Land Management Bureau November 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Carson City District Office intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Great Basin Wind New Comstock Wind Energy Project proposal in Carson City, Lyon, Storey, and Washoe counties. This notice announces the beginning of the scoping process and solicits input on the identification of issues.

This order partially revokes a withdrawal insofar as it affects 160 acres of National Forest System land withdrawn from all forms of appropriation under the public lands laws, including the mining laws and reserved for use by the Forest Service as the Coon Creek Ranger Station within the Grand Mesa National Forest. This order also opens the land to sale under the authority of Public Law 107-63.

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 of oil and gas lease COC68149 from the following companies: (1) Delta Petroleum Corp., (2) Gasconade Oil Co., (3) Helm Energy, LLC, and (4) Riggs Oil and Gas Corp., for lands in San Miguel County, Colorado. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

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 of oil and gas lease COC68089 from the following companies: (1) Delta Petroleum Corp., (2) Gasconade Oil Co., (3) Helm Energy LLC, and (4) Riggs Oil and Gas Corp., for lands in San Miguel County, Colorado. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

The Bureau of Land Management published a Notice of Federal Competitive Coal Lease Sale Offer in the Federal Register on October 31, 2008 [73 FR 64981]. The DATES section of this notice incorrectly listed January 14, 2008 instead of January 14, 2009. The lease sale will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, January 14, 2009. Sealed bids must be received on or before 10 a.m., Wednesday, January 14, 2009.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to extend existing approvals to collect certain information from lessees, operators, record title holders, operating rights owners, and the general public on oil and gas and operations on Federal lands.

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 NANA Regional Corporation, Inc. for lands located in the vicinity of Buckland and Noatak, Alaska. Notice of the decision will also be published four times in the Arctic Sounder.

The BLM announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) and Approved RMP for the Bay planning area, located in southwest Alaska. The State Director signed the ROD on November 4, 2008. This constitutes the final decision of the BLM and makes the approved RMP effective immediately.

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 of oil and gas lease COC70104 from Bill Barrett Corp., for lands in Montrose County, Colorado. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.

The Bureau of Land Management has examined and found suitable for direct sale under section 203 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (Public Law 94-579, as amended; 43 CFR 2711.3- 3), 4,519.35 sq. feet of public land located in Fairbanks, Alaska.

This is an amended notice for Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) No. 20080416, Final EIS, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Oregon (OR), Western Oregon BLM Districts of Salem, Eugene, Roseburg, Coos Bay, and Medford Districts, and the Klamath Falls Resource Area of the Lakeview District, Revision of the Resource Management Plans (RMP), Implementation, OR, which originally published in the Federal Register on October 17, 2008 [73 FR 61905]. This amended notice reflects a decision by the BLM to offer a protest period on the proposed revision of the Western Oregon RMPs. Any person who participated in the planning process and has an interest which is or may be adversely affected by the approval of the proposed RMPs may protest such approval. A protest period is not a comment period. A valid protest addresses only those issues which were submitted for the record during the planning process and contains a concise statement explaining why the decision to adopt the proposed plan would violate an applicable statute, regulation or BLM policy.

By Order of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, dated April 5, 2005, and pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Final Supplement to the Montana Statewide Oil and Gas Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Amendment (Proposed SEIS/Amendment) of the Powder River and Billings Resource Management Plans (RMPs).

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 Belkofski Corporation. The lands are in the vicinity of Belkofski, Alaska, and are located in:

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 Chinuruk Incorporated. The lands are in the vicinity of Nightmute, Alaska, and are located in:

The SEORAC will be briefed on BLM's wild horse and burro program, BLM's sagebrush habitat treatments and the current status of the Oregon Explorer grant. Council members will also provide orientation to new members, conduct chair elections, establish their 2009 annual work plan and meeting schedule, receive information from designated federal officials, give constituent updates, implement a subgroup establishment process, present active subgroup reports and identify agenda items for the next meeting. Any other matters that may reasonably come before the SEORAC may also be addressed. The public is welcome to attend all portions of the meeting and may contribute during the public comment period at 11:30 a.m. on November 14, 2008. Those who verbally address the SEORAC during the public comment period are asked to provide a written statement of their comments or presentation. Unless otherwise approved by the SEORAC chair, the public comment period will last no longer than 30 minutes, and each speaker may address the SEORAC for a maximum of five minutes. For Further Information Contact: Program information, meeting records and a roster of council members may be obtained from Scott Stoffel, public affairs specialist, 1301 South G Street, Lakeview, OR 97630, (541) 947-6237. The meeting agenda will be posted at https://www.blm.gov/or/rac/seorrac-minutes.php when available. Should you require reasonable accommodation, please contact the Lakeview District BLM at (541) 947-2177 as soon as possible.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an appealable decision approving the surface and subsurface estates in certain lands for conveyance pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act will be issued to NANA Regional Corporation, Inc. The lands are in the vicinity of Ambler, Alaska, and are located in:

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 of oil and gas lease COC70014 from Nobel Energy, Inc., for lands in Garfield County, Colorado. The petition was filed on time and was accompanied by all the rentals due since the date the lease terminated under the law.