Land Management Bureau – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, notice is hereby given that the Winnemucca Field Office (WFO) of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is initiating the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed coal-fired power plant.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requests the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to extend an existing approval to collect information from applicants to lease and develop solid minerals other than coal and oil shade. BLM uses the information to determine whether an applicant, permittee, or lessee is qualified to hold an interest under the terms of the implementing regulations at 43 CFR part 3500.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requests the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to extend an existing approval to collect information from those persons who submit a Color-of-Title Application to apply for public lands under a color-of-title claim. BLM uses forms 2540-1, 2540- 2, and 2540-3 for color-of-title transactions on public lands.

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 WYW159119 for lands in Weston 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.

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 WYW153617 for lands in Park 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.

Under the provisions of section 31(d) of the Mineral Leasing Act, (30 U.S.C. 188(d)), a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease NMNM 106897 for lands in Quay County, New Mexico, was timely filed and was accompanied by all required rentals and royalties accruing from September 1, 2004, the date of termination.

Per 30 U.S.C. 188(d), the lessee timely filed a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease MTM 93052, Pondera County, Montana. The lessee paid the required rental accruing from the date of termination. No leases were issued that affect these lands. The lessee agrees to 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 $155 cost for publishing this Notice. The lessee met the requirements for reinstatement of the lease per Section 31(d) and (e) of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 188). We are proposing to reinstate the lease, effective January 1, 2005 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 $155 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) Coeur d'Alene District Resource Advisory Council (RAC) will meet as indicated below.

This notice advises the public and other agencies of availability of the Draft Alamosa River Watershed Restoration Master Plan (ARWRMP) for comment. The draft plan describes the Alamosa River environment and the impacts to watershed resources and land uses, and briefly describes proposed restoration projects. It comprehensively addresses all watershed restoration needs, including those resulting from injuries pursuant to the federal Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) regulations in CFR 43 part 11, as well as restoration needs arising from other impacts. The draft plan also outlines several sets of projects based on competing needs and limited funding, and proposes a preferred restoration alternative, consisting of a project set that best addresses the various resource impacts. The preferred alternative provides for natural resource restoration within the Alamosa River watershed. The draft plan envisions funds from the NRDAR settlement, along with matching funds, grants, and other funding sources, to support the preferred alternative. The restoration actions ultimately undertaken will result from proposals for specific actions that respond to the needs and selected projects identified in the preferred restoration alternative.

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 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., April 6, 2005. All inquiries should be sent to the Colorado State Office, Bureau of Land Management, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, Colorado 80215-7093. The plat, representing the dependent resurveys and surveys in Township 2 North, Range 81 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Group 1397, Colorado, was accepted March 25, 2005. The supplemental plat, amending the erroneously numbered lot 45, as shown on the plat approved October 30, 1997, to lot 47, and creating new lot 48, is based upon the survey plats approved November 29, 1984 and October 30, 1997 and the mineral survey M.S. 6771, The Cleveland Placer, approved May 16, 1891, and the mineral survey M.S. 1148, Rosa, cancelled August 9, 1984. This supplemental plat was accepted February 9, 2005. The supplemental plat, correcting the numerical errors in the longitudes for the two witness posts on the Colorado/Wyoming State Boundary and Interstate Highway 25 (I-25) and the distance between Witness Point 44+58.83 and Mile Post 45, as shown on the plat approved May 18, 1998, and is based upon the dependent resurvey plat approved May 18, 1998, and was accepted March 31, 2005. These plats and resurvey notes were requested by the Bureau of Land Management for administrative and management purposes. The plat of survey requested by the Realty Staff, White River National Forest, Glenwood Springs, Colorado, on August 11, 2004, for the purpose of identifying the boundaries of National Forest lands to be conveyed and patented out of federal ownership in conjunction with a land exchange at the base of the ski area in Vail, Colorado, under Group 1415 was accepted February 3, 2005. This plat was requested by the U.S. Forest Service, to facilitate a land exchange, and for administrative and management purposes.

On January 21, 2005, the State of Utah and Millard County submitted two applications for recordable disclaimers of interest from the United States. These recordable disclaimer of interest applications are identified by BLM Serial Number UTU-82199 for Alexa Lane and UTU- 82200 for Snake Pass Road, both in Millard County, Utah. Recordable disclaimers of interest, if issued, would confirm that the United States has no property interest in the identified public highway rights-of-way. This Notice is intended to notify the public of the pending applications and the State's and County's grounds for supporting them. Specific details of the applications are provided in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.

This notice announces a meeting and tour of the Arizona Resource Advisory Council (RAC). The business meeting will be held on May 3, 2005, in Kingman, Arizona, at the Dambar and Steakhouse banquet room located on 1960 E. Andy Devine Avenue. 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 January 25, 2005 Meeting Minutes; BLM State Director's Update on Statewide Issues; Presentations on Federal Land Recreation Enhancement Act, Designated Off-Highway Vehicle Areas, and Arizona Land Use Planning Updates; 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 a.m. on May 3, 2005, for any interested publics who wish to address the Council. On May 4, the RAC will tour the Pine Lake subdivision in the Hualapai Mountains. BLM will highlight the fuel reduction projects, thinning and prescribed fire, it's jointly conducting with the Pine Lake Working Group to protect the area from catastrophic wildfires. The tour will be conducted from approximately 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The April 18 and 19, 2005, Steens Mountain Advisory Council Meeting, previously scheduled to be held at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Burns District Office, 28910 Highway 20 West, Hines, Oregon 97738, has been cancelled. The original Federal Register notice announcing the meeting was published Tuesday, December 14, 2004, page number 74535.

Notice is hereby given that approximately 988 acres of public land north of the Pasadena Valley Road in Elmore County, Idaho, will remain closed to the use of motorized vehicles. The public land is located approximately two (2) miles east of Glenns Ferry, Idaho, known as the Paradise or Pasadena off-highway vehicle (OHV) area. The closure applies to all types of motor and off-highway vehicles with the exception of those authorized for fire fighting, law enforcement, access to private lands, administrative operations and/or other BLM authorized activities.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Las Vegas Field Office, will be directing the preparation of an EIS for the Virgin and Muddy Rivers Surface Water Development pipeline and associated facilities and initiate the public scoping process.

Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Office, Lakewood, Colorado, hereby gives notice that a public hearing will be held to receive comments on the environmental impact statement, maximum economic recovery, and fair market value of federal coal to be offered. An application for coal lease was filed by Ark Land Company. The Bureau of Land Management offers for competitive lease 1,517.13 acres of Federal coal in Gunnison County, Colorado, Gunnison National Forest.

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 COC59640 for lands in Routt County, Colorado, was timely filed and was accompanied by all the required rentals accruing from the date of termination.

This notice cancels and terminates the segregative effect of a proposed land exchange (U-81066) on 15 acres of public land. The 15 acre parcel of public land, located in Washington County, Utah, has been examined and found suitable for classification for lease/ conveyance (U-81083) to the Washington County School District under the provisions of the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, as amended.

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.A. 201(b), and to the regulations adopted at 43 CFR 3410, all interested parties are hereby invited to participate with Powder River Coal Company on a pro rata cost sharing basis in its program for the exploration of coal deposits owned by the United States of America in the following described lands in Campbell County, WY.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requests the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to extend an existing approval to collect information from all owners of unpatented mining claims or mill sites who desire to apply for a mineral patent to their mining claim or mill site. The BLM uses the information to determine the right to a mineral patent and to secure a settlement of all disputes concerning the property in order to issue the patent to the rightful owner.

This notice announces the intent to hold a Bureau of Land Management Resource Advisory Council (RAC) meeting in the Twin Falls District of Idaho on Tuesday, May 17, 2005. The meeting will be held in the Oak Room at the Red Lion Canyon Springs Hotel, 1357 Blue Lakes Boulevard, in Twin Falls, Idaho at 8 a.m.

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 WYW155759 for lands 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 purpose of this action is to continue implementation of the terms of the Helium Privatization Act (HPA) of 1996 dealing with the disposal of the Conservation Helium Reserve. The HPA requires the Department of the Interior to offer for sale, beginning no later than 2005, a portion of the Conservation Helium stored underground at the Cliffside Field, north of Amarillo, Texas. The Department of the Interior, in consultation with the private helium industry, has determined that private companies, with refining capacity along the crude helium pipeline, will need a supply of helium in excess of that available from their own storage accounts and that available from crude helium extractors in the region. Given the current market, Conservation Helium sold in this sale will cause minimal market disruption.