[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 244 (Friday, December 19, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66661-66662]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33182]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[CA-065-08-1990-02; CACA-37875]


Notice of Realty Action; California

December 12, 1997.
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of realty action.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management is offering the following lands 
in Kern County, California for competitive sale.

ADDRESSES: Written requests for information may be addressed to Bureau 
of Land Management, Ridgecrest Resource Area, 300 S. Richmond Road, 
Ridgecrest, California 93555, Attention: Linn Gum; Chief, Minerals.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linn Gum, Ph: 760-384-5450 or Mike 
Hogan, Ph: 760-384-5423.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Land Tenure Adjustment Element 
entitled ``Needs of Desert Communities'', the California Desert 
Conservation Area Plan of 1980 provides guidance allowing the Bureau of 
Land Management to consider the special needs of desert communities by 
the transfer of ownership of key public land parcels in and around 
these communities. The following public lands have been found suitable 
for competitive sale under Section 203 of the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 to any party that meets the eligibility 
requirements for qualified bidders as described herein. The fair market 
value appraisal was completed in accordance with the Federal Uniform 
Appraisal Standards of 1992 and the United States Professional 
Practices of 1997.

Mount Diablo Meridian, California

T. 29 S., R. 40 E., Section 35

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                                                                                                    30 percent  
                              Lot No.                                  Size in        Minimum         deposit   
                                                                        acres     acceptable bid     required   
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24.................................................................        13.07          $6,353       $1,960.50
30.................................................................        12.21           6,105        1,831.50
31.................................................................         2.89           1,445          433.50
33.................................................................         0.04             500          150.00
40.................................................................         1.21           1,000          300.00
45.................................................................         6.23           3,115          934.50
103................................................................         0.45             500          150.00
105................................................................         8.03           4,015        1,204.50
106................................................................        14.79           7,395        2,218.50
107................................................................         1.39             695          208.50
E/2 NE/4 NW/4......................................................        20.00          10,000        3,000.00

[[Page 66662]]

                                                                                                                
W/2 NE/4 NW/4......................................................        20.00          10,000        3,000.00
    Total..........................................................       100.31          51,123       15,336.90
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Bidder Qualifications

    To become a qualified bidder, eligible to compete during the oral 
auction, the following applicable criteria must be met:
    (1) You must provide proof that you are a citizen of the United 
States who is at least 18 years of age; or (2) you must provide proof 
that you are a corporation subject to the laws of the State of 
California or of the United States; or (3) you must provide proof that 
you are a State or State instrumentality or political subdivision 
authorized to hold property; or (4) you must provide proof that you are 
an entity legally capable of conveying and holding lands or interests 
therein under the laws of the State of California; and (5) you must 
provide a sealed bid and deposit of no less than 30% of the minimum 
fair market value shown in the above table, or 30% of the amount of 
your bid greater than the minimum fair market value.
    This information must be provided to the Bureau of Land Management, 
Ridgecrest Resource Area, 300 S. Richmond Road, Ridgecrest, CA 93555 by 
4:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on or before March 2, 1998. Failure to 
timely provide the appropriate proof of qualification and the deposit 
for the proper value will result in immediate disqualification. No 
exceptions will be permitted. The Bureau of Land Management will return 
all disqualified bids and deposits.
    Payments for the 30% deposit may be in the form of certified or 
cashiers check, money order, visa, mastercard, personal check or any 
combination thereof.
    Bids must include the bidder's name, as it would appear on the 
patent, address, telephone number and social security number.
    Bids must be submitted in a sealed legal-size envelope and marked 
on the front with the Lot Number and the printed name of the bidder. 
Sealed bids shall be considered only if received in accordance with the 
instructions of this Notice.

Procedures

    Public Notice is provided that a competitive bid will be conducted 
on March 20, 1998, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time at the 
Bureau of Land Management Conference Room located at 300 S. Richmond 
Road, Ridgecrest, CA 93555. Bidder registration will open at 12:45 p.m. 
and close at 1:25 p.m. Any qualified bidder who fails to register 
timely for the oral auction will be disqualified. All deposits from 
disqualified bidders will be returned.
    Oral bids will only be conducted for those lots where two or more 
bids have been received. Bidding will begin at the highest bid greater 
than the minimum fair market value. Bidding will be in $50.00 
increments. Bidding will be restricted to only qualified bidders 
identified by the Bureau of Land Management.
    Upon the conclusion of bidding for each lot, the successful bidder 
will be declared. That bidder will be required to immediately submit a 
minimum payment of not less than 20% of the final bid for the lot. 
Payment must be made in the form described above. The successful bidder 
has 180 days from the date of the sale to submit full payment for the 
lot. Failure to submit the full payment by the 180th day shall result 
in cancellation of the sale of the specific lot and all deposits made, 
to date, shall be forfeited and disposed of as other receipts of sale.
    The United States reserves the right to reject the highest 
qualified bid and release the bidder from his/her obligation and 
withdraw the lot from competitive sale if the Authorized Officer (AO) 
determines that consummation of the bidding process would be 
inconsistent with the provisions of any existing law, or collusive or 
other activities have hindered, or restrained free and open bidding. 
Bidders are WARNED that any violations of this statute, Title 18 U.S.C. 
1860, could result in fine or imprisonment, or both. No harassing, 
intimidating, vulgar, or other abusive behavior will be tolerated. Any 
bidder or other person who engages in such activity will be 
disqualified and expelled from the oral auction.

Terms and Conditions Applicable to the Sale Are

    1. The subsurface estate and all minerals are reserved to the 
United States, together with the right to prospect for, mine and remove 
the minerals.
    2. A reservation for road rights-of-way will be incorporated into 
each affected patent in conjunction with the Kern County road network.
    3. A right-of-way is reserved for ditches and canals constructed by 
the authority of the United States under the authority of the Act of 
August 30, 1890, 43 U.S.C. 945.
    4. The patent will be subject to any rights-of-way for the purposes 
of utilities (Electric, Telephone, Water and Cable) as they affect the 
lots.
    5. The purchaser, by accepting the land patent, will indemnify the 
United States against any current or future liability pertaining to 
Hazardous Materials and underlying mine shafts, tunnels or adits, known 
or unknown.

Grazing Issues

    This land sale involves lands inside the Cantil Common Allotment. 
These lands are withdrawn under Section 3 of the Taylor Grazing Act. It 
has been determined that the lands contribute no forage for the Cantil 
Common Allotment and their sale will not result in the loss of grazing 
preference for any of the permittees.
    Detailed information concerning the sale, including the 
reservations, sale procedures and conditions, and planning and 
environmental documents, is available at the Bureau of Land Management, 
Ridgecrest Resource Area office, 300 S. Richmond Road, Ridgecrest, CA 
93555.
    For a period of 45 days from the date of this Notice in the Federal 
Register, interested parties may submit comments to the Area Manager, 
at the above address. In the absence of timely objections, this 
proposal shall become the final determination of the Department of the 
Interior.
Lee Delaney,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 97-33182 Filed 12-18-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P