[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 206 (Wednesday, October 23, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 54977-54978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27179]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

43 CFR Part 2360

[WO-350-1430-00 24 1A]
RIN 1004-AC79


National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to remove 43 CFR 
part 2360 with the exception of provisions for use authorizations, 
which will be condensed and rewritten. This action is undertaken 
because it is not necessary for the provisions proposed for removal to 
be published in the Code of Federal Regulations. This part consists 
almost entirely of either provisions found elsewhere in the law or 
guidance better suited for publication in the BLM manual. In addition, 
various changes in the law over the last 20 years have made the 
existing regulations obsolete.

DATES: Submit comments to BLM at the address below on or before 
November 22, 1996. Comments received which are hand-delivered, 
postmarked or sent via the Internet after the above date will not 
necessarily be considered in the decisionmaking process on the final 
rule.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment, you may hand-deliver comments to the 
Bureau of Land Management, Administrative Record, Room 401, 1620 L 
Street, NW, Washington, DC; or mail comments to the Bureau of Land 
Management, Administrative Record, Room 401LS, 1849 C Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20240. You also may transmit comments electronically via 
the Internet to [email protected]. Please include ``Attn: 
AC79'', in your name and address in your message. If you do not receive 
a confirmation from the system that we have received your Internet 
message, contact us directly at (202) 452-5030. Comments will be 
available for public review at the L Street address during regular 
business hours 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
holidays.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Public Comment Procedures
II. Background and Discussion of Proposed Rule
III. Procedural Matters

I. Public Comment Procedures

Written Comments

    Written comments on the proposed rule should be specific, should be 
confined to issues pertinent to the rule, and should explain the reason 
for any recommended change. Where possible, comments should reference 
the specific section or paragraph of the proposal which the comment 
addresses. BLM will not necessarily consider or include in the 
Administrative Record for the rule comments which BLM receives that are 
hand-delivered, postmarked or sent via the Internet after the close of 
the comment period (see DATES) or comments delivered to an address 
other than those listed above (see ADDRESSES).

II. Background and Discussion of Proposed Rule

    The management of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska is 
primarily under the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act, 42 U.S.C. 
6501 et seq., and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
(FLPMA), 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq. These statutes authorize BLM to 
promulgate appropriate and necessary regulations for the management of 
the reserves. In light of the regulatory reform initiative currently 
underway throughout the administration, BLM has determined that the 
existing regulations at 43 CFR part 2360 are unnecessary, except for 
portions pertaining to use authorizations. Much of part 2360 contains 
language intended to guide BLM officers in the exercise of their 
discretion. The relocation of this language to the BLM manual would 
provide BLM more flexibility and adequate guidance. The remainder of 
this part rephrases statutory provisions. The regulatory reform 
initiative calls for agencies to streamline their regulations to remove 
unnecessary material, and reorganize remaining provisions in a way that 
will make them more accessible and efficient, without weakening their 
effectiveness. BLM believes that the removal of part 2360, except for 
use authorizations, satisfies these goals without any material impact 
on the public at large.
    Furthermore, numerous changes in the law have occurred which affect 
the management of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, rendering 
the current regulations out-of-date. For example, in 1980 the Reserve 
was opened to gas leasing and Indian allotments, and the role of the 
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was reduced to activities in the Barrow 
gas fields. In 1983, USGS transferred its Barrow gas fields to the 
North Slope Borough. As a result, USGS

[[Page 54978]]

no longer has any role in the National Petroleum Reserve management 
program, and references to USGS at section 2361.1 of this part are 
outdated and unnecessary. This is typical of the changes that have 
taken place in the Reserve, and BLM intends to review the program to 
assess what regulations are necessary to enhance our future role. At 
present, however, the existing regulations do not reflect these changes 
in the law, and should be removed in order to eliminate further 
confusion.
    Although the use authorization provisions of 43 CFR section 2361.2 
are substantially covered by various sections of the Code of Federal 
Regulations, we will retain portions of section 2361.2 and 2361.3 in 
condensed form in part 2360. The new part 2360 will eliminate 
provisions already covered in the Naval Petroleum Reserves Act, 
limiting the text to only those portions of the existing regulations 
that are still necessary and useful to the public at large.

III. Procedural Matters

National Environmental Policy Act

    The BLM has prepared an environmental assessment (EA), and has 
found that the proposed rule would not constitute a major federal 
action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment 
under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C). The BLM has placed the EA and the 
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on file in the BLM 
Administrative Record at the address specified previously. The BLM 
invites the public to review these documents by contacting us at the 
addresses listed above (see ADDRESSES), and suggests that anyone 
wishing to submit comments in response to the EA and FONSI do so in 
accordance with the Public Comment Procedure section above, or contact 
us directly.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The rule does not contain information collection requirements which 
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 of 1980 (RFA), 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. The BLM has determined under the 
RFA that this proposed rule would not have a significant economic 
impact on a substantial number of small entities.

Executive Order 12866

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

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    The proposed rule does not include a Federal mandate that will 
result in the expenditure by state, local or tribal governments in the 
aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100,000,000 or more in any one 
year.

Executive Order 12612

    The proposed rule would not have sufficient federalism implications 
to warrant BLM's preparation of a Federalism Assessment (FA).

Executive Order 12630

    The proposed rule does not represent a government action capable of 
interfering with constitutionally protected property rights. Section 
2(a)(1) of Executive Order 12630 specifically excludes 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 proposed rule is to abolish unnecessary regulations, there will 
be no private property rights impaired as a result. Therefore, BLM 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 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 proposed rule is Jeff Holdren, Realty 
Use Group, Bureau of Land Management, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, 
DC 20240; Telephone (202) 452-7779.

List of Subjects for 43 CFR Part 2360

    Alaska; Environmental protection; Land Management Bureau; Natural 
resources; Oil and gas reserves; Public lands-withdrawal.

    For the reasons stated in the preamble, and under the authority of 
43 U.S.C. 1740, part 2360, Group 2300, Subchapter B, Chapter II of 
Title 43 of the Code of Federal Regulations is proposed to be amended 
as set forth below:
    1. Part 2360 is revised to read as follows:

PART 2360--NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE IN ALASKA

Sec.
2360.1  Use authorizations.

    Authority: 30 U.S.C. 181 et seq., 43 U.S.C. 1740.


2360.1   Use authorizations.

    (a) Except for petroleum exploration authorized by law, anyone 
wishing to use National Petroleum Reserve land must first obtain a use 
authorization from BLM. BLM will issue an authorization only for those 
uses consistent with the purposes and objectives of the Naval Petroleum 
Reserves Production Act, 42 U.S.C. 6501 et seq., and subject to any 
terms and conditions that BLM determines are necessary to protect the 
Reserve's environmental, fish and wildlife, and cultural, historical or 
scenic values. Contact BLM for an application. However, unless BLM has 
otherwise limited or restricted use, you will not need use 
authorizations for (1) subsistence uses (e.g., hunting, fishing, and 
berry picking), and (2) recreational uses (e.g. hunting, fishing, 
backpacking, and wildlife observation). Contact BLM for an application.
    (b) Any person who violates or fails to comply with regulations of 
this part is subject to prosecution, including trespass and liability 
for damages, pursuant to applicable law.

    Dated: October 15, 1996.
Sylvia V. Baca,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 96-27179 Filed 10-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P