[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 179 (Friday, September 13, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48455-48456]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23333]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
43 CFR Part 5510

[WO-350-1430-00 24 1A]
RIN 1004-AC92


Use by Settlers and Homesteaders of Timber on Their Pending 
Claims and Free Use of Timber Upon Oil and Gas Leases

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: In response to President Clinton's Government-wide regulatory 
reform initiative, the Bureau of Land Management proposes to remove 
regulations which govern the free use of timber on public lands and 
upon oil and gas leases because they are obsolete and have not been 
used in many years.

DATES: Submit comments by October 15, 1996. BLM may, but need not, 
consider comments received or postmarked after this date in preparing 
the final rule.

ADDRESSES: Comments may hand-deliver comments to the Bureau of Land 
Management, Administrative Record, Room 401, 1620 L St., NW, 
Washington, DC, or mail comments to the Bureau of Land Management, 
Administrative Record, Room 401LS, 1949 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 
20240. Commenters may transmit comments electronically via the Internet 
to: [email protected]. [For internet, please include 
``Attn: AC92'', your name, and return address in your message.]
    Comments will be available for public review at the L Street 
address during regular business hours from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jeff Holdren, (202) 452-7779.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: .

I. Public Comment Procedures
II. Discussion of Proposed Rule
III. Procedural Matters.

I. Public Comment Procedures

    Written comments on the proposed rule should be specific, focus on 
issues pertinent to the proposed rule, and explain the reason for any

[[Page 48456]]

recommended change. Where possible, comments should reference the 
specific section or paragraph of the proposal being addressed. If 
comments are received after the close of the comment period (see DATES) 
or delivered to an address other than the one listed above (see 
ADDRESSES), BLM will not necessarily consider or include them in the 
Administrative Record for the final rule.

II. Discussion of Proposed Rule

    Section 5511.1-2 of 43 CFR describes procedures that homesteaders 
may use to obtain free use of timber on public lands. However, no 
applications have been submitted to BLM under this subpart for many 
years, principally because of two laws. First, the Taylor Grazing Act 
of June 28, 1934 (43 U.S.C. 315-315r), requires that lands be 
classified for the proposed use before occupancy on the land is 
allowed. Secondly, section 702 of the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), 90 Stat. 2787, repealed the homestead 
laws which, in effect, rendered unnecessary the regulatory requirements 
of Section 5511.1-2.
    Similarly, the procedures under Section 5511.1-4, which lessees 
must use to obtain free use of timber on oil and gas leases, are 
outmoded. No applications under this subpart have been submitted to BLM 
in many years, principally because oil and gas lessees no longer need 
to use timber on their leases. Lessees now have access to modern 
industrial techniques.
    Because Sections 5511.1-2 and 5511.1-4 are obsolete and there are 
no pending applications, these regulations serve no useful purpose. 
Removing these subparts will meet an objective of the Administration to 
eliminate outdated and unnecessary regulations from the CFR.

III. Procedural Matters

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

    The proposed rule is administrative and procedural in nature. It, 
therefore, is categorically excluded from the study process required by 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4331(2)(C)), 
pursuant to 516 Departmental Manual (DM), Chapter 2, Item 1.10, and it 
would not meet any of the 10 criteria for exceptions to categorical 
exclusions listed in 516 DM 2, Appendix 2. Under the Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR 1508.4) and 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. Neither an environmental 
assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required for 
categorically excluded actions.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The proposed rule does not contain information collection 
requirements that the Office of Management and Budget must approve 
under 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    BLM has determined that the proposed rule will not have a 
significant economic effect on a substantial number of small entities 
under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995

    This proposed rule does not include any Federal mandate that may 
result in expenditures of $100 million or more in any one year by 
State, local, or tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the 
private sector. Therefore, a Section 202 statement under the Unfunded 
Mandates Reform Act is not required.

Executive Order 12612

    BLM has analyzed this rule under the principles and criteria in 
Executive Order 12612, Federalism, and has determined that the rule 
does not have sufficient federalism implications to warrant the 
preparation of a Federalism Assessment.

Executive Order 12630

    BLM certifies that the rule does not represent a governmental 
action capable of interference with constitutionally protected property 
rights. Thus, a Takings Implication Assessment need not be prepared 
under Executive Order 12630, Governmental Actions and Interference with 
Constitutionally Protected Property Rights.

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, Civil Justice Reform.

Executive Order 12866

    The proposed rule does not meet the criteria for a significant 
regulatory action requiring review by the Office of Management and 
Budget under Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review.

Author

    The principal author of this rule is Jeff Holdren, Realty Use 
Group, (202) 452-7779, assisted by Frances Watson, Regulatory 
Management Team, (202) 452-5006.

List of Subjects in 43 CFR Part 5510

    Forests and forest products, Public lands.

    For the reasons stated in the preamble, 43 CFR part 5510 is amended 
as follows:

PART 5510--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 5510 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 61 Stat. 681, as amended; 69 Stat. 367; 48 Stat. 
1269, sec. 11, 30 Stat. 414, as amended, R.S. 2478, sec. 32, 41 
Stat. 450; 30 U.S.C. 601 et seq., 43 U.S.C. 315, 48 U.S.C. 423, 43 
U.S.C. 1201, 30 U.S.C. 189.


Sec. 5511.1-2  [Removed]


Sec. 5511.1-4  [Removed]

    2. Sections 5511.1-2 and 5511.1-4 are removed.

    Dated: September 4, 1996.
Sylvia V. Baca,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 96-23333 Filed 9-12-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-M