Title 43—Public Lands: Interior--Volume 1
PART 2370—RESTORATIONS AND REVOCATIONS
§ 2370.0-1   Purpose.
The regulations of this part 2370 apply to lands and interests in lands withdrawn or reserved from the public domain, except lands reserved or dedicated for national forest or national park purposes, which are no longer needed by the agency for which the lands are withdrawn or reserved.
§ 2370.0-3   Authority.
The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (63 Stat. 377), as amended, governs the disposal of surplus Federal lands or interests in lands. Section 3 of that Act (40 U.S.C. 472), as amended, February 28, 1958 (72 Stat. 29), excepts from its provisions the following:
(a) The public domain.
(b) Lands reserved or dedicated for national forest or national park purposes.
(c) Minerals in lands or portions of lands withdrawn or reserved from the public domain which the Secretary of the Interior determines are suitable for disposition under the public land mining and mineral leasing laws.
(d) Lands withdrawn or reserved from the public domain, but not including lands or portions of lands so withdrawn or reserved which the Secretary of the Interior, with the concurrence of the Administrator of the General Services Administration, determines are not suitable for return to the public domain for disposition under the general public-land laws, because such lands are substantially changed in character by improvements or otherwise.
§ 2372.1   Notice of intention to relinquish action by holding agency.
(a) Agencies holding withdrawn or reserved lands which they no longer need will file, in duplicate, a notice of intention to relinquish such lands in the proper office (see § 1821.2-1 of this chapter).
(b) No specific form of notice is required, but all notices must contain the following information:
(1) Name and address of the holding agency.
(2) Citation of the order which withdrew or reserved the lands for the holding agency.
(3) Legal description and acreage of the lands, except where reference to the order of withdrawal or reservation is sufficient to identify them.
(4) Description of the improvements existing on the lands.
(5) The extent to which the lands are contaminated and the nature of the contamination.
(6) The extent to which the lands have been decontaminated or the measures taken to protect the public from the contamination and the proposals of the holding agency to maintain protective measures.
(7) The extent to which the lands have been changed in character other than by construction of improvements.
(8) The extent to which the lands or resources thereon have been disturbed and the measures taken or proposed to be taken to recondition the property.
(9) If improvements on the lands have been abandoned, a certification that the holding agency has exhausted General Services Administration procedures for their disposal and that the improvements are without value.
(10) A description of the easements or other rights and privileges which the holding agency or its predecessors have granted covering the lands.
(11) A list of the terms and conditions, if any, which the holding agency deems necessary to be incorporated in any further disposition of the lands in order to protect the public interest.
(12) Any information relating to the interest of other agencies or individuals in acquiring use of or title to the property or any portion of it.
(13) Recommendations as to the further disposition of the lands, including where appropriate, disposition by the General Services Administration.
§ 2372.2   Report to General Services Administration.
The holding agency will send one copy of its report on unneeded lands to the appropriate regional office of the General Services Administration for its information.
§ 2372.3   Return of lands to the public domain; conditions.
(a) When the authorized officer of the Bureau of Land Management determines the holding agency has complied with the regulations of this part, including the conditions specified in § 2374.2 of this subpart, and that the lands or interests in lands are suitable for return to the public domain for disposition under the general public land laws, he will notify the holding agency that the Department of the Interior accepts accountability and responsibility for the property, sending a copy of this notice to the appropriate regional office of the General Services Administration.
(b) [Reserved]
§ 2374.1   Property determinations.
(a) When the authorized officer of the Bureau of Land Management determines that the holding agency has complied with the regulations of this part and that the lands or interests in lands other than minerals are not suitable for return to the public domain for disposition under the general public land laws, because the lands are substantially changed in character by improvements or otherwise, he will request the appropriate officer of the General Services Administration, or its delegate, to concur in his determination.
(b) When the authorized officer of the Bureau of Land Management determines that minerals in lands subject to the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section are not suitable for disposition under the public land mining or mineral leasing laws, he will notify the appropriate officer of the General Services Administration or its delegate of this determination.
(c) Upon receipt of the concurrence specified in paragraph (a) of this section, the authorized officer of the Bureau of Land Management will notify the holding agency to report as excess property the lands and improvements therein, or interests in lands to the General Services Administration pursuant to the regulations of that Administration. The authorized officer of the Bureau of Land Management will request the holding agency to include minerals in its report to the General Services Administration only when the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section apply. He will also submit to the holding agency, for transmittal with its report to the General Services Administration, information of record in the Bureau of Land Management on the claims, if any, by agencies other than the holding agency of primary, joint, or secondary jurisdiction over the lands and on any encumbrances under the public land laws.
§ 2374.2   Conditions of acceptance by BLM.
Agencies will not be discharged of their accountability and responsibility under this section unless and until:
(a) The lands have been decontaminated of all dangerous materials and have been restored to suitable condition or, if it is uneconomical to decontaminate or restore them, the holding agency posts them and installs protective devices and agrees to maintain the notices and devices.
(b) To the extent deemed necessary by the authorized officer of the Bureau of Land Management, the holding agency has undertaken or agrees to undertake or to have undertaken appropriate land treatment measures correcting, arresting, or preventing deterioration of the land and resources thereof which has resulted or may result from the agency's use or possession of the lands.
(c) The holding agency, in respect to improvements which are of no value, has exhausted General Services Administration's procedures for their disposal and certifies that they are of no value.
(d) The holding agency has resolved, through a final grant or denial, all commitments to third parties relative to rights and privileges in and to the lands or interests therein.
(e) The holding agency has submitted to the appropriate office mentioned in paragraph (a) of § 2372.1 a copy of, or the case file on, easements, leases, or other encumbrances with which the holding agency or its predecessors have burdened the lands or interests therein.