FRN terminating program benefits

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 139 / Thursday, July 21, 2005 / Notices
Interested persons may submit
written comments to the BLM at the
address stated below. Comments must
be received by not later than September
6, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Bureau of Land
Management, Rock Springs Field Office,
280 Highway 191 North, Rock Springs,
Wyoming 82901.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patricia Hamilton, Realty Specialist, at
the above address or at (307) 352–0334.
DATES:

The
following described public land in
Sweetwater County, Wyoming, has been
examined and found suitable for
classification for lease and/or
conveyance under the provisions of the
Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP)
Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 8890 et seq.)
and is hereby classified accordingly:

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Sixth Meridian, Wyoming
T. 20 N., R. 105 W.
Sec. 20, SW1⁄4SE1⁄4
The land described contains 5.00 acres.

In accordance with the R&PP Act, the
Ten-Mile Water and Sewer District has
filed a R&PP Act petition/application
and plan of development in which it is
proposed to use the above described
public lands for office and warehouse
space needed by the District. The lands
are not needed for Federal purposes.
Lease or conveyance pursuant to the
R&PP Act is consistent with the Green
River Resource Area Management Plan,
dated August 8, 1987, and would be in
the public interest. The lease/
conveyance, when issued, will be
subject to the following terms,
conditions, and reservations:
1. Provisions of the R&PP Act and to
all applicable regulations, policy and
including but not limited to the
regulations stated in 43 CFR part 2740,
guidance of the Secretary of the Interior.
2. Reservation of a right-of-way to the
United States for ditches and canals
pursuant to the Act of August 30, 1890,
43 U.S.C. 945.
3. All minerals shall be reserved to
the United States, together with the
right to prospect for mine, and remove
the minerals under applicable laws and
regulations established by the Secretary
of the Interior.
4. Provided, that the land conveyed
shall revert to the United States upon a
finding, and after notice and
opportunity for a hearing, that the
patentee has not substantially
developed the lands in accordance with
the approved plan of development on or
before the date five years after the date
of conveyance. No portion of the land
shall under any circumstance revert to
the United States if any such portion

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has been used for solid waste disposal
or for any other purpose which may
result in the disposal, placement, or
release of any hazardous substance.
5. If, at any time, the patentee validly
transfers to another party ownership of
any portion of the land not used for the
purpose(s) specified in the application
and the plan of development, the
patentee shall pay the Bureau of Land
Management the fair market value, as
determined by the authorized officer, of
the transferred portion as of the date of
transfer, including the value of any
improvements thereon.
6. All valid existing rights of record,
including those documented on the
official public land records at the time
of lease/patent issuance.
Detailed information concerning the
proposed action, including but not
limited to documentation relating to
compliance with applicable
environmental and cultural resource
laws, is available for review at the BLM,
Rock Springs Field Office, 280 Highway
191 North, Rock Springs, Wyoming
82901, telephone: (307) 352–0334.
On July 21, 2005, the above described
lands will be segregated from all other
forms of appropriation under the public
land laws, including the general mining
laws, except for lease or conveyance
under the Recreation and Public
Purposes Act and leasing under the
mineral leasing laws.
Interested parties may submit written
comments regarding the proposed lease/
conveyance or classification of the lands
to the Field Manager, Rock Springs
Field Office, at the address stated above
in this notice for that purpose.
Comments must be received by not later
than September 6, 2005.
Classification Comments: Interested
parties may submit comments involving
the suitability of the land for an office
building and warehouse facility.
Comments on the classification are
restricted to whether the land is
physically suited for the proposal,
whether the use will maximize the
future use or uses of the land, whether
the use is consistent with local planning
and zoning, or if the use is consistent
with State and Federal programs.
Application Comments: Interested
parties may submit comments regarding
the specific use proposed in the
application and plan of development,
whether the Bureau of Land
Management followed proper
administrative procedures in reaching
the decision; or any other factor not
directly related to the suitability of the
land for an office building and
warehouse.
Any adverse comments will be
reviewed by the State Director, who may

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sustain, vacate, or modify this realty
action. In the absence of any adverse
comments, the classification will
become effective 60 days after July 21,
2005.
(Authority: 43 CFR 2741.5)
Dated: June 23, 2005.
Michael R. Holbert,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 05–14314 Filed 7–20–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WO–310–1310–PB–24 1A]

Notification To Terminate the Benefits
of the Royalty Rate Reductions
Granted Under the Stripper Well
Royalty Reduction Program and
Request for Comment
AGENCY:

Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) is providing the sixmonth notification to terminate all
royalty rate reductions for stripper well
properties under the regulations at 43
CFR 3103.4–2(b)(4). In addition, BLM is
requesting comments on the financial
conditions under which BLM would
reestablish the benefit.
DATES: This termination of benefits for
stripper well properties is effective for
sales on or after February 1, 2006. Send
your comments to reach BLM on or
before August 22, 2005. The BLM will
not necessarily consider comments
received after the above date.
ADDRESSES: Mail: Director (630), Bureau
of Land Management, Eastern States
Office, 7450 Boston Boulevard,
Springfield, Virginia 22153.
Personal or messenger delivery: 1620
L Street, NW., Suite 401, Washington,
DC 20036.
Direct Internet: http://
www.blm.gov.nhp/news/regulatory/
index.html.
Internet E-mail:
Comments_Washington@blm.gov.
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://
www/regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rudy Baier, Bureau of Land
Management, (202) 452–5024
(Commercial or FTS). Persons who use
a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–
800–877–8339, 24 hours a day, seven
days a week, except holidays, for
assistance in reaching Mr. Baier.

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42094

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 139 / Thursday, July 21, 2005 / Notices

Under 43
CFR 3103.4–2(b)(4), BLM may terminate
the benefits under the stripper well
royalty reduction program upon 6
month’s notice in the Federal Register
when BLM determines that the average
oil price has remained above $28 per
barrel over a period of 6 consecutive
months (based on the WTI Crude
average posted prices and adjusted for
inflation using the implicit price
deflator for gross national product with
1991 as the base year). The adjusted
threshold for the third quarter of
calendar year 2004 was $35.97 and for
the fourth quarter $36.16.
Based on BLM analysis, the WTI
Crude average oil prices exceeded the
adjusted threshold during the last 6
months. Therefore, as authorized by 43
CFR 3103.4–2, this serves as notice that
BLM will terminate the benefits of the
stripper well royalty reduction program
effective for sales on or after February 1,
2006. Therefore, beginning on the
effective date, those properties currently
receiving relief under section 3103.4–2
must pay royalty in accordance with the
royalty rate in the lease or other BLMapproved royalty rate reductions.
Inherent in our authority to terminate
the benefits of the royalty reduction
program for stripper wells at a price
threshold is the authority to reinstate
the program should prices later fall
beneath such a threshold. In the event
that the new stripper royalty reduction
regulations are not in effect when prices
again make production uneconomic,
BLM proposes to reinstate the
availability of benefits under the royalty
reduction program for stripper wells
after publication of notice in the Federal
Register.
It is BLM’s intention to propose new
regulations to address situations in
which prices again make marginal
production uneconomic. In the time
between when the benefits of the
program terminate and when the new
regulations are effective, BLM may
reinstate the existing program.
BLM proposes to reinstate the
availability of benefits when it
determines that the average oil price has
remained below $28 per barrel over a
period of 6 consecutive months (based
on the WTI Crude average posted prices
and adjusted for inflation using the
implicit price deflator for gross national
product with 1991 as the base year).
BLM recognizes that the $28 per
barrel trigger was instituted over 12
years ago and conditions since that time
may have changed considerably.
Therefore, BLM is requesting comment
specifically on the financial conditions
under which BLM would reestablish the
benefit under the existing stripper well
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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royalty reduction program. Please see
the ADDRESSES section above for
information on where to submit your
comments.
Dated: May 13, 2005.
J.O. Ratcliff,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Land and
Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 05–14100 Filed 7–20–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–84–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Draft Environmental Impact
Statement\General Management Plan,
Minidoka Internment National
Monument, Jerome County, ID; Notice
of Availability
SUMMARY: Pursuant to 102(2)(C) of the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (Pub. L. 91–190, as amended), and
the Council on Environmental Quality
Regulations (40 CFR part 1500–1508),
the National Park Service, Department
of the Interior, has prepared a draft
general management plan (GMP) and
environmental impact statement (DEIS)
for Minidoka Internment National
Monument located in Jerome County,
Idaho. In addition to a ‘‘no-action’’
alternative (which would maintain
current management), the DEIS
describes and analyzes three ‘‘action’’
alternatives which respond to the
concerns and issues of the public
identified during the extensive scoping
process, as well as conservation
planning requirements. These
alternatives present varying
management strategies for resource
protection and preservation, education
and interpretation, visitor use and
facilities, land protection and
boundaries, and long-term operations
and management of the national
monument. The potential
environmental consequences of all the
alternatives, and mitigation strategies,
are identified and analyzed; a
determination as to the
‘‘environmentally preferred’’ alternative
is also provided in the DEIS.
Scoping: A Notice of Intent
announcing preparation of the DEIS and
general management plan was
published in the Federal Register on
April 24, 2002. Extensive public
involvement was deemed necessary for
the success of this planning project,
given the nature and sensitivity of the
national monument’s history, the speed
in which the national monument was
established, as well as the national
monument’s remote location. Public
engagement and information measures

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have included public meetings and
workshops, presentations and meetings
with interested stakeholders, briefings
with the Congressional delegation and
State and Jerome county officials,
newsletter mailings, local and regional
and press releases, and Web site
postings.
Preceding the formal GMP planning
process, National Park Service (NPS)
staff conducted informational meetings
about the national monument with
Japanese American organizations,
community organizations, various
governmental entities, potential
stakeholder groups, and individuals
during the spring, summer and early fall
of 2002. Approximately 50 meetings
were held in Idaho, Washington,
Oregon, and Alaska during this time,
and approximately 2,000 people were
contacted. The purpose of these initial
meetings was to help characterize the
scale and extent of the planning process.
Thus far the NPS has encouraged the
public to provide relevant information,
issues and concerns during two formal
public planning stages. The first stage,
called Scoping, was intended to elicit
issues, concerns, and suggestions to be
addressed during the planning process.
Nine public workshops were held in
Idaho, Washington, and Oregon in
November 2002; per Federal Register
announcement dated November 19,
2002 the scoping period was extended
an additional 30 days through December
31, 2002. Overall 250 people provided
comments in workshops, and another
225 people provided written comments.
The second stage, called Draft
Alternatives, was intended to present
the public with preliminary draft
alternatives and invite comments on
these alternatives. These draft
alternatives were developed to address
the specific issues and concerns that
were raised by the public during the
Scoping phase. Eleven public
workshops were held in Idaho,
Washington, and Oregon in July and
August 2003 (215 people provided oral
comments in the workshops, and
another 50 people provided written
comments).
Proposed Plan and Alternatives:
Alternative A is the ‘‘no-action’’
alternative and would continue current
management practices. This alternative
would provide general management
guidance for incremental and minimal
changes in park operations, staffing,
visitor services, and facilities to
accommodate visitors. While the
historic resources of the site would
continue to be protected, only minor
additional site work would be
anticipated under this alternative. The
‘‘no-action’’ alternative is the baseline

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