[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 198 (Thursday, October 12, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 60675]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-26139]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NM-930-1320-PF; OKNM 96155]


Extension of the Current Qualification of the Designated Nine (9) 
County ``Area'' of Oklahoma Federal Coal for ``Category 5'' Royalty 
Rate Reductions

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This announcement gives notice that (1) since the Federal coal 
lands within the nine (9) Oklahoma Counties of Atoka, Coal, Haskell, 
Latimer, LeFlore, McIntosh, Muskogee, Pittsburgh, and Sequoyah were 
designated in 1990 by the New Mexico State Office as a Federal coal 
``Area'', and (2) since that Area was determined to be ``Qualified'' as 
being eligible for ``Category 5'' royalty rate reductions in order to 
establish fair and competitive royalties, and (3) since no important 
changes in the Area coal market have occurred, the State Director of 
the New Mexico State Office of the Bureau of Land Management has made 
the Decision to extend the Qualification of the Designated Area for 
``Category 5'' Royalty Rate Reduction for five (5) years from December 
17, 2000 to, and inclusive of, December 17, 2005. Category 5 refers to 
royalty reductions granted within a designated Area that the Bureau of 
Land Management has concluded to have met ALL of the following 
criteria:
    1. The Federal Government is not market dominate.
    2. Federal lease royalty rates and terms are above the current 
market royalty rates for non-Federal coal in the Area.
    3. Federal coal would be bypassed or remain undeveloped due to 
royalty rate differentials.
    4. The above conditions exist throughout the Area.
    5. A royalty rate reduction under this Category is not likely to 
result in undue competitive advantages over neighboring coal producing 
areas.
    The Area Federal coal royalty rates shall continue to be: (A) 2% 
for Federal coal mined by industry accepted underground methods, and 
(B) 4% for Federal coal mined by industry accepted surface methods.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Darwyn F. Pogue, Geologist/Minerals 
Review Appraiser, Division of Resource Planning, Use and Protection, 
New Mexico State Office, Bureau of Land Management, P.O. Box 27115, 
Mail Stop 93000, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502-0115, Telephone 505-438-
7466.

    Dated: October 5, 2000.
Carsten F. Goff,
Deputy State Director, Division of Resource Planning, Use and 
Protection.
[FR Doc. 00-26139 Filed 10-11-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-FB-M