[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 21, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 58516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29026]



[[Page 58516]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT-921-01-1320-EL-P; NDM 90783]


Notice of Competitive Coal Lease Offering by Sealed Bid--NDM 
90783

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Montana State Office.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the coal resources in the lands 
described below, in Mercer County North Dakota, will be offered for 
competitive lease by sealed bid. This offering is being made as a 
result of an application filed by The Coteau Properties Company, in 
accordance with the provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as 
amended (41 Stat. 437; 30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.)
    The lease sale will be held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, December 11, 2001, 
in the Montana State Office 920 conference room, at the Bureau of Land 
Management, 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, Montana 59101. Bids for the 
tract will be in the form of sealed bids. Sealed bids clearly marked 
``Sealed Bid for NDM 90783 Coal Sale--Not to be opened before 11 a.m., 
Tuesday, December 11, 2001'', must be submitted on or before 10 a.m. 
December 11, 2001, to the cashier, Bureau of Land Management, Montana 
State Office, 5001 Southgate Drive, Post Office Box 36800, Billings, 
Montana 59107-6800.
    An Environmental Assessment of the proposed coal development and 
related requirements for consultation, public involvement, and hearings 
have been completed in accordance with 43 CFR 3425. The results of 
these activities were a finding of no significant environmental impact.
    The coal resource to be offered consists of all recoverable 
reserves in the following-described lands:

T. 146 N., R. 88 W., 5th P.M.
    Sec. 14: SW\1/4\SW\1/4\
    Sec. 22: N\1/2\N\1/2\, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\ excluding a 
4.59-acre tract described by metes and bounds and further described 
as: Beginning at a point on the west line of said Section 22, said 
point being 250.00 feet north of the southwest corner of the NW\1/4\ 
of Section 22; thence north along said west line of Section 22, 
500.00 feet; thence east at right angles to the last described line, 
400.00 feet; thence south parallel with said west line, 500.00 feet; 
thence west at right angles, 400.00 feet to the point of beginning.
    SW\1/4\ excluding a 12.61-acre tract described by metes and 
bounds and further described as: Beginning at the southwest corner 
of the SW\1/4\ of said Section 22, 500.00 feet; thence north at 
right angles to said south line, 500.00 feet; thence northwesterly 
to a point on the west line of said Section 22, said point being 
1,700.00 feet north of said southwest corner; thence southerly along 
said west line to the point of beginning.
    NW\1/4\SE\1/4\

    Containing 502.80-acres, Mercer County, North Dakota.

    The tract in this lease offering contains split estate lands. 
Written consent is on file from all qualified surface owners as defined 
in the regulations at 43 CFR 3400.0-5.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The tract will be leased to the qualified 
bidder of the highest cash amount provided that the high bid meets the 
fair market value of the coal resource. The minimum bid for the tract 
is $100 per acre, or fraction thereof. No bid that is less than $100 
per acre, or fraction thereof, will be considered. The bids should be 
sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, or be hand-delivered. 
The cashier will issue a receipt for each hand-delivered bid. Bids 
received after 10 a.m., Tuesday, December 11, 2001, will not be 
considered. The minimum bid is not intended to represent fair market 
value. The fair market value will be determined by the authorized 
officer after the sale.
    If identical high bids are received, the tying high bidders will be 
requested to submit follow-up sealed bids until a high bid is received. 
All tie-breaking sealed-bids must be submitted within 15 minutes 
following the Sale Official's announcement at the sale that identical 
high bids have been received.
    A lease issued as a result of this offering will provide for 
payment of an annual rental of $3 per acre, or fraction thereof; and a 
royalty payable to the United States of 12.5 percent of the value of 
coal mined by surface methods and 8.0 percent of the value of coal 
mined by underground methods. The value of the coal shall be determined 
in accordance with 30 CFR 206.250.
    Bidding instructions for the tract offered and the terms and 
conditions of the proposed coal lease are included in the Detailed 
Statement of Lease Sale. Copies of the statement and the proposed coal 
lease are available at the Montana State Office. Casefile NDM 90783 is 
also available for public inspection at the Montana State Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Connie Schaff, Land Law Examiner, or 
Rebecca Good, Coal Coordinator, at 406-896-5060 or 406-896-5080, 
respectively.

    Dated: October 31, 2001.
Randy D. Heuscher,
Chief, Branch of Solid Minerals.
[FR Doc. 01-29026 Filed 11-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-$$-P