Land Management Bureau May 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Per 30 U.S.C. 188(d), Panther Energy Company, LLC timely filed a petition for reinstatement of competitive oil and gas leases MTM 97526 and MTM 97527, Richland County, Montana. The lessee paid the required rental accruing from the date of termination.

The Secretary is requesting nominations for four representatives for the Steens Mountain Advisory Council (SMAC). The Council will advise the Secretary on planning in the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area (CMPA), through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wyoming State Office intends to prepare Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendments with an associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Casper, Kemmerer, Pinedale, Rock Springs, Newcastle, and Rawlins Resource Management Plans (RMPs) and by this notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues. The RMP amendments will revise sage-grouse and sagebrush management direction in the existing Casper, Kemmerer, Pinedale, Rock Springs, Newcastle, and Rawlins RMPs to incorporate policies set forth in BLM Wyoming Instruction Memoranda (IM) 2010-012 and 2010-013. The IMs may be accessed at the following

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has submitted an information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a 3-year extension of OMB Control Number 1004-0019 under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The respondents are individuals, households, farms and businesses interested in cooperating with the BLM in constructing or maintaining range improvement projects to aid in handling and caring for domestic livestock authorized by BLM to graze on public lands.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Gunnison Field Office, Gunnison, Colorado intends to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) to consider whether, and under what conditions, to issue geothermal leases under pending nominations, which may include an amendment to the Gunnison Resource Area Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) of February 1993, as amended by the RMP Amendments for Geothermal Leasing in the Western United States (2008). While the area nominated for geothermal leasing is allocated as open to consideration for geothermal leasing under the amended Plan, and the proposed level of development contemplated in the amended Plan will not be exceeded by issuance of the proposed leases, the Reasonably Foreseeable Development scenario for the resource area has been refined and updated since that time, and additional stipulations to protect other resources and uses may be developed through this process and adopted into the Plan. The BLM proposes to amend the existing Gunnison Resource Area RMP using the NEPA analysis to support its decision. Review of the RMP is necessary due to recently updated information regarding the presence of Gunnison sage-grouse and Canada lynx habitat that was not analyzed in the existing RMP. The BLM, by this notice, is announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has examined and found the following public lands located in Teton County, Wyoming, suitable for direct (non-competitive) sale under Section 203 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) at not less than the fair market value, to resolve an unintentional unauthorized use of public lands.

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.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Arizona Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will meet on June 17, 2010, at the BLM National Training Center located at 9828 North 31st Avenue in Phoenix from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Agenda items include: BLM State Director's update on statewide issues; Presentation on the California Condor Reintroduction Program; State Director Updates on the BLM Arizona National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS), Water and Renewable Energy Strategies and RAC discussion and recommendations on issues BLM should consider as these strategies are implemented; RAC questions on BLM District Managers' Reports; and reports by RAC working groups. A public comment period will be provided at 11:30 a.m. on June 17, 2010,

The plats of survey of the following described lands are scheduled to be officially filed in the Bureau of Land Management Oregon/Washington State Office, Portland, Oregon, 30 days from the date of this publication.

The Mohave County Community College District (College) filed an application to lease/purchase approximately 12.5 acres of public land in Mohave County, Arizona, under the provisions of the Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act, as amended, for the purpose of a community college. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has examined and found the land suitable to be classified for lease and/or conveyance under the provisions of the R&PP Act.

This Notice opens 1,920 acres, more or less, of public land located in Cochise County, Arizona, to location and entry under the public land laws, including the general mining laws.

The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) is directed by the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 to establish the Dominguez- Escalante National Conservation Area (D-E NCA) Advisory Council (Council). The Secretary is requesting nominations for 10 members to sit on the Council. The Council will advise the Secretary, through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), on matters regarding the preparation and implementation of the D-E NCA Resource Management Plan (RMP). An initial nomination period ended January 4, 2010. Members of the public who submitted nomination packages during the first nomination period need not submit a second nomination package to be considered.

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) Boise District Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will hold a meeting as indicated below.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Northwest California Resource Advisory Council will meet as indicated below.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is amending its regulations to remove the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act as one of the authorities of its recreation regulations, in accordance with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004 (REA). The final rule amends and reorders the prohibitions to separate those that apply specifically to campgrounds and picnic areas from those with more general application. The reordering is necessary to broaden the scope to include all areas where standard amenity, expanded amenity, and special recreation permit fees are charged under REA. The final rule also removes regulations that have been interpreted by the BLM Field Offices to require the BLM to publish supplementary rules for each area for failure to pay recreation fees, thus relieving the BLM from publishing separate rules for each area. Finally, this rule makes technical changes to maintain consistency with other BLM regulations.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will issue an appealable decision to the Akutan Corporation. The decision will approve the conveyance of surface estate in the lands described below pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The subsurface estate in these lands will be conveyed to the Aleut Corporation when the surface estate is conveyed to the Akutan Corporation. The lands are in the vicinity of Akutan, Alaska, and are located in:

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) Idaho Falls District Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will meet as indicated below.

This notice announces a comment period and proposed sale of five parcels of public land totaling 640 acres located in Deschutes County, Oregon, at not less than the appraised market value through competitive bidding. The sale will be conducted by the United States General Services Administration (GSA) as an online auction, at GSA's Web site https://www.auctionrp.com.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Central Yukon Field Office intends to amend the Kobuk-Seward Peninsula Resource Management Plan

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) Sierra Front-Northwestern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will meet in Winnemucca, Nevada. The meeting is open to the public.

As required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management will issue an appealable decision approving the conveyance of the surface estate in certain lands to The Aleut Corporation pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The lands are located on the Rat Islands, west of Adak, Alaska, aggregating 187.08 acres. Notice of the decision will also be published four times in the Anchorage Daily News.

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 12.5 acres of public land in Clark County, Nevada. The Grace Lutheran Church proposes to use the land for a worship center, a preschool and a kindergarten through eighth grade school.

This order withdraws 109.43 acres of public land from location and entry under the United States mining laws for a period of 5 years to protect the integrity of the Manning Canyon Tailings Repository and surrounding drainage structures while the Bureau of Land Management completes land use planning for the area.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing a supplementary rule to restrict the possession and use of fireworks on public land within the State of Colorado. The rules are necessary to protect the area's natural resources and provide for public health and safety.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service has filed an application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that proposes to extend the duration of Public Land Order (PLO) No. 6812 for an additional 20-year period. PLO No. 6812 withdrew approximately 40 acres of National Forest System land from the mining laws for use as a base camp site for the Smithsonian Institution's Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory. The withdrawal created by PLO No. 6812 will expire on October 30, 2010, unless extended. This notice gives an opportunity to comment on the proposed action and to request a public meeting.