[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 248 (Monday, December 29, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 67602]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33725]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

43 CFR Part 3820

RIN 1004--AC60
[WO-320-1990-01-24 1A]


Surface Management of Mineral Activities Within the Bodie Bowl 
Under the Bodie Protection Act of 1994

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; withdrawal.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is withdrawing the 
proposed rule concerning mineral development in the Bodie Bowl which 
was previously proposed to implement the Bodie Protection Act of 1994. 
Because this Act closed the area to location of mining claims, and the 
state of California and the Nature Conservancy have acquired all 
existing unpatented mining claims and mill sites so that they may be 
reconveyed to BLM, the development of locatable minerals will not occur 
on Federal lands within the Bodie Bowl. Thus, regulations are no longer 
necessary to carry out the provisions of the Act.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Fontecchio, Regulatory Affairs 
Group, Bureau of Land Management, Mail Stop 401LS, 1849 C Street, N.W., 
Washington, DC 20240; telephone (202) 452-5012 (Commercial or FTS).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Bodie Protection Act of 1994 (108 Stat. 
4471, 4509), withdrew Federal lands within the Bodie Bowl to protect 
and preserve the historic mining town of Bodie. The withdrawal closed 
the area to further mineral location, and the Act compelled the 
Secretary of the Interior to manage those existing claims in accordance 
with rules which would minimize adverse effects on historic, cultural, 
recreational and natural resource values of the Bodie Bowl. 
Specifically, the Secretary was ordered to promulgate rules for 
management of mineral activities within the Bodie Bowl that are no less 
stringent than the rules promulgated by the National Park Service under 
the Mining in the Parks Act (16 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.), now codified at 
36 CFR part 9. In consultation with the California State Department of 
Parks and Recreation, which administers the Bodie Historic Park, BLM 
issued proposed rules designed to carry out the terms of the Act on 
November 8, 1996 (61 FR 57837).
    Since these rules were proposed, the State of California and the 
Nature Conservancy have acquired the remaining mining claims and mill 
sites in the Bodie Bowl. BLM expects that the final stages of the 
agreement, whereby the State and the Nature Conservancy will quitclaim 
all unpatented mining claims and mill sites back to the United States, 
will be completed sometime in the near future. As a result, there will 
be no future mineral development activities in the Bodie Bowl, making 
BLM regulations of mining in the Bodie Bowl unnecessary. Therefore, the 
proposed regulations are withdrawn. If for some unforeseen reason 
development of locatable minerals becomes possible on Federal lands in 
the Bodie Bowl in the future, BLM would take appropriate action to 
promulgate any needed rules.

    Date: December 17, 1997.
Bob Armstrong,
Assistant Secretary for Land Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 97-33725 Filed 12-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P