[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 201 (Friday, October 17, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 54125]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-27587]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[NM-010-1430-01; NMNM 94904/G-010-G7-0252]


Public Land Order No. 7291; Withdrawal of Public Lands and 
Federal Minerals to Allow Sale of Humate; New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Public land order.

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SUMMARY: This order withdraws 1,188.30 acres of public lands from 
surface entry and mining, and 988.40 acres of federally reserved 
mineral interests underlying private surface estate from mining, for a 
period of 20-years, for the Bureau of Land Management to protect an 
area having potential for development of humate (a carbonaceous shale) 
from encumbrances due to mining claim location. The lands have been and 
will remain open to mineral leasing.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 17, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debby Lucero, BLM Rio Puerco Resource 
Area Office, 435 Montano Road NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87107, 505-
761-8787.
    By virtue of the authority vested in the Secretary of the Interior 
by Section 204 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, 
43 U.S.C. 1714 (1994), it is ordered as follows:
    1. Subject to valid existing rights, the following described public 
lands are hereby withdrawn from settlement, sale, location, or entry 
under the general land laws, including the United States mining laws 
(30 U.S.C. Ch. 2 (1994)), but not from leasing under the mineral 
leasing laws, to protect an area having potential for development of 
humate (a carbonaceous shale) from encumbrances due to mining claim 
location:

New Mexico Principal Meridian

T. 19 N., R. 1 W.,
    Sec. 4, lots 1 and 3, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/
4\, and SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 10, W\1/2\W\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 17, E\1/2\E\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 20, NE\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, and NW\1/4\SE\1/4\.
T. 20 N., R. 1 W.,
    Sec. 27, S\1/2\N\1/2\, NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, S\1/2\SW\1/4\, and N\1/
2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 33, NW\1/4\SW\1/4\.

    The areas described aggregate 1,188.30 acres in Sandoval County.
    2. Subject to valid existing rights, the federally reserved mineral 
interests in the following described lands are hereby withdrawn from 
the United States mining laws (30 U.S.C. Ch. 2 (1994)), but not from 
leasing under the mineral leasing laws, to protect an area having 
potential for development of humate (a carbonaceous shale) from 
encumbrances due to mining claim location:

New Mexico Principal Meridian

T. 19 N., R. 1 W.,
    Sec. 3, lot 3, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\, and W\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 4, lot 2; sec. 9, E\1/2\, and E\1/2\W\1/2\;
    Sec. 21, NE\1/4\.

T. 20 N., R. 1 W.,
    Sec. 33, NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, and S\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 34, W\1/2\W\1/2\SW\1/4\.

    The areas described aggregate 988.40 acres in Sandoval County.
    3. The surface estate of the lands described in paragraph 2 is non-
Federal. If the United States subsequently acquires these lands, the 
lands will be subject to the terms and conditions of this withdrawal.
    4. The withdrawal made by this order does not alter the 
applicability of those public land laws governing the use of the lands 
under lease, license, or permit, or governing the disposal of their 
mineral or vegetative resources other than under the mining laws.
    5. This withdrawal will expire 20 years from the effective date of 
this order unless, as a result of a review conducted before the 
expiration date pursuant to Section 204(f) of the Federal Land Policy 
and Management Act of 1976, 43 U.S.C. 1714(f) (1994), the Secretary 
determines that the withdrawal shall be extended.

    Dated: October 9, 1997.
Bob Armstrong,
Assistant Secretary of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 97-27587 Filed 10-16-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-AG-P