[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 165 (Friday, August 26, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 50262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-17051]



[[Page 50262]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

36 CFR Part 228

RIN 0596-AC20

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

43 CFR Part 3160

[W0-610-411H12-24 1A]
RIN 1004-AD59


Onshore Oil and Gas Operations; Federal and Indian Oil and Gas 
Leases; Onshore Oil and Gas Order Number 1, Approval of Operations

AGENCIES: U.S. Forest Service, Agriculture; Bureau of Land Management, 
Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; Notice of extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest 
Service (FS) are extending by 60 days the public comment period for the 
proposed rule published in the Federal Register on July 27, 2005 (70 FR 
43349). The proposed rule would revise existing Onshore Oil and Gas 
Order Number 1 (see 48 FR 48916 as amended at 48 FR 56226 (1983)). The 
Order provides the requirements necessary for the approval of all 
proposed oil and gas exploratory, development, or service wells on all 
Federal and Indian (except Osage Tribe) onshore oil and gas leases, 
including leases where the surface is managed by the FS. It also covers 
approvals necessary for subsequent well operations, including 
abandonment. In response to public requests for additional time and 
because the recently enacted Energy Policy Act of 2005 impacts certain 
provisions of the proposed rule, the BLM and the FS are extending the 
comment period 60 days from the original comment period closing date of 
August 26, 2005. The comment period is extended to October 25, 2005, to 
give the public additional time to comment.

DATES: Send your comments to the BLM on or before October 25, 2005. The 
BLM and the FS may not necessarily consider or include in the 
Administrative Record for the final rule comments that we receive after 
the close of the comment period or comments delivered to an address 
other than those listed below (see ADDRESSES).

ADDRESSES: Mail: Director (630), Bureau of Land Management, Eastern 
States Office, 7450 Boston Boulevard, Springfield, Virginia 22153. Hand 
Delivery: 1620 L Street, NW., Suite 401, Washington, DC 20036. E-mail: 
[email protected]. Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Burd at (202) 452-5017 or Ian 
Senio at (202) 452-5049 at the BLM or Barry Burkhardt at (801) 625-5157 
at the FS. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf 
(TDD) may contact these persons through the Federal Information Relay 
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM and the FS published the proposed 
rule on July 27, 2005 (70 FR 43349), and provided a 30 day comment 
period that will end on August 26, 2005. We are extending the comment 
period on the proposed rule until October 25, 2005. The comment period 
is being extended as a result of requests for extension from the 
public, but also because the recently enacted Energy Policy Act of 2005 
(Act) impacts certain provisions of the proposed rule having to do with 
timing of the Application for Permit to Drill or Deepen package (APD) 
approvals. To make the proposed rule consistent with the provisions in 
that Act, the BLM intends to publish a further proposed rule in the 
Federal Register in the near future amending provisions associated with 
the timing of APD approvals.

    Dated: August 22, 2005.
Dale N. Bosworth,
Chief, USDA--Forest Service.
    Dated: August 19, 2005.
Rebecca W. Watson,
Assistant Secretary of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 05-17051 Filed 8-25-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P