settlement, sale, location or entry under the general land laws, including the United States mining laws, to protect, preserve, and maintain existing and future recreational values and the Federal investment in improvements located along the ``Pilar'' section of the Rio Grande.

The United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (U.S. Forest Service), has filed an application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requesting the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw from mining 65 acres of National Forest System land in the Water Canyon Recreation Area of the Cibola National Forest. This notice segregates the land from location and entry under the United States mining laws for 2 years, while various studies and analyses are made to support a final decision on the withdrawal application.

Pursuant to Section 2(b) of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended by Section 4 of the Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act of 1976, 90 Stat. 1083, 30 U.S.C. 201(b), and to the regulations adopted as 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 3410, all interested Qualified parties, as provided in 43 CFR 3472.1, are hereby invited to participate with Westmoreland Savage Corporation on a pro rata cost sharing basis in a program for the exploration of coal deposits owned by the United States of America in the following-described lands in Richland County, Montana:

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) Mojave Southern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has examined and found suitable for classification for lease and subsequent conveyance under the provisions of the Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act, as amended, approximately 124.67 acres of public lands in Elko County, Nevada. The City of West Wendover proposes to use the lands for public buildings, including a new town hall and a convention center, parks and recreation, parking, and other public uses.

Notice is hereby given that the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Colorado State Office, will offer certain coal resources in Moffat County, Colorado, hereinafter described as Federal coal lease application (LBA) COC 68590 for competitive lease by sealed bid in accordance with the provisions for competitive lease sales in 43 CFR 3422.2(a), and the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended and supplemented (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.).