[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 192 (Wednesday, October 4, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 52006]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-24611]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[UT-920-05-1330-00]
Classification Standards for Establishing Known Leasing Areas for
Gilsonite
summary: The Secretary of the Interior, through Secretarial Orders 3071
and 3087, transferred the authority under 43 U.S.C. 21 to classify
public lands for leasable minerals to the Director, Bureau of Land
Management. On May 22, 1986, regulations were finalized at 43 CFR part
3500 which provided for prospecting permits for gilsonite on lands that
were not known to contain valuable deposits of gilsonite. Lands with
known gilsonite deposits will be subject to competitive leasing
procedures only. On January 20, 1995, a notice was published in the
Federal Register inviting comments on a proposed standard which would
be used to determine whether lands will be subject to competitive
leasing for gilsonite. A total of two comments were submitted on the
proposed standard within the 60-day comment period identified in the
notice. The first commenter suggested that the standard was too
restrictive and should be broadened to include lands beyond the
mappable surface exposure of a gilsonite vein. We recognize that some
gilsonite veins continue to be minable at depth even though they are
not exposed on the surface, but that is not always the case. Under the
proposed standard, if a mappable gilsonite vein occurs in any part of a
legal subdivision (generally a 40-acre tract), all of the lands within
the tract will be considered as a known gilsonite area. This has the
effect of extending the vein as much as 1,320 feet beyond any surface
expression. The second commenter suggested that the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) use a more restrictive standard which would require a
vein to exhibit consistent surface exposures of at least 18 inches in
width. This commenter further stated that application of the broad
standard identified in the January 20, 1995, Federal Register notice
would eliminate prospecting permits for gilsonite because all
prospective gilsonite areas have mappable gilsonite veins exposed at
the surface. BLM has determined that the more restrictive standard
suggested by this commenter places a more rigorous standard for
determining whether lands should be leased competitively than the
gilsonite industry places on itself before making a decision to open a
mine. Furthermore, the regulations at 43 CFR part 3554 provide for an
exploration license which enables interested parties to further explore
unleased deposits of gilsonite. This allows a prospective lessee to
obtain any necessary information about the deposit before obtaining a
lease. Lands not known to contain gilsonite veins or extensions of
existing veins where no gilsonite is mappable at the surface would
still be available for prospecting through a prospecting permit.
However, issuing prospecting permits on lands containing clearly
defined veins of gilsonite imposes an unnecessary administrative burden
on the BLM to process both a prospecting permit and a preference-right
lease application when the existence of a gilsonite vein is known in
advance. The public interest is best served by leasing such gilsonite
deposits through a competitive process, ensuring a fair return for the
public's resources.
The Director, Bureau of Land Management, has determined that the
following standard will be used to define Known Gilsonite Leasing
Areas: Lands will be defined as a Known Gilsonite Area and subject to
competitive leasing if they contain a gilsonite vein that can be mapped
as a continuous vein based on surface exposures and other indications
of a continuous linear feature using generally accepted geologic
mapping techniques. The Known Gilsonite Leasing Area shall be described
by aliquot parts generally no smaller than a quarter-quarter section
or, when appropriate, a lot. If any part of the lot or quarter-quarter
section contains a portion of a mapped vein meeting the classification
standard, that subdivision shall be included within the Known Gilsonite
Leasing Area.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bureau of Land Management, Division of
Mineral Resources, Attn: James Kohler, P.O. Box 45155, Salt Lake City,
Utah 84145-0155.
Dated: August 14, 1995.
Mat Millenbach,
Utah State Director.
[FR Doc 95-24611 Filed 10-3-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-M
