[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 21, 2007)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 65489-65494]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-22697]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau

27 CFR Part 9

[Notice No. 76]
RIN 1513-AB49


Proposed Establishment of the Leona Valley Viticultural Area 
(2007R-281P)

AGENCY: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Treasury.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to 
establish the 13.4 square mile ``Leona Valley'' viticultural area in 
the northeast part of Los Angeles County, California. We designate 
viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of 
their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may 
purchase. We invite comments on this proposed addition to our 
regulations.

DATES: We must receive written comments on or before January 22, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments on this notice to one of the following 
addresses:
     http://www.regulations.gov (Federal e-rulemaking portal; 
follow the instructions for submitting comments); or
     Director, Regulations and Rulings Division, Alcohol and 
Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, P.O. Box 14412, Washington, DC 20044-
4412.
    See the Public Participation section of this notice for specific 
instructions and requirements for submitting comments, and for 
information on how to request a public hearing.
    You may view copies of this notice, selected supporting materials, 
and any comments we receive about this proposal at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. 2007-0066. You also may view 
copies of this notice, all related petitions, maps, or other supporting 
materials, and any comments we receive about this proposal by 
appointment at the TTB Information Resource Center, 1310 G Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20220. To make an appointment, call 202-927-2400.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: N.A. Sutton, Regulations and Rulings 
Division, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, 925 Lakeville St., 
No. 158, Petaluma, CA 94952; phone 415-271-1254.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background on Viticultural Areas

TTB Authority

    Section 105(e) of the Federal Alcohol Administration Act (FAA Act), 
27 U.S.C. 205(e), authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe 
regulations for the labeling of wine, distilled spirits, and malt 
beverages. The FAA Act provides that these regulations should, among 
other things, prohibit consumer deception and the use of misleading 
statements on labels, and ensure that labels provide the consumer with 
adequate information as to the identity and quality of the product. The 
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) administers the 
regulations promulgated under the FAA Act.
    Part 4 of the TTB regulations (27 CFR part 4) allows the 
establishment of definitive viticultural areas and the use of their 
names as appellations of origin on wine labels and in wine 
advertisements. Part 9 of the TTB regulations (27 CFR part 9) contains 
the list of approved viticultural areas.

Definition

    Section 4.25(e)(1)(i) of the TTB regulations (27 CFR 4.25(e)(1)(i)) 
defines a viticultural area for American wine as a delimited grape-
growing region distinguishable by geographical features, the boundaries 
of which have been recognized and defined in part 9 of the regulations. 
These designations allow vintners and consumers to attribute a given 
quality, reputation, or other characteristic of a wine made from grapes 
grown in an area to its geographic origin. The establishment of 
viticultural areas allows vintners to describe more accurately the 
origin of their wines to consumers and helps consumers to identify 
wines they may purchase. Establishment of a viticultural area is 
neither an approval nor an endorsement by TTB of the wine produced in 
that area.

Requirements

    Section 4.25(e)(2) of the TTB regulations outlines the procedure 
for proposing an American viticultural area and provides that any 
interested party

[[Page 65490]]

may petition TTB to establish a grape-growing region as a viticultural 
area. Section 9.3(b) of the TTB regulations requires the petition to 
include--
     Evidence that the proposed viticultural area is locally 
and/or nationally known by the name specified in the petition;
     Historical or current evidence that supports setting the 
boundary of the proposed viticultural area as the petition specifies;
     Evidence relating to the geographical features, such as 
climate, soils, elevation, and physical features, that distinguish the 
proposed viticultural area from surrounding areas;
     A description of the specific boundary of the proposed 
viticultural area, based on features found on United States Geological 
Survey (USGS) maps; and
     A copy of the appropriate USGS map(s) with the proposed 
viticultural area's boundary prominently marked.

Leona Valley Petition

    Mr. Ralph Jens Carter submitted a petition for the 13.4 square mile 
Leona Valley viticultural area on behalf of the Antelope Valley 
Winegrowers Association, the Leona Valley Winery, and Donato Vineyards. 
The area currently includes 20 acres of vineyards, and more acreage for 
wine grape growing is under development.
    The proposed boundary line defines an area where viticulture is 
already established or has potential for establishment. Consequently, 
the area defined is limited to the valley floor and side slopes. The 
distinguishing features of the proposed viticultural area include the 
physical characteristics of the San Andreas Fault system, the fault-
controlled Leona Valley, and the surrounding, high-elevation mountains. 
The climate, geology, and soils distinguish the proposed viticultural 
area from areas outside of the proposed boundary line.

Name Evidence

    According to the petitioner, the name ``Leona'' derives from an 
early rancher named Miguel Leonis, and in the 1880s, a homesteader from 
Nebraska called the area ``Leona Valley.'' The ``Leona Valley'' name 
identifies a valley, a town within the valley, a ranch (the Leona 
Valley Ranch), and a festival (the annual Leona Valley Cherry 
Festival).
    The petitioner provides maps that show that the Leona Valley is 
located in the northeast part of Los Angeles County, California. The 
``Leona Valley'' name appears on the USGS Ritter Ridge, Sleepy Valley, 
and Del Sur quadrangle maps, which the petitioner uses to define the 
boundary line of the proposed viticultural area. The Sleepy Valley map 
also identifies a small town in the valley as ``Leona Valley.'' A 
recent atlas identifies both a valley and small town within the 
proposed viticultural area as ``Leona Valley'' (The DeLorme Southern 
and Central California Atlas and Gazetteer, 2005, page 79).

Boundary Evidence

    According to the petitioner, and as evidenced by the written 
boundary description and the USGS Sleepy Valley quadrangle map, the 
proposed viticultural area includes the town and valley which are both 
named ``Leona Valley.'' The proposed boundary line borders the Angeles 
National Forest to the west and the Antelope Valley and the Mojave 
Desert to the northeast. Mountains and hills surround all sides of the 
valley. The floor and side slopes of the Leona Valley influence the 
shape of the proposed viticultural area, which includes vineyards in 
remote, but suitable, areas, but excludes steep slopes where erosion is 
a hazard.
    According to the petitioner, historically, the Native American 
Shoshone Tribe lived as hunters and gatherers in the Leona Valley area. 
In the mid-1800s, when the Shoshone departed the area, immigrants from 
Spain and Mexico started cattle ranching. During the 1880s, 
homesteaders from Nebraska, France, and Germany divided the ranches 
into smaller parcels for farms.
    In the early 1900s the John Ritter family began to plant grapes in 
the Leona Valley area. The Ritter family winery, Belvino Vineyards, 
aged wine in a cave for at least 5 years before bottling and selling 
the wine on national and international markets. During Prohibition, the 
Ritters ceased producing wine. The petitioner notes that local 
residents report that zinfandel and mission vines planted in the early 
1900s are still growing.
    Currently, the proposed Leona Valley viticultural area contains 20 
acres of commercial wine grape production on David Reynolds' Leona 
Valley Winery and an acreage of pinot noir grapes on land owned by 
Donato Vineyards. Donato Vineyards, at the southeast end of the Leona 
Valley, plans to develop another 10 acres for growing wine grapes and 
to start producing wine in 2007-8.

Distinguishing Features

    The petitioner states that the distinguishing features of the 
proposed Leona Valley viticultural area consist of climate, physical 
features, geology, and soils. As evidence of many of the distinguishing 
features of the proposed viticultural area, the petitioner cites the 
Soil Survey of the Antelope Valley Area, California (United States 
Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, in cooperation 
with the University of California Agricultural Experiment Station, 
1970).
Climate
    The soil survey designates the southern and western parts of the 
Antelope Valley and the Leona Valley, as Major Land Resource Area 
(MLRA) 19, Southern California Coastal Plain. The petitioner explains 
that MLRA 19 has a distinctive combination of climate, soils, and mild 
temperatures, including an annual, 210- to 300-day frost-free period. 
Also, MLRA 19 is hot and dry in summer and cool and moist in winter. It 
is suitable to a wide variety of field, fruit, and nut crops. Annual 
precipitation ranges from 9 to 16 inches in MLRA 19, and irrigation use 
is routine. According to the soil survey, the land management 
techniques and cropping systems used in MLRA 19 are different from 
those used in the adjacent MLRA 30, Mojave Basin and Range, and MLRA 
20, Southern California Mountains.
    The petitioner also cites the Sunset Western Garden Book, which 
classifies the Leona Valley area as Zone No. 18, Southern California's 
Interior Valleys (Sunset Publishing Corporation, Menlo Park, 
California, 1995). In this zone the continental air mass is a major 
influence on climate, and the Pacific Ocean determines the climate in 
the valley only about 15 percent of the time.
    According to the petitioner, annual precipitation within the 
proposed Leona Valley viticultural area ranges from 9 to 12 inches. In 
the Mojave Desert to the east of the Leona Valley, the range is only 4 
to 9 inches. In the mountainous areas surrounding Leona Valley to the 
south, west, and north, the range is between 12 and 20 inches.
    The petitioner states that the growing season of the proposed 
viticultural area has warm days and cool nights. The cool nights slow 
the ripening of the grapes, helping the grapes to retain their natural 
acidity. Air drainage off the slopes of the hills and mountains helps 
prevent spring frost damage to grapes.
    The petitioner submitted comparative data based on the Winkler 
Climate Classification System. In the Winkler climate classification 
system, heat accumulation per year defines climatic regions. As a 
measurement of heat accumulation during the growing season, 1 degree 
day accumulates for each degree Fahrenheit that a day's

[[Page 65491]]

mean temperature is above 50 degrees, which is the minimum temperature 
required for grapevine growth; see ``General Viticulture,'' by Albert 
J. Winkler, University of California Press, 1974. Climatic region I has 
less than 2,500 degree days per year; region II, 2,501 to 3,000; region 
III, 3,001 to 3,500; region IV, 3,501 to 4,000; and region V, 4,001 or 
more.
    The petitioner states that the air temperatures during the growing 
season in the proposed viticultural area have an average heat summation 
of 4,060 degree days, which falls into the low range of region V. The 
annual heat summation totals of the regions in and around the proposed 
Leona Valley viticultural area are listed in the table below.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                Relative position    Average annual heat
           Region               with reference to    summation in degree
                                  Leona  Valley     days/climatic region
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leona Valley................   Within.............   4,060 (low region
                                                     V).
Sandberg....................  25 miles west-         3,370 (mid region
                               northwest.            III).
Tehachapi...................   38 miles north-       2,900 (high region
                               northwest.            II).
Lancaster...................   15 miles northeast.   4,600 (high region
                                                     V).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Physical Features
    According to USGS maps of the region, the Leona Valley is a low, 
sloping landform with elevations between 2,932 and 3,800 feet. It is 
surrounded by higher hills, Portal Ridge, Ritter Ridge, Sierra Pelona, 
and the mountains of the Angeles National Forest, the highest of which 
has an elevation of 4,215 feet. According to the petitioner, the Leona 
Valley has isolated knolls of significantly different elevations and, 
in places, narrows to a width of a mile.
    The petitioner explains that the San Andreas Fault, a major 
continental fault system, is a significant distinguishing feature of 
the proposed Leona Valley viticultural area. As shown on the USGS maps 
of the region, the fault and its tributary faults in the Leona Valley 
trend southeast to northwest. The petitioner explains that the Leona 
Valley formed either when two parallel fault lines lifted mountains 
beside a drop-down area or when erosion over thousands of years caused 
a deep dissection in the fault zone. Seismic movement along the fault 
line has formed ridges and isolated hills and exposed various rocks.
    The petitioner states that ground water provides a plentiful supply 
of water for vineyard irrigation within the proposed Leona Valley 
viticultural area. As shown on the Ritter Ridge, Sleepy Valley, and Del 
Sur quadrangle USGS maps, many agricultural wells tap into the ground 
water.
Geology
    The petitioner explains that relative displacement and a lack of 
continuity of the rocks on either side of the San Andreas Fault 
contribute to the complexity, weakening, and erosion of the parent 
rock. Near some portions of the fault the varying sedimentary strata 
determine the geologic formation.
    Citing a California Department of Conservation Geologic Map, the 
petitioner notes that the mostly nonmarine and unconsolidated alluvium 
on the Leona Valley floor is from the Quaternary Period, or about 2 
million years old or less. The various types of schist, quartz, 
granite, and a complex of mixed, Precambrian igneous and metamorphic 
rocks in the valley contrast with the surrounding hills, which formed 
on Paleozoic or Mesozoic strata, 65 to 280 million years ago.

Soils

    The petitioner explains that a fault increases the variety of rock 
exposed on the surface and eventually results in the formation of a 
greater variety of soil textures. Thus, the San Andreas fault 
influenced the properties and mineralogy of the soils in the Leona 
Valley.
    The petitioner states that the soils on the Leona Valley floor 
differ from those beyond the boundary line of the proposed viticultural 
area. The surface layer of the soils in the Leona Valley formed in a 
mixture of soil material that originated on the surrounding mountains 
and decayed organic matter. Multiple rock types on the valley floor 
were the parent material of alluvial soils that have diverse mineralogy 
and texture. The soils on the valley floor are deep and moderately 
drained; those on the surrounding hills are shallow and excessively 
well drained.
    According to the soil survey, the soils of the proposed Leona 
Valley viticultural area are mainly the Hanford-Ramona-Greenfield 
association on alluvial fans and terraces. This association consists of 
nearly level to moderately steep, well drained, very deep soils that 
have a surface layer of loamy sand to loam. Hanford soils are well 
drained. They do not have a hardpan or a compacted clay layer, and are 
easily worked. Included in this association are some areas of deep, 
poorly drained Chino loam, which does not have a seasonal high water 
table. The petitioner explains that to control wetness in poorly 
drained areas, growers may install artificial drainage or plant 
competing crops.
    The petitioner explains that the Vista-Amagora association is among 
the dominant soils at higher elevations outside the boundary line of 
the proposed Leona Valley viticultural area. This association consists 
of strongly sloping to steep, well drained to excessively drained soils 
that have a surface layer of coarse sandy loam. South of the valley, in 
smaller areas, is the Anaverde-Godde association. It consists of 
moderately steep or steep, well drained soils that have a surface layer 
of sandy loam or loam.

Boundary Description

    See the narrative boundary description of the petitioned-for 
viticultural area in the proposed regulatory text published at the end 
of this notice.

Maps

    The petitioner provided the required maps, and we list them below 
in the proposed regulatory text.

TTB Determination

    TTB concludes that this petition to establish the 13.4 square mile 
Leona Valley viticultural area merits consideration and public comment, 
as invited in this notice.

Impact on Current Wine Labels

    Part 4 of the TTB regulations prohibits any label reference on a 
wine that indicates or implies an origin other than the wine's true 
place of origin. If we establish this proposed viticultural area, its 
name, ``Leona Valley,'' will be recognized as a name of viticultural 
significance under 27 CFR 4.39(i)(3). The text of the proposed 
regulation clarifies this point. Consequently, wine bottlers using 
``Leona Valley'' in a brand name, including a trademark, or in another 
label reference as to the origin of the wine, will have to ensure that 
the product is eligible to use the viticultural area's name as an 
appellation of origin.

[[Page 65492]]

On the other hand, we do not believe that the ``Leona'' part of the 
proposed viticultural area name, standing alone, should have 
viticultural significance if the new area is established. Accordingly, 
the proposed part 9 regulatory text set forth in this document 
specifies only the full ``Leona Valley'' name as a term of viticultural 
significance for purposes of part 4 of the TTB regulations.
    For a wine to be eligible to use as an appellation of origin a 
viticultural area name or other term specified as being viticulturally 
significant in part 9 of the TTB regulations, at least 85 percent of 
the wine must be derived from grapes grown within the area represented 
by that name or other term, and the wine must meet the other conditions 
listed in 27 CFR 4.25(e)(3). If the wine is not eligible to use the 
viticultural area name or other term as an appellation of origin and 
that name or other term appears in the brand name, then the label is 
not in compliance and the bottler must change the brand name and obtain 
approval of a new label. Similarly, if the viticultural area name or 
other term appears in another reference on the label in a misleading 
manner, the bottler would have to obtain approval of a new label. 
Accordingly, if a new label or a previously approved label uses the 
name ``Leona Valley'' for a wine that does not meet the 85 percent 
standard, the new label will not be approved, and the previously 
approved label will be subject to revocation, upon the effective date 
of the approval of the Leona Valley viticultural area.
    Different rules apply if a wine has a brand name containing a 
viticultural area name or other viticulturally significant term that 
was used as a brand name on a label approved before July 7, 1986. See 
27 CFR 4.39(i)(2) for details.

Public Participation

Comments Invited

    We invite comments from interested members of the public on whether 
we should establish the proposed viticultural area. We are also 
interested in receiving comments on the sufficiency and accuracy of the 
name, boundary, climatic, and other required information submitted in 
support of the petition. Please provide any available specific 
information in support of your comments.
    Because of the potential impact of the establishment of the 
proposed Leona Valley viticultural area on wine labels that include the 
words ``Leona Valley'' as discussed above under ``Impact on Current 
Wine Labels,'' we are particularly interested in comments regarding 
whether there will be a conflict between the proposed area name and 
currently used brand names. If a commenter believes that a conflict 
will arise, the comment should describe the nature of that conflict, 
including any negative economic impact that approval of the proposed 
viticultural area will have on an existing viticultural enterprise. We 
are also interested in receiving suggestions for ways to avoid any 
conflicts, for example by adopting a modified or different name for the 
viticultural area.
    Although TTB believes that only the full ``Leona Valley'' name 
should be considered to have viticultural significance upon 
establishment of the proposed new viticultural area, we also invite 
comments from those who believe that ``Leona'' standing alone would 
have viticultural significance upon establishment of the area. Comments 
in this regard should include documentation or other information 
supporting the conclusion that use of ``Leona'' on a wine label could 
cause consumers and vintners to attribute to the wine in question the 
quality, reputation, or other characteristic of wine made from grapes 
grown in the proposed Leona Valley viticultural area.

Submitting Comments

    You may submit comments on this notice by one of the following two 
methods:
     Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: To submit a comment on this 
notice using the online Federal e-rulemaking portal, visit http://www.regulations.gov and select ``Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade 
Bureau'' from the agency drop-down menu and click ``Submit.'' In the 
resulting docket list, click the ``Add Comments'' icon for Docket No. 
2007-0066 and complete the resulting comment form. You may attach 
supplemental files to your comment. More complete information on using 
Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing open and closed 
dockets and for submitting comments, is available through the site's 
``User Tips'' link.
     Mail: You may send written comments to the Director, 
Regulations and Rulings Division, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade 
Bureau, P.O. Box 14412, Washington, DC 20044-4412.
    Please submit your comments by the closing date shown above in this 
notice. Your comments must include this notice number and your name and 
mailing address. Your comments must be legible and written in language 
acceptable for public disclosure. We do not acknowledge receipt of 
comments, and we consider all comments as originals.
    If you are commenting on behalf of an association, business, or 
other entity, your comment must include the entity's name as well as 
your name and position title. If you comment via http://www.regulations.gov, please enter the entity's name in the 
``Organization'' blank of the comment form. If you comment via mail, 
please submit your entity's comment on letterhead.
    You may also write to the Administrator before the comment closing 
date to ask for a public hearing. The Administrator reserves the right 
to determine whether to hold a public hearing.

Confidentiality

    All submitted comments and attachments are part of the public 
record and subject to disclosure. Do not enclose any material in your 
comments that you consider to be confidential or inappropriate for 
public disclosure.

Public Disclosure

    On the Federal e-rulemaking portal, we will post, and you may view, 
copies of this notice, selected supporting materials, and any 
electronic or mailed comments we receive about this proposal. To view a 
posted document or comment, go to http://www.regulations.gov and select 
``Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau'' from the Agency drop-down 
menu and click ``Submit.'' In the resulting docket list, click the 
appropriate docket number, then click the ``View'' icon for any 
document or comment posted under that docket number.
    All submitted and posted comments will display the commenter's 
name, organization (if any), city, and State, and, in the case of 
mailed comments, all address information, including e-mail addresses. 
We may omit voluminous attachments or material that we consider 
unsuitable for posting.
    You also may view copies of this notice, all related petitions, 
maps, and other supporting materials, and any electronic or mailed 
comments we receive about this proposal by appointment at the TTB 
Information Resource Center, 1310 G Street, NW., Washington, DC 20220. 
You may also obtain copies at 20 cents per 8.5 x 11-inch page. Contact 
our information specialist at the above address or by telephone at 202-
927-2400 to schedule an appointment or to request copies of comments or 
other materials.

[[Page 65493]]

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    We certify that this proposed regulation, if adopted, would not 
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. The proposed regulation imposes no new reporting, 
recordkeeping, or other administrative requirement. Any benefit derived 
from the use of a viticultural area name would be the result of a 
proprietor's efforts and consumer acceptance of wines from that area. 
Therefore, no regulatory flexibility analysis is required.

Executive Order 12866

    This proposed rule is not a significant regulatory action as 
defined by Executive Order 12866. Therefore, it requires no regulatory 
assessment.

Drafting Information

    N.A. Sutton of the Regulations and Rulings Division drafted this 
notice.

List of Subjects in 27 CFR Part 9

    Wine.

Proposed Regulatory Amendment

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, we propose to amend 
title 27, chapter I, part 9, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:

PART 9--AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS

    1. The authority citation for part 9 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 27 U.S.C. 205.

Subpart C--Approved American Viticultural Areas

    2. Subpart C is amended by adding Sec.  9.---- to read as follows:


Sec.  9.----  Leona Valley.

    (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this 
section is ``Leona Valley''. For purposes of part 4 of this chapter, 
``Leona Valley'' is a term of viticultural significance.
    (b) Approved maps. The four United States Geological Survey 
1:24,000 scale topographic maps used to determine the boundary of the 
Leona Valley viticultural area are titled:
    (1) Ritter Ridge, Calif., 1958; Photorevised 1974;
    (2) Sleepy Valley, CA, 1995;
    (3) Del Sur, CA, 1995; and
    (4) Lake Hughes, CA, 1995.
    (c) Boundary. The Leona Valley viticultural area is located in Los 
Angeles County, California. The boundary of the Leona Valley 
viticultural area is as described below:
    (1) From the beginning point on the Ritter Ridge map at the 
intersection of Elizabeth Lake Pine Canyon Road and the section 23 east 
boundary line, T6N, R13W, proceed along the section 23 east boundary 
line approximately 0.1 mile straight south to its intersection with the 
3,000-foot elevation line, T6N, R13W; then
    (2) Proceed west along the 3,000-foot elevation line to its 
intersection with the section 23 west boundary line, T6N, R13W; then
    (3) Proceed south along the section 23 west boundary line to the 
southwest corner of section 23 at the 3,616-foot marked elevation 
point, T6N, R13W; then
    (4) Proceed west along the section 22 south boundary line, crossing 
onto the Sleepy Valley map, and continuing along the section 21 south 
boundary line, crossing over Pine Creek, to its intersection with the 
3,400-foot elevation line, T6N, R13W; then
    (5) Proceed west along the 3,400-foot elevation line to its 
intersection with the section 19 south boundary line and Bouquet Canyon 
Road, T6N, R13W; then
    (6) Proceed straight west along the section 19 south boundary line 
to its intersection with the 3,560-foot elevation line, an unimproved 
road, and a power transmission line, north of Lincoln Crest, T6N, R13W; 
then
    (7) Proceed northeast along the 3,560-foot elevation line across 
section 19 to its east boundary line, T6N, R13W; then
    (8) Proceed in a straight line north-northwest approximately 0.25 
miles to its intersection with a trail and the 3,800-foot elevation 
line, T6N, R13W; then
    (9) Proceed northwest along the meandering 3,800-foot elevation 
line through section 19 to its intersection with the section 13 
southeast corner, T6N, R14W; then
    (10) Proceed straight west, followed by straight north, along the 
marked Angeles National Forest border to the section 11 southeast 
corner: then
    (11) Proceed straight north along the section 11 east boundary line 
to its intersection with the 3,400-foot elevation line south of an 
unimproved road, T6N, R14W; then
    (12) Proceed generally northwest along the 3,400-foot elevation 
line through section 11, crossing onto the Del Sur map, to its 
intersection with the section 3 southeast corner, T6N, R14W; then
    (13) Proceed straight west to the section 4 southeast corner, T6N, 
R14W; then
    (14) Proceed straight north along the section 4 east boundary line 
approximately 0.05 mile to its intersection with the 3,600-foot 
elevation line, T6N, R14W; then
    (15) Proceed northwest along the 3,600-foot elevation line, through 
section 4 and crossing onto the Lake Hughes map, to its intersection 
with the Angeles National Forest border and the section 4 western 
boundary line, T6N, R14W; then
    (16) Proceed straight north along the section 4 western boundary 
line to its intersection with BM 3402, south of Andrade Corner, T7N, 
R14W; then
    (17) Proceed in a line straight northeast, crossing onto the Del 
Sur map, to its intersection with the marked 3,552-foot elevation 
point, section 33, T7N, R14W; then
    (18) Proceed in a line straight east-southeast to its intersection 
with the marked 3,581-foot elevation point, and continue in a straight 
line east-southeast to its intersection with the marked 3,637-foot 
elevation point, T6N, R14W; then
    (19) Proceed in a line straight northeast to its intersection with 
the section 2 northwest corner, T6N, R14W; then
    (20) Proceed straight east along the section 2 north boundary line 
0.35 mile to its intersection with the 3,600-foot elevation line, T6N, 
R14W; then
    (21) Proceed north and then generally southeast along the 3,600-
foot elevation line that runs parallel to and south of the Portal Ridge 
to the elevation line's intersection with the section 7 east boundary 
line, T6N, R13W; then
    (22) Proceed straight south along the section 7 east boundary line, 
crossing onto the Sleepy Valley map, to its intersection with the 
3,400-foot elevation line north of the terminus of 90th Street, T6N, 
R13W; then
    (23) Proceed generally east-southeast along the 3,400-foot 
elevation line that runs north of the San Andreas Rift Zone to its 
intersection with the section 16 east boundary line, T6N, R13W; then
    (24) Proceed straight south along the section 16 east boundary line 
to its intersection with the 3,000-foot elevation line, between Goode 
Hill Road and Elizabeth Lake Pine Canyon Road, T6N, R13W; then
    (25) Proceed generally southeast along the 3,000-foot elevation 
line, crossing onto the Ritter Ridge map, to its intersection with the 
section 23 east boundary line, north of the intermittent Amargosa Creek 
and Elizabeth Lake Pine Canyon Road, T6N, R13W; then
    (26) Proceed straight south along the section 23 east boundary line 
to the beginning point.


[[Page 65494]]


    Signed: November 5, 2007.
John J. Manfreda,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E7-22697 Filed 11-20-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-31-P