Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 222 / Thursday, November 16, 2000 / Notices 69327

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[OR–025–01–1430–EU: G–1–0037]

Realty Action: Sale of Public Land in

Harney County, Oregon

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management

(BLM), DOI.

ACTION: Notice of realty action, sale of

public land.

SUMMARY: The following described

public land in Harney County, Oregon,

has been examined and found suitable

for sale under sections 203 and 209 of

the Federal Land Policy and

Management Act of 1976 (90 Stat. 2750,

43 U.S.C. 1713 and 1719), at not less

than the appraised market value. All

parcels being offered are identified for

disposal in the Three Rivers Resource

Management Plan.

All of the land described is within the

Willamette Meridian.

Parcel No. Legal description Acres

Minimum

acceptable bidBidding procedures Designated bidders

OR–53952 .............. T.27S., R.33E., .......................................

Sec. 1, SW1⁄4NW1⁄4, W1⁄2SW1⁄4; .........

Sec. 2, S1⁄2NE1⁄4, SE1⁄4 ......................

360 $36,000 Competitive ............ None.

OR–54925 .............. T.21S., R.31E., .......................................

Sec. 32, SW1⁄4SW1⁄4. ..........................

T.22S., R.31E., .......................................

Sec. 5, lot 4. ............................................

80.63 5,200 Competitive ............ None.

OR–55316 .............. T.18S., R.331⁄2E., ....................................

Sec. 33, S1⁄2NW1⁄4. .............................

80 8,000 Competitive ............ None.

OR–55317 .............. T.20S., R.30E., .......................................

Sec. 22, NE1⁄4SE1⁄4. ............................

40 3,600 Modified Competitive.Clyde Cowing and Marcia L.

Eggleston—Trustee.

OR–55318 .............. T.20S., R.30E., .......................................

Sec. 23, SE1⁄4NE1⁄4. ............................

40 3,600 Modified Competitive.Clyde Cowing, Ronald Whiting

and Marcia L. Eggleston—

Trustee.

OR–55319 .............. T.20S., R.35E., .......................................

Sec. 8, W1⁄2NE1⁄4, E1⁄2NW1⁄4,

NE1⁄4SW1⁄4..

200 20,000 Competitive ............ None.

OR–55320 .............. T.20S., R.35E., .......................................

Sec. 4, S1⁄2SW1⁄4; ...............................

Sec. 9, N1⁄2NW1⁄4, SE1⁄4NW1⁄4,

NE1⁄4SW1⁄4, S1⁄2SW1⁄4..

320 28,800 Modified Competitive.Thomas M. and Barbara Jo

Howard, Sitz Ranch Partnership, and Conly L. and

Joanne Marshall.

OR–55321 .............. T.20S., R.35E., .......................................

Sec. 17, NE1⁄4SE1⁄4. ............................

40 3,600 Competitive ............ None.

OR–55322 .............. T.20S., R.35E., .......................................

Sec. 25, S1⁄2SW1⁄4. .............................

80 8,000 Competitive ............ None.

OR–55323 .............. T.25S., R.31E., .......................................

Sec. 1, lots 1 and 2. ............................

79.79 7,200 Modified Competitive.Denny Land and Livestock.

OR–55324 .............. T.25S., R.34E., .......................................

Sec. 20, SW1⁄4. ...................................

160 14,400 Modified Competitive.Bell A Grazing Cooperative.

OR–55325 .............. T.25S., R.34E., .......................................

Sec. 28, SW1⁄4NW1⁄4, W1⁄2SW1⁄4. .......

120 10,800 Modified Competitive.Bell A Grazing Cooperative.

OR–55326 .............. T.25S., R.34E., .......................................

Sec. 28, NE1⁄4NE1⁄4. ............................

40 3,600 Modified Competitive.Bell A Grazing Cooperative.

OR–55327 .............. T.27S., R.35E., .......................................

Sec. 7, lots 3, 4, NE1⁄4SW1⁄4; ..............

Sec. 18, lots 1, 2. ................................

161.12 16,100 Competitive ............ None.

OR–55328 .............. T.27S., R.35E., .......................................

Sec. 17, N1⁄2NE1⁄4. ..............................

880 7,200 Modified Competitive.Norma and Maurice Davies—

Trustee c/o M. Martin and

Andrea L. Davies.

OR–55329 .............. T.27S., R.35E., .......................................

Sec. 21, SE1⁄4NE1⁄4, NE1⁄4SE1⁄4. ........

80 8,000 Competitive ............ None.

OR–55330 .............. T.27S., R.35E., .......................................

Sec. 30, SE1⁄4SW1⁄4, SW1⁄4SE1⁄4. .......

80 7,200 Competitive ............ None.

The following rights, reservations,

and conditions will be included on the

patents conveying the land:

All Parcels—A reservation for a right-ofway for ditches and canals

constructed thereon by the

authority of United States.

OR–53952—Patent will be subject to a

right-of-way for road purposes

granted to Tom Davies and a rightof-way for power line purposes

granted to Harney Electric

Cooperative.

OR–55316—The patent will be subject

to a right-of-way for power line

purposes granted to Idaho Power

Company; a right-of-way for a

buried telephone line purposes

granted to CenturyTel of Eastern

Oregon; and a right-of-way for

public road purposes granted to

Harney County.

OR–55321—The patent will be subject

to a right-of-way for power line

purposes granted to Idaho Power

Company.

OR–55330—A quitclaim deed will be

issued for this parcel. The deed will

be subject to a previous reservation

to Harney County for county road

rights-of-way.

Access will not be guaranteed to any

of the parcels being offered for sale, nor

any warranty made as to the use of the

property in violation of applicable land

use laws and regulations. Before

submitting a bid, prospective purchasers

should check with the appropriate city

69328 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 222 / Thursday, November 16, 2000 / Notices

or county planning department to verify

approved uses.

All persons, other than the successful

bidders, claiming to own unauthorized

improvements on the land are allowed

60 days from the date of sale to remove

the improvements.

All land described is hereby

segregated from appropriation under the

public land laws, including the mining

laws, pending disposition of this action,

or 270 days from the date of publication

of this notice, whichever occurs first.

Bidding Procedures

Competitive Procedures

The Federal Land Policy and

Management Act and its implementing

regulations (43 CFR 2710) provide that

competitive bidding will be the general

method of selling land supported by

factors such as competitive interest,

accessibility, and usability of the parcel,

regardless of adjacent ownership.

Under competitive procedures the

land will be sold to any qualified bidder

submitting the highest bid. Bidding will

be by sealed bid followed by an oral

auction to be held at 2:00 p.m. PST on

Wednesday, January 31, 2001, at the

Burns District Office, Bureau of Land

Management, Hwy 20 West, Hines,

Oregon.

To qualify for the oral auction bidders

must submit a sealed bid meeting the

requirements as stated below. The

highest valid sealed bid will become the

starting bid for the oral auction. Bidding

in the oral auction will be in minimum

increments of $100. The highest bidder

from the oral auction will be declared

the prospective purchaser.

If no valid bids are received, the

parcel will be declared unsold and

offered by unsold competitive

procedures on a continuing basis until

sold or withdrawn from sale.

Modified Competitive Procedures

Modified competitive procedures are

allowed by the regulations (43 CFR

2710.0–6(c)(3)(ii)) to provide exceptions

to competitive bidding to assure

compatibility with existing and

potential land uses.

Under modified competitive

procedures the designated bidders

identified in the table above will be

given the opportunity to match or

exceed the apparent high bid.

The apparent high bid will be

established by the highest valid sealed

bid received in an initial round of

public bidding. If two or more valid

sealed bids of the same amount are

received for the same parcel, that

amount shall be determined to be the

apparent high bid. The designated

bidders are required to submit a valid

bid in the initial round of public

bidding to maintain their preference

consideration. The bid deposit for the

apparent high bid(s) and the designated

bidders will be retained and all others

will be returned.

The designated bidders will be

notified by certified mail of the apparent

high bid. Where there are two or more

designated bidders for a single parcel,

they will be allowed 30 days to provide

the authorized officer with an agreement

as to the division of the property or, if

agreement cannot be reached, sealed

bids for not less than the apparent high

bid. Failure to submit an agreement or

a bid shall be considered a waiver of the

option to divide the property equitably

and forfeiture of the preference

consideration. Failure to act by all of the

designated bidders will result in the

parcel being offered to the apparent high

bidder or declared unsold, if no bids

were received in the initial round of

bidding.

Unsold Competitive Procedures

Unsold competitive procedures will

be used after a parcel has been

unsuccessfully offered for sale by

competitive or modified competitive

procedures.

Unsold parcels will be offered

competitively on a continuous basis

until sold. Under competitive

procedures for unsold parcels the

highest valid bid received during the

preceding month will be declared the

purchaser. Sealed bids will be accepted

and held until the second Wednesday of

each month at 2:00 p.m. PST when they

will be opened. Openings will take

place every month until the parcels are

sold or withdrawn from sale.

All sealed bids must be submitted to

the Burns District Office, no later than

2 p.m. PST on Wednesday, January 31,

2001, the time of the bid opening and

oral auction. The outside of bid

envelopes must be clearly marked with

‘‘BLM Land Sale,’’ the parcel number

and the bid opening date. Bids must be

for not less than the appraised market

value (minimum bid). Separate bids

must be submitted for each parcel. Each

sealed bid shall be accompanied by a

certified check, postal money order,

bank draft, or cashier’s check made

payable to the Department of the

Interior—BLM for not less than 20

percent of the amount bid. The bid

envelope must also contain a statement

showing the total amount bid and the

name, mailing address, and phone

number of the entity making the bid. A

successful bidder for competitive

parcels shall make an additional deposit

at the close of the auction to bring the

total bid deposit up to the required 20

percent of the high bid. Personal checks

or cash will be acceptable for this

additional deposit only.

Federal law requires that public land

may be sold only to either: (1) Citizens

of the United States 18 years of age or

older; (2) corporations subject to the

laws of any state or the United States;

(3) other entities such as associations

and partnerships capable of holding

land or interests therein under the laws

of the state within which the land is

located; or (4) states, state

instrumentalities or political

subdivisions authorized to hold

property. Certifications and evidence to

this effect will be required of the

purchaser prior to issuance of

conveyance documents.

Prospective purchasers will be

allowed 180 days to submit the balance

of the purchase price. Failure to meet

this timeframe shall cause the deposit to

be forfeited to the BLM. The parcel will

then be offered to the next lowest

qualified bidder, or if no other bids were

received, the parcel will be declared

unsold.

A successful bill on a parcel

constitutes an application for

conveyance of those mineral interests

offered under the authority of section

209(b) of the Federal Land Policy and

Management Act of 1976. In addition to

the full purchase price, a nonrefundable

fee of $50 will be required from the

prospective purchaser for purchase of

the mineral interests to be conveyed

simultaneously with the sale of the

land.

DATES: On or before January 2, 2001,

interested persons may submit

comments regarding the proposed sale

to the Three Rivers Resource Area Field

Manager at the address described below.

Comments or protests must reference a

specific parcel and be identified with

the appropriate serial number. In the

absence of any objections, this proposal

will become the determination of the

Department of the Interior.

ADDRESSES: Comments, bids, and

inquiries should be submitted to the

Three Rivers Resource Area Field

Manager, Bureau of Land Management,

HC 74–12533, Hwy 20 West, Hines,

Oregon 97738.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Detailed information concerning this

public land sale is available on the

internet at http://www.or.blm.gov/Burns

or may be obtained from Craig M.

Hansen, Field Manager; Rudy Hefter,

Supervisory Natural Resource

Specialist; or Holly LaChapelle,

Resource Assistant, Three Rivers

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 222 / Thursday, November 16, 2000 / Notices 69329

Resource Area at the above address,

phone (541) 573–4400.

Dated: November 7, 2000.

Rudolph J. Hefter,

Supervisory Natural Resource Specialist.

[FR Doc. 00–29117 Filed 11–15–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–33–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NM–030–1310–DB]

Draft Resource Management Plan

Amendment (RMPA) and

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

for Federal Fluid Minerals Leasing and

Development in Sierra and Otero

Counties, New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management

(BLM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and public

hearings.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to 102(2)(c) of the

National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA) of 1969, Council on

Environmental Quality (CEQ)

regulations (40 CFR 1500–1508), and the

Federal Land Policy and Management

Act (FLPMA) of 1976, the BLM Las

Cruces Field Office (through Dames and

Moore, Inc., a qualified consultant) has

prepared a Draft RMPA/EIS. The RMPA/

EIS addresses Federal fluid minerals

(oil, gas, and geothermal) leasing and

subsequent activities (e.g., exploration,

development, or production) in Sierra

and Otero Counties, New Mexico.

DATES: Written comments on the Draft

RMPA/EIS must be postmarked on or

before February 20, 2001. Public

hearings will be held at the times and

places listed under SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should

be sent to: Tom Phillips, RMPA/EIS

Team Leader, BLM, Las Cruces Field

Office, 1800 Marquess, Las Cruces, NM

88005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom

Phillips, RMPA/EIS Team Leader, (505)

525–4377.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public

hearings will be held at the following

times and locations.

Date Time City Location

January 9, 2001 ................................................ 7:00 p.m. .......................................................... Roswell, New Mexico Sally Port Inn, 2000

N. Main St.

January 10, 2001 .............................................. 7:00 p.m. .......................................................... Alamogordo, New

Mexico.

County Commission

Chambers, 1000

New York Ave.

January 11, 2001 .............................................. 7:00 p.m. .......................................................... Truth or Consequences, New

Mexico.

County Commission

Chambers, 100 N.

Date St.

Both oral and written comments may

be given at the hearings. Written

comments may also be submitted to the

BLM, Las Cruces Field Office, 1800

Marquess, Las Cruces, NM 88005 on or

before February 20, 2001.

A time limit for oral testimony at the

hearings will be established by the

presiding hearings officer, based on the

number of people wishing to make

comments at each hearing. Written text

of prepared comments may be filed at

the hearing whether or not the speaker

has been able to complete the oral

delivery in the allotted time.

All oral and written comments on the

adequacy of the Draft RMPA/EIS will

receive consideration in the Proposed

RMPA/Final EIS.

Copies of the Draft RMPA/EIS have

been distributed to a mailing list of

identified interested parties. Single

copies of the Draft RMPA/EIS may be

obtained from the BLM Las Cruces Field

Office, 1800 Marquess, Las Cruces, New

Mexico.

Public reading copies are available for

review at public and university libraries

in Las Cruces, Alamogordo, Truth or

Consequences, Roswell, and Santa Fe,

New Mexico and El Paso, Texas.

The RMPA amends the 1986 RMP for

the White Sands Resource Area. The

objective of the RMPA is to determine

(1) which lands overlying Federal fluid

minerals are suitable and available for

leasing and subsequent development

and (2) how those leased lands will be

managed. The EIS identifies the

potential impacts that alternative plans

for fluid minerals leasing and

subsequent activities could have on the

environment and identifies appropriate

measures to mitigate those impacts.

Dated: November 7, 2000.

Amy L. Lueders,

Field Manager, Las Cruces.

[FR Doc. 00–29315 Filed 11–15–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–VC–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA–942–5700–BJ–044B]

Filing of Plats of Survey; California

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is

to inform the public and interested state

and local government officials of the

latest filing of Plats of Survey in

California.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Unless otherwise noted,

filing was effective at 10 a.m. on the

next federal work day following the plat

acceptance date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lance J. Bishop, Chief, Branch of

Geographic Services, Bureau of Land

Management (BLM), California State

Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W–

1834, Sacramento, CA 95825; (916) 978–

4310.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The plats

of Survey of lands described below have

been officially filed at the California

State Office of the Bureau of Land

Management in Sacramento, California.

Humboldt Meridian, California

T. 5 N., R. 1 W.

Supplemental Plat of a portion of the south

half of sections 31 and 32, accepted June 27,

2000, to meet certain administrative needs of

the BLM, Arcata Field Office.

Ts. 4 and 5 N., R. 1 W.

Dependent resurvey, corrective resurvey,

and survey Group 1313, accepted June 27,

2000, to meet certain administrative needs of

the BLM, Arcata Field Office.

T. 3 S., R. 2 W.