§ 3201.11 - What lands are not available for geothermal leasing?

§ 3201.11 What lands are not available for geothermal leasing?

BLM will not issue leases for:

(a) Lands where the Secretary has determined that issuing the lease would cause unnecessary or undue degradation of public lands and resources;

(b) Lands contained within a unit of the National Park System, or otherwise administered by the National Park Service;

(c) Lands within a National Recreation Area;

(d) Lands where the Secretary determines after notice and comment that geothermal operations, including exploration, development or utilization of lands, are reasonably likely to result in a significant adverse effect on a significant thermal feature within a unit of the National Park System;

(e) Fish hatcheries or wildlife management areas administered by the Secretary;

(f) Indian trust or restricted lands within or outside the boundaries of Indian reservations;

(g) The Island Park Geothermal Area; and

(h) Lands where Section 43 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226-3) prohibits geothermal leasing, including:

(1) Wilderness areas or wilderness study areas administered by BLM or other surface management agencies;

(2) Lands designated by Congress as wilderness study areas, except where the statute designating the study area specifically allows leasing to continue; and

(3) Lands within areas allocated for wilderness or further planning in Executive Communication 1504, Ninety-Sixth Congress (House Document 96-119), unless such lands are allocated to uses other than wilderness by a land and resource management plan or are released to uses other than wilderness by an Act of Congress.