Land Management Bureau – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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.

This notice announces a meeting of the Arizona Resource Advisory Council (RAC). The business meeting will be held on December 6, 2005, in Phoenix, Arizona, at the Arizona State Office located at One North Central Avenue, 8th floor. It will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 4:30 p.m. The agenda items to be covered include: Review of the August 23, 2005 Meeting Minutes; BLM State Director's Update on Statewide Issues; New RAC Member Orientation; Presentations on San Pedro Water Rights Issues; Rangeland Inventory and Monitoring; Arizona Land Use Planning Update; RAC Questions on Written Reports from BLM Field Managers; Field Office Rangeland Resource Team Proposals; Reports by the Standards and Guidelines, Recreation, Off-Highway Vehicle Use, Public Relations, Land Use Planning and Tenure, and Wild Horse and Burro Working Groups; Reports from RAC members; and Discussion of future meetings. A public comment period will be provided at 11:30 a.m. on December 6, 2005, for any interested publics who wish to address the Council.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and under the authority of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (DRMP/EIS) for public land and resources in the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, Montana. BLM invites the public to review and comment on the range and adequacy of the draft alternatives and their associated environmental effects. The DRMP/EIS provides direction and guidance for the management of about 375,000 acres of public land and 42,800 acres of existing oil and gas leases.

The plats of survey of the following described land will be officially filed in the Colorado State Office, Bureau of Land Management, Lakewood, Colorado, effective 10 a.m., October 18, 2005. All inquiries should be sent to the Colorado State Office (CO-956), Bureau of Land Management, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, Colorado 80215-7093. The plat (in two sheets) which includes the field notes, and is the entire record of this survey of Tract 37, in suspended Township 44 North, Range 5 West, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted August 17, 2005. The supplemental plat of section 24, in Township 1 North, Range 72 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, created new Lots 106, 107 and 108 in the NW\1/4\NW\1/4\ of Section 24, and is based upon the boundaries of the Whitedare unpatented Mining Claim, CMC-115653, as defined by the dependent resurvey accepted August 20, 2003, was accepted August 16, 2005. The supplemental plat of Tract 39, patented April 3, 1986, Patent No. 05-86-0022 in Township 1 North, Range 72 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, which added the patented acreage value of Tract 39, that was omitted from the June 20, 1985 plat which created Tract 39, was accepted August 16, 2005. The supplemental plat which corrects and supersedes the supplemental plat accepted April 19, 2005, which incorrectly depicted the mineral survey number of the Mayflower and Little Boy Lodes in Township 48 North, Range 2 East, Sec. 29, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted on July 27, 2005. The plat and field notes of the dependent resurveys and surveys, facilitating a land exchange in Township 1 North, Range 79 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted August 11, 2005. The field notes, as depicted on two plat-only plats, of the remonumentation of certain corners was requested by the Geographic Coordinate Data Base Program Manager, Washington Office, under BPA: NAB-000008, Task Order No. NAD-000095, in Townships 12 North, Ranges 68 and 69 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, were accepted on September 1, 2005. The supplemental plat of section 20, creating new Lot 111 in the NE\1/4\NE\1/4\ of Section 20, is based upon Mineral Survey No. 19744, Roberta, Golden Rule, and Queen of the Valley approved October 19, 1916, and the dependent resurvey accepted March 13, 1963, in Township 1 North, Range 71 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, was requested by the Canon City Field Office and was accepted on September 12, 2005. The plat and field notes, of the dependent resurvey and surveys was requested by the Uncompahgre Field Office, with the approval of the State Director, Colorado, in order to identify public land boundaries and a portion of the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area Boundary, in Township 51 North, Range 9 West, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted on September 28, 2005. These plats and resurvey notes were requested by the Bureau of Land Management for administrative and management purposes. The plat and field notes of the dependent resurveys and surveys requested by the USDA Forest Service, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests, through the State Director, Colorado, in order to identify the National Forest boundaries in Township 6 North, Range 77 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted on August 24, 2005. The plat and field notes of the dependent resurvey and survey requested by the Regional Director of Lands, Rocky Mountain Region, USDA, Forest Service, through the State Director, Colorado, in order to identify the National Forest boundaries for management purposes in Township 10 North, Ranges 73 and 74 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, were accepted on August 26, 2005. The plat (in 2 sheets), which is the entire record, of the dependent resurvey and survey, requested by the Pike and San Isabel National Forests, through the State Director, Colorado, in order to locate certain forest service boundaries that pertain to fuel reduction projects north of Gardner, CO., in Township 25 South, Range 70 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted on September 1, 2005. The plat and field notes, of the dependent resurvey and survey, was requested by the Rocky Mountain Region, USDA, Forest Service, through the State Director, Colorado, in order to identify the National Forest boundaries for fuels reduction management purposes in Township 5 South, Range 72 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, was accepted on September 7, 2005. The plats and field notes, representing the dependent resurvey and surveys in Townships 36 and 37 North, Range 14 West, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Group 1391,Colorado, were accepted August 10, 2005. These surveys were requested by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, with the approval of the State Director, Colorado, in order to identify the boundary of Ute Mountain Ute lands for management purposes. The plat and field notes, of the completion survey of Township 33 North, Range 19 West, New Mexico Principal Meridian, Colorado, was requested by the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe, through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Albuquerque, New Mexico, with the approval of the State Director, Colorado, in order to identify the reservation boundaries, was accepted September 7, 2005. 8,404.14 acres are included in this original survey.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is extending the call for nominations for ten membership positions on the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area Advisory Council. The original notice calling for nominations published in the Federal Register on September 14, 2005 [70 FR 54403]. The original deadline for the call for nominations was October 14, 2005. The purpose of this notice is to extend the nomination period until October 31, 2005. The Council advises the Secretary and the BLM on resource management issues associated with the McInnis Canyons NCA and Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness.

Notice is hereby given that certain public lands are temporarily closed to public use for the purpose of discharge of firearms, from September 1, 2005 to August 31, 2006. The authorized BLM officer has determined that shooting within one-quarter mile of Frenchglen, Oregon, may be a safety hazard to the residents. During the closure period, BLM will prepare National Environmental Policy Act documentation to consider a permanent closure. The closed area occurs on BLM land around Frenchglen, Oregon, in Willamette Meridian, T. 32 S., R. 32 E., Section 02, Lots 3 and 4 east of the 115 kV power transmission line OR-012617, S\1/2\NW\1/4\ east of the 115kV power transmission line OR-012617, N\1/2\SW\1/4\ north of Hwy 205, E\1/2\SW\1/4\ east of Elbow Springs Road, SW\1/4\SE\1/4\ east of Elbow Springs Road. Closure signs will be posted at main entry points to the area and along the boundary as necessary. Maps of the closure area and information may be obtained from the BLM Burns District Office and at various locations in Burns, Hines, and Frenchglen.

The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center Advisory Board will meet December 6, 2005, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. (PST) at the Best Western Sunridge Inn, One Sunridge Way, Baker City, Oregon. Meeting topics will include a Center Update, Marketing, and other topics as may come before the board. The meeting is open to the public. Public comment is scheduled for 10 to 10:15 a.m.

Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and associated regulations, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) for the Castle Peak and Eight Mile Flat oil and gas expansion project proposed by Newfield Rocky Mountains, Inc., formerly Inland Resources, Inc. This FEIS and ROD are being announced concurrently per 40 CFR part 1506 (b) (2).

This notice contains proposed supplementary rules which will apply to the public lands within the Adaptive Management Area (AMA) in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA) managed by the El Centro Field Office in Imperial County, California. This action is necessary in order to maintain viable populations of all native species, maintain habitat connectivity, and provide high quality, unique, world-class, day-use, semi-primitive, motorized recreation opportunities for off-highway vehicle (OHV) activities and non- vehicular recreational activities throughout the Adaptive Management Area and Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. We intend the supplementary rules to allow the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to manage AMA area in order to provide recreational opportunities while allowing for the conservation of habitat and plants and species of concern.

In accordance with the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000, 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, and the Steens Mountain Advisory Council will meet as indicated below.