[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 243 (Wednesday, December 20, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60417-60418]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27414]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCAC06000 L14400000 EU0000 17X L1109AF; CACA 52759]


Notice of Realty Action: Proposed Non-Competitive (Direct) Sale 
of Public Land in Santa Barbara County, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of realty action.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing to sell 5.93 
acres of public land to resolve an unauthorized use and occupancy in 
Santa Barbara County, California, to Arc Vineyards, LLC, under the 
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, at 
not less than the fair market value of $19,500.

DATES: Submit written comments to the BLM at the address below. 
Comments must be received by the BLM on or before February 5, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Bureau of Land Management, Bakersfield Field Office, 4801 
Pegasus Dr., Bakersfield, CA 93308. Attn: Gabriel Garcia, Field 
Manager.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Soto, Realty Specialist, 661-
391-6023, at the above address or email to [email protected]. Persons who 
use a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message or question 
for the above individual. FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a 
week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following described land located in 
Santa Barbara County, California, is proposed for direct sale under the 
authority of Section 203 of FLPMA (43 U.S.C. 1713).

San Bernardino Meridian, California

T. 9 N, R. 33 W,

Sec. 20, lot 1.

    The area described contains 5.93 acres.
    The BLM determined the land is no longer required for any other 
Federal purpose. A direct sale of this parcel is in conformance with 
the 1997 Caliente Resource Management Plan (RMP), as amended by 
Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-CA-C060-2012-0021 Decision Record 
signed on July 2, 2014. Subsequently, the 2014 Bakersfield RMP replaced 
the Caliente RMP. The parcel was identified as suitable for disposal 
and sale under Section 203 of FLPMA and is limited to the smallest 
acreage necessary to resolve the unauthorized use and occupancy. The 
BLM found no significant biological or cultural resource values on the 
lands and expects no impacts to resource values from this action. An 
Environmental Site Assessment has been performed and is available for 
review. The sale would dispose of an isolated public land parcel that 
is difficult to manage because it is completely surrounded by private 
land and there is no legal access, would

[[Page 60418]]

allow the buyer to resolve an inadvertent unauthorized use (43 CFR 
2711.3-3(a)(5)) and would set aside the unused area to meet Santa 
Barbara County's development/permitting requirements for open space. 
There is no public access. Arc Vineyards owns and controls the access 
to this public land parcel across its private land north and adjacent 
to the parcel.
    The regulation at 43 CFR 2711.3-3(a)(5) authorizes the BLM to make 
direct sale of public lands when a competitive sale is not appropriate 
and the public interest would be best served by a direct sale. The BLM 
determined a direct sale will serve important public objectives by 
disposing of a parcel of isolated public land that the public cannot 
use or legally access and that the BLM cannot properly manage, and to 
resolve the inadvertent unauthorized use and occupancy of the land. The 
BLM prepared a mineral potential report dated October 25, 2011, 
concluding there are known mineral values in the land offered for sale. 
Therefore, the BLM will reserve the Federal mineral interest to the 
United States. Such minerals will be subject to the right to explore, 
prospect for, mine, and remove under applicable law and regulations.
    On December 20, 2017, the above described parcel will be segregated 
from appropriation under the public land laws, including the mining 
laws, except the sale provisions of the FLPMA. Until completion of the 
sale or termination of the segregation, the BLM will no longer accept 
land-use applications affecting the identified public lands, except 
applications for the amendment of previously filed right-of-way 
applications or existing authorizations to increase the term of the 
grants in accordance with 43 CFR 2807.15 and 2886.15. The segregation 
will terminate upon issuance of a patent, publication in the Federal 
Register of a termination of the segregation, or 2 years after the date 
of publication, whichever occurs first, unless extended by the BLM 
State Director in accordance with 43 CFR 2711.1-2(d) prior to the 
termination date. The BLM will also publish this Notice in the Santa 
Maria Times once a week for 3 consecutive weeks. The parcel will not be 
sold until at least 60 days after the date of publication of this 
Notice in the Federal Register.
    Conveyance of the identified public land would be subject to valid 
existing rights of record and the following terms, conditions, and 
reservations:
    1. A right-of-way thereon for ditches and canals constructed by 
authority of the United States, Act of August 30, 1890 (43 U.S.C. 945).
    2. A reservation of all minerals to the United States, and the 
right to prospect for, mine, and remove the minerals under applicable 
law and any regulations that the Secretary of the Interior may 
prescribe, including all necessary access and exit rights.
    3. An appropriate indemnification clause protecting the United 
States from claims arising out of the patentee's use, occupancy, or 
occupation on the patented land.
    Detailed information, including NEPA documentation and all other 
documents associated with this sale, are available for review during 
the 45-day public comment period for this notice at the Bakersfield 
Field Office at the above address.
    For a period until February 5, 2018, interested parties and the 
general public may submit in writing any comments concerning the land 
being considered for sale, including notification of any encumbrances 
or other claims relating to the identified land, to the Field Manager, 
BLM Bakersfield Field Office, at the above address. Email will also be 
accepted and should be sent to: 
[email protected] with ``Public Land Sale'' 
inserted in the subject line. Comments, including names and street 
addresses or respondents, will be available for public review at the 
BLM Bakersfield Office at the above address.
    Individual respondents may request confidentiality. Before 
including your address, telephone number, email address, or other 
personal identifying information in your comment, the BLM will make 
your entire comment--including your personal identifying information--
publicly available at any time. While you can ask in your comment to 
withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we 
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. If you wish to have 
your name or address withheld from public disclosure under the Freedom 
of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of 
your comments. Any determination by the BLM to release or withhold the 
names and/or addresses of those who comment will be made on a case-by-
case basis. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. 
The BLM will make available for public review, in their entirety, all 
comments submitted by businesses or organizations, including comments 
by individuals in their capacity as an official or representative of a 
business or organization.
    The BLM California State Director or other authorized official of 
the Department of the Interior will review comments regarding the sale 
and may sustain, vacate, or modify this realty action in whole or in 
part. In the absence of timely filed objections, this realty action 
will become the final determination of the Department of the Interior.

(Authority: 43 CFR 2710 and 43 CFR 2711)

Danielle Chi,
Deputy State Director, Division of Resources.
[FR Doc. 2017-27414 Filed 12-19-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-40-P