[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 29 (Friday, February 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 7207]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-3448]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[NM-038-1110-00; NMNM 95103]


Public Land Order No. 7376; Withdrawal of Public Lands for the 
Ladron Mountain Area of Critical Environmental Concern; New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Public land order.

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SUMMARY: This order withdraws 4,556.60 acres of public lands from 
surface entry and mining for a period of 50 years for the Bureau of 
Land Management to protect and preserve endangered desert bighorn sheep 
habitat within the Ladron Mountain Area of Critical Environmental 
Concern. The lands have been and will remain open to mineral leasing. 
An additional 40 acres of non-Federal land, if acquired by the United 
States, would also be withdrawn by this order.

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 12, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lois Bell, BLM Socorro Field Office, 
198 Neel Avenue NW, Socorro, New Mexico 87801, 505-835-0412.
    By virtue of the authority vested in the Secretary of the Interior 
by Section 204 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, 
43 U.S.C. 1714 (1994), it is ordered as follows:
    1. Subject to valid existing rights, the following described public 
lands are hereby withdrawn from settlement, sale, location, or entry 
under the general land laws, including the United States mining laws, 
(30 U.S.C. Ch. 2 (1994)), but not from leasing under the mineral 
leasing laws, to protect and preserve endangered desert bighorn sheep 
habitat within the Ladron Mountain Area of Critical Environmental 
Concern:

New Mexico Principal Meridian

Federal Lands

T. 2 N., R. 2 W.,
    Sec. 2, lots 1 to 8, inclusive, S\1/2\N\1/2\, and N\1/2\S\1/2\;
    Sec. 32, lots 1 to 4, inclusive, and W\1/2\SW\1/4\.
T. 3 N., R. 2 W.,
    Secs. 16, 32 and 36.
T. 2 N., R. 3 W.,
    Sec. 2, lot 4, S\1/2\N\1/2\, and S\1/2\;
    Sec. 16;
    Sec. 36, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\ and NW\1/4\SE\1/4\.
T. 3 N., R. 3 W.,
    Sec. 36, N\1/2\, SW\1/4\, NE\1/4\SE\1/4\, and W\1/2\SE\1/4\.

    The areas described aggregate 4,556.60 acres in Socorro County.
    2. The following described non-Federal lands are located within the 
boundary of the Ladron Mountain Cultural Area of Critical Environmental 
Concern. In the event these lands return to public ownership, they 
would be subject to the terms and conditions of this withdrawal as 
described in Paragraph 1:

Non-Federal Land

T. 3 N., R. 3 W.,
    Sec. 36, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\.

    This area described contains 40 acres in Socorro County.
    3. The withdrawal made by this order does not alter the 
applicability of those public land laws governing the use of the land 
under lease, license, or permit, or governing the disposal of their 
mineral or vegetative resources other than under the mining laws.
    4. This withdrawal will expire 50 years from the effective date of 
this order unless, as a result of a review conducted before the 
expiration date pursuant to Section 204(f) of the Federal Land Policy 
and Management Act of 1976, 43 U.S.C. 1714(f) (1994), the Secretary 
determines that the withdrawal shall be extended.

    Dated: January 29, 1999.
John Berry,
Assistant Secretary of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 99-3448 Filed 2-11-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VC-P