[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 212 (Friday, November 1, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58737-58738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23954]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWY921000, L712200000.EU0000, LVTFKX899040, 18X, WYW186936]


Notice of Realty Action: Non-Competitive (Direct) Sale of Public 
Land in Big Horn County, WY (Rageth, 60.96 Acres)

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of realty action.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes a non-competitive 
(direct) sale of 60.96 acres of public lands in Big Horn County, 
Wyoming, to Brent and Sherri Rageth for the purpose of resolving an 
inadvertent unauthorized use. The sale will be subject to applicable 
provisions of the Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1976, as 
amended (FLPMA), and BLM regulations. The appraised Fair Market Value 
(FMV) for the sale parcels is $21,500.

DATES: Submit written comments regarding the sale parcel and associated 
Environmental Assessment until December 16, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Mail written comments concerning this direct sale to Field 
Manager, BLM, Cody Field Office, 1002 Blackburn Street, Cody, Wyoming 
82414.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cara Blank, Realty Specialist, BLM, 
Cody Field Office, at the above address or by telephone 307-578-5912. 
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call 
the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339. The FRS is available 
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the 
above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business 
hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following public lands have been 
examined and found suitable for sale in accordance with the criteria in 
Section 203 of the FLPMA:

Sixth Principal Meridian, Wyoming

T. 56 N., R. 97 W.,
    Sec. 20, parcel 1;
    Sec. 21, parcels 1 and 2;
    Sec. 22, parcel 1.

    The areas described aggregate 60.96 acres.

    The direct sale is in conformance with the BLM Cody Field Office 
Approved Resource Management Plan (September 18, 2015), which 
identifies these parcels of public lands as suitable for disposal on 
page 105 and management action 6011. FLPMA Section 203 allows for the 
disposal of public lands if they meet the following disposal criteria: 
(1), such tract, because of its location or other characteristics, is 
difficult and uneconomic to manage as part of the public lands and is 
not suitable for management by another Federal department or agency. 
The subject parcels meet this criteria because the existing structures 
and the change in the character of the lands associated with farming 
operations make the lands difficult to manage as public lands.
    A parcel-specific Environmental Assessment (EA) document numbered 
DOI-BLM-WY-R020-2019-0007-EA was prepared in connection with this sale. 
A copy of the EA, Finding of No Significant Impact and Decision Record 
are available online at: https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/projectSummary.do?methodName=renderDefaultProjectSummary&projectId=118368.
    Regulations at 43 CFR 2711.3-3(a) allow the direct sale of public 
lands (without competition), when a competitive sale is not appropriate 
and the public interest would best be served by a direct sale. In this 
case, a competitive sale is not appropriate because the subject lands 
contain improvements that directly support the adjoining farm property, 
owned by Brent and Sherri Rageth, rendering the land unusable by the 
public. The minimal acreage was considered to create a manageable 
boundary that included the lands surrounding a metal shop and all 
irrigation improvements. The public's interest would be best served by 
resolving the inadvertent unauthorized use and receiving payment at FMV 
for the public lands. Further, in conformance with Secretarial Order 
3373, the BLM has determined that sale of this land will not impact 
public access for outdoor recreation. Upon publication of this Notice 
in the Federal Register, the public lands described will be segregated 
from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including 
the mining laws, except for the sale provisions of the FLPMA.
    The temporary segregation will terminate upon, (1) issuance of a 
conveyance document, (2) publication in the Federal Register 
terminating the segregation, or (3) on November 1, 2021, unless 
extended by the BLM Wyoming State Director, in accordance with 43 CFR 
2711.1-2(d). Upon publication of this Notice in the Federal Register, 
the BLM is no longer accepting land use applications affecting these 
public lands, except applications for the amendment of previously filed 
rights-of-way applications or existing authorizations to increase the 
term of the grants in accordance with 43 CFR 2807.15 and 43 CFR 
2886.15.
    The conveyance document, if issued, will contain the following 
reservations; excepting and reserving to the United States:
    1. Rights-of-way thereon for ditches or canals constructed by the 
authority of the United States, Act of August 30, 1890 (43 U.S.C. 945);
    2. All the mineral deposits in the lands so patented pursuant to 
the Act of October 21, 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1719), including, without 
limitation, substances subject to disposition under the general mining 
laws, the general mineral leasing laws, the Materials Act and the 
Geothermal Steam Act, and to it, its permittees, licensees, lessees, 
and mining claimants, the right to prospect for, mine and remove the 
minerals owned by the United States under applicable law an such 
regulations as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe. This 
reservation includes necessary access and exit rights and the right to 
conduct all necessary and incidental activities including, without 
limitation, all drilling, underground, open pit or surface mining 
operations, storage and transportation facilities deemed reasonably 
necessary.
    Unless otherwise provided by separate agreement with the surface 
owner, mining claimants, permittees, licensees and lessees of the 
United States shall reclaim disturbed areas to the extent prescribed by 
regulations issued by the Secretary of the Interior.

[[Page 58738]]

    All causes of action brought to enforce the rights of the surface 
owner under the regulations above referred to shall be instituted 
against mining claimants, permittees, licensees and lessees of the 
United States; and the United States shall not be liable for the acts 
or omissions of its mining claimants, permittees, licensees and 
lessees.
    The conveyance document, if issued, will be subject to all valid 
existing rights.
    The BLM will publish this Notice in the Lovell Chronicle newspaper 
once a week for three consecutive weeks. Only written comments 
submitted by postal service or overnight mail will be considered as 
properly filed. Electronic mail, facsimile, or telephone comments will 
not be considered.
    Any adverse comments regarding the sale will be reviewed by the BLM 
Wyoming State Director or other authorized official of the Department 
of the Interior, who may sustain, vacate, or modify this realty action 
in response to such comments. In the absence of any timely filed 
objections, this realty action will become the final determination of 
the Department of the Interior.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so. Comments, including names and street addresses of 
respondents, will be available for public review at the BLM Cody Field 
Office during regular business hours, except holidays.

    Authority:  43 CFR 2711.

Duane Spencer,
Acting State Director, Wyoming.
[FR Doc. 2019-23954 Filed 10-31-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-22-P