Publicly Accessible Bureau of Land Management Websites for Coal Leasing Information

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
http://www.blm.gov/

September 26, 2014

In Reply Refer To:
3420 (320) P

EMS TRANSMISSION 12/19/2014
Instruction Memorandum No. 2014-159
Expires: 09/30/2015

To:	All Washington Office and Field Officials
From:	Assistant Director, Energy, Minerals, and Realty Management
Subject:	Publicly Accessible Bureau of Land Management Websites for Coal Leasing Information

Program Area:  Coal Management.

Purpose:  This Instruction Memorandum directs the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) State Directors (SD) and the Washington Office (WO) to place specific coal leasing data on publicly accessible websites.

Policy/Action:   The following policies will apply to the coal lease sale information. Both the SDs and the WO will have a role in making this information available to the public in a manner that is easily accessible and understandable. Some of this information is currently published on various BLM websites, and this policy indicates were additional information is required.  

The BLM SDs with coal lease sales in their State will ensure that:

1. Accurate and updated lease sale information is posted on the state�s website;
2. The WO is provided correct lease information for Public Lands Statistics (PLS) publication, and
3. Pending lease sale information and Federal Register (FR) Notice links are posted on the State Office�s website simultaneously with publication of the FR Notice announcing a pending lease sale. 

The WO will maintain:

1. A national summary website (revised annually during development of the PLS publication).
2. Links to the state�s websites.

The BLM National Operations Center will maintain the coal information in the PLS developed by the WO.

Existing websites maintained by the WO and the SOs will be expanded to include the following information:

1. Past Lease Sales:  Each BLM SO will develop and post a summary of the results of past coal lease sales since fiscal year 1990. Lease sale dates, post-sale FMV reports link, and unsuccessful lease sale information has been added to the existing state websites. Each SO should update the website within five business days of any future lease sales. The summaries should include the following information. New requirements are noted. (See Attachment 1 for a more detailed description):

• Serial number,
• Identification of the applicant,
• Lease sale date (new),
• Fair market value (FMV) report links (new),
• FR Notice citation, 
• Acres and tons offered per sale notice,
• Amount of the successful bid,
• Amount of the unsuccessful highest bid (new),
• Value per acre and ton,
• Name of lessee, if the BLM issued a lease, and
• Effective date of the lease, if issued.

2. Pending Lease Sales: The SOs will provide a new table on its website which will include a summary and status of pending lease sales. The table will include a link to the FR Notice (See Attachment 2). For the purposes of this policy, pending lease sales are defined as those with a published notice of sale in the FR. Each SO that has a pending sale at this time will complete and post the initial table on its website by November 1, 2014, and will post new pending sales within five business of the publication of the FR notice announcing a sale.  The summary table should include the following information:

• Serial number,
• Identification of the applicant,
• FR Notice citation,
• Lease sale detailed statement,
• Acres and tons offered per sale notice, and
• Proposed lease sale date.

3.  Summary of Lease Sales: A Bureauwide and SO summary of the total number of leases and successful lease sales by fiscal year since 1990 (attachment 3). The national information will be revised once a year after the PLS has been published. The Washington Office Division of Solid Minerals (WO-320) will provide the fiscal year summary information to the Washington Office Division of Public Affairs (WO-600) to update the website. This existing table remains unchanged.

Timeframe:  Effective immediately.

Budget Impact:  Minimal.

Background: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report to Congressional Requesters, COAL LEASING: BLM Could Enhance Appraisal Process, More Explicitly Consider Coal Exports, and Provide More Public Information (GAO-14-140), was published December 18, 2013, and publicly released February 4, 2014. This Instruction Memorandum is being developed to address the GAO recommendation 8, to make electronic information on the coal leasing program more accessible to the public.

To date, the BLM has posted lease sales information on the BLM websites and this Instruction Memorandum provides guidance regarding additional information to be included on those websites.

Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: None.

Coordination:  State, district and field office coal specialists, Washington Office Solid Minerals Division, and Washington Office Communications Directorate staff coordinated the development of this publicly accessible website and PLS reports for coal leasing statistics.

Contact: If you have any questions concerning the content of this Instruction Memorandum, please contact me at 202-208-4201, or your staff may contact Mitchell Leverette, Division Chief Solid Minerals (WO-320) at 202-912-7113 or mleveret@blm.gov; or John A. Lewis, 202-912-7117, or j35lewis@blm.gov.

 

Signed by:                                                                    Authenticated by:

Michael Nedd                                                                Robert M. Williams

Assistant Director                                                         Division of IRM Governance,WO-860

Energy, Minerals, and Realty Management

 

 

3 Attachments

     1- Example of the Modified State Office Website Information (1 p)

     2- Example of the New State Office Website Information (1 p)

     3- Example of the Existing National Website Information (1 p)

Last updated: 12-22-2014

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