[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 83 (Thursday, April 30, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 23680-23682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-11499]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

43 CFR Part 2200

[WO-420-1050-00-24 1A]
RIN 1004-AC97


National Forest Exchanges

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is removing 43 CFR subpart 
2202 in its entirety, and revising section 2201.1-2(a) to include a 
statement about segregative effect. Subpart 2202 contains material that 
is substantially covered by BLM's general Exchange regulations at 43 
CFR 2201. The new 43 CFR 2201.1-2(a), as revised by this final rule, 
will cover any additional material from the existing subpart 2202. As a 
result, this removal and revision action will have no impact on BLM 
customers or the public at large.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 1, 1998.

ADDRESSES: You may send inquiries or suggestions to: Administrative 
Record (630), Bureau of Land Management, 1849 C Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ted Milesnick, Lands and Realty Group, 
Bureau of Land Management, at (202) 452-7727.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background
II. Final Rule as Adopted
III. Responses to Comments
IV. Procedural Matters

I. Background

    BLM is removing 43 CFR subpart 2202 because it duplicates sections 
contained elsewhere in BLM's regulations, at 43 CFR 2201.1-2. Subpart 
2202 requires that exchange proposals for the consolidation or 
extension of national forests be filed with the appropriate officer of 
the Forest Service. It says that a request may be made to the BLM to 
segregate the National Forest System lands involved in the exchange 
from appropriation under the public land laws and the mineral laws and 
also that any interests of the United States in the non-Federal lands 
to be acquired may be segregated from the mineral laws. The period of 
these segregations would not exceed 5 years from the date of notation.
    Similar language can be found at section 2201.1-2 (as well as in 
the Forest Service regulations at 36 CFR Part 254, Subpart A); with 
only two differences. First, section 2201.1-2 does not include the 
authorities section found at 2202.1(a), or the statement that proposals 
for exchange of National Forest System lands must be filed with the 
Forest Service in accordance with 36 CFR 254. However, regulations 
which direct people to comply with other valid regulations are 
redundant and unnecessary, and the authorities will be added to section 
2201.1-2.
    Second, section 2201.1-2 exists in a CFR part that defines Federal 
lands as those lands administered by BLM, not National Forest System 
lands. However, amending this section to apply its provisions to 
National Forest System lands as well (as the Forest Service's 
regulations already do) will insure that the removal of 43 CFR 2202 
cannot alter any existing rights or obligations. This rule accomplishes 
that amendment by adding 43 CFR 2201.1-2(e) below, renders subpart 2202 
completely redundant and unnecessary, and removes subpart 2202 from the 
Code of Federal Regulations.
    The final rule published today is a stage of a rulemaking process 
that will complete the removal of 43 CFR subpart 2202 and the revision 
of 43 CFR 2201.1-2. This rule was preceded by a proposed rule which 
introduced this action and BLM's purpose and need. The proposed rule 
was published in the Federal Register on September 11, 1996 (61 FR 
47855). This proposed rule was intended to give anyone who would be 
adversely affected by this action an opportunity to call their concerns 
to our attention. The BLM invited public comments for 30 days and 
received no comments.

II. Final Rule as Adopted

    This rule will remove all of 43 CFR subpart 2202--Exchanges: 
National Forest Exchanges. In addition, it will amend 43 CFR 2201.1-2 
to enable this section to perform all of the functions currently 
accomplished by 43 CFR subpart 2202. Therefore, this removal will not 
affect existing laws or the rights of the United States, BLM, or the 
public at large.
    The new section is designed to extend the coverage of the general 
exchange provisions in 43 CFR section 2201.1-2 to include the National 
Forest exchanges conducted in nearly identical fashion by 43 CFR 
subpart 2202. Very few differences exist between the two sets of 
regulations, but some of those differences are substantive in nature 
and require the amendment that this rule promulgates. Therefore, a new 
subsection will be added at 43 CFR 2201.1-2(e) which will accomplish 
three important tasks. First, it will say that this section also 
applies to proposals to exchange lands under the National Forest 
System; until now this section only applied to exchanges of BLM lands. 
Secondly, it will direct that exchanges of National Forest System lands 
be conducted in accordance with the Forest Service regulations at 36 
CFR part 254. Finally, it will permit the authorized Forest Service 
officer to request the appropriate BLM State Office to segregate the 
land at issue by making a notation on the public land records. Since 
amended 43 CFR 2201.1-2(e) will accomplish these tasks, all of subpart 
2202 will be expendable, and may be removed at this same time without 
any substantive impact on the United States, BLM, or the public at 
large.
    43 CFR 2202.1(a) contains the authorities' cites for the remainder 
of the subpart. This includes statutory citations and a reference to 
the regulations of the U.S. Forest Service which govern exchanges of 
National Forest lands. These citations, as well as the requirement that 
proposals shall be filed in accordance with Forest Service regulations, 
will be relocated to 43 CFR 2201.1-2(e) by the amendment contained in 
this rule. Therefore, elimination of this section will have no 
substantive effect.
    Subsection (b) of 43 CFR 2202.1 largely duplicates the general 
exchange provisions found at 43 CFR 2201.1-2(a). The only substantive 
difference is that Sec. 2201.1-2 applies to segregations of

[[Page 23681]]

``Federal lands,'' which part 2200 defines as lands administered by BLM 
(and therefore excluding National Forest System lands); while 
Sec. 2202.1 applies to ``lands reserved * * * for National Forest 
System purposes.'' Again, the amendment contained in this rule will 
render 43 CFR section 2201.1-2 applicable to National Forest System 
lands as well as BLM-administered Federal lands, and ensure that 
removing this section will have no substantive effect.
    Subsections (c) and (d) of 43 CFR 2202.1 duplicate the existing 
regulations at 43 CFR 2201.1-2(b) and (c), with the exception of one 
difference in word order. Therefore, removing 43 CFR subsections 
2202.1(c) and (d) will have no substantive effect, since the 
corresponding sections in 43 CFR 2201.1-2 already accomplish exactly 
the same functions.

III. Responses to Comments

    As mentioned above, BLM received no comments on this proposed rule.

IV. Procedural Matters

National Environmental Policy Act

    BLM has determined that this proposed rule makes no substantive 
changes to the Code of Federal Regulations, because it is limited to 
removing provisions which are found in their entirety elsewhere in 
Title 43 of the CFR and are therefore wholly unnecessary. Therefore, 
this change is purely technical in nature and is categorically excluded 
from environmental review under section 102(2)(C) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act, pursuant to 516 Departmental Manual (DM), 
Chapter 2, Appendix I, Item 1.10. Furthermore, the rule does not meet 
any of the 10 criteria for exceptions to categorical exclusion listed 
in 516 DM, Chapter 2, Appendix 2. Pursuant to Council on Environmental 
Quality regulations (40 CFR 1508.4) and the environmental policies and 
procedures of the Department of the Interior, the term ``categorical 
exclusions'' means a category of actions that do not individually or 
cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and 
that have been found to have no such effect in procedures adopted by a 
Federal agency and for which neither an environmental assessment nor an 
environmental impact statement is required.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This rule does not contain information collection requirements that 
the Office of Management and Budget must approve under the Paperwork 
Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    Congress enacted the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) of 1980, 5 
U.S.C. 601 et seq., to ensure that Government regulations do not 
unnecessarily or disproportionately burden small entities. The RFA 
requires a regulatory flexibility analysis if a rule would have a 
significant economic impact, either detrimental or beneficial, on a 
substantial number of small entities. Based on the discussion contained 
in the preamble above, this action will not have significant impact on 
small entities. BLM anticipates that this final rule will not 
substantially burden any member of the public at large. Therefore, BLM 
has determined under the RFA that this final rule would not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    Removal of 43 CFR subpart 2202 and amendment of 43 CFR section 
2201.1-2 will not result in any unfunded mandate to State, local, or 
tribal governments in the aggregate, or to the private sector, of $100 
million or more in any one year.

Executive Order 12612

    The final rule will not have a substantial direct effect on the 
States, on the relationship between the national government and the 
States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the 
various levels of government. Therefore, in accordance with Executive 
Order 12612, BLM has determined that this final rule does not have 
sufficient federalism implications to warrant preparation of a 
Federalism Assessment.

Executive Order 12630

    The final rule does not represent a government action capable of 
interfering with constitutionally protected property rights. Section 
2(a)(1) of Executive Order 12630 specifically exempts actions 
abolishing regulations or modifying regulations in a way that lessens 
interference with private property use from the definition of 
``policies that have takings implications.'' Since the primary function 
of the final rule is to abolish unnecessary regulations, there will be 
no private property rights impaired as a result. Therefore, the 
Department of the Interior has determined that the rule would not cause 
a taking of private property or require further discussion of takings 
implications under this Executive Order.

Executive Order 12866

    According to the criteria listed in section 3(f) of Executive Order 
12866, BLM has determined that the final rule is not a significant 
regulatory action. As such, the final rule is not subject to Office of 
Management and Budget review under section 6(a)(3) of the order.

Executive Order 12988

    The Department of the Interior has determined that this rule meets 
the applicable standards provided in sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2) of 
Executive Order 12988.

Author

    The principal author of this rule is Ted Milesnick, Bureau of Land 
Management, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240; Telephone: 202-
452-7727 (Commercial or FTS).

List of Subjects in 43 CFR Part 2200

    National forests, Public lands.
    For the reasons stated in the preamble, and under the authority of 
43 U.S.C. 1740, part 2200, Group 2200, Subchapter B, Chapter II of 
Title 43 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as set forth 
below:

    Dated: April 17, 1998.
Bob Armstrong,
 Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management.

PART 2200--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 2200 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 43 U.S.C. 1716, 1740.

    2. Section 2201.1-2 is amended by adding paragraph (e) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 2201.1-2  Segregative effect.

* * * * *
    (e) The provisions of this section apply equally to proposals to 
exchange National Forest System lands under the authority and 
provisions of the Act of March 20, 1922, 42 Stat. 465, as amended, 16 
U.S.C. 485, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, 43 
U.S.C. 1701 et seq., except that if a proposal is made to exchange 
National Forest System lands, which proposal shall be filed in 
compliance with 36 CFR part 254, the authorized officer may request 
that the appropriate BLM State Office segregate such lands by a 
notation on the public land records.

[[Page 23682]]

Subpart 2202--[Removed]

    3. Subpart 2202 is removed in its entirety.
[FR Doc. 98-11499 Filed 4-29-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P