[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 167 (Wednesday, August 28, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68924-68925]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19256]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA106239889 L71220000.EU0000 24X.LVTFB24663A0; MO44500180628]


Direct Sale of Public Lands in Barstow, San Bernardino County, 
California

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of realty action.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing a non-
competitive (direct) sale of public lands near Barstow, San Bernardino 
County, California, to Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), LLC, a 
Delaware Corporation, under the provisions of the Federal Land Policy 
and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, and BLM land sale 
regulations. The purpose of the non-competitive land sale to BNSF is to 
support development of the Barstow International Gateway project, which 
would facilitate the transfer of goods between different modes of 
transportation throughout the United States, including rail, truck, and 
ocean carriers. The sale will be for no less than the appraised fair 
market value (FMV) of $98,000.

DATES: Interested parties may submit written comments no later than 
October 15, 2024. The land will not be offered for sale until after 
October 28, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding the proposed sale should be 
submitted to BLM, Barstow Field Office, ATTN: Tim McCain, Realty 
Specialist, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, California 92311, or via email 
to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim McCain, Realty Specialist, BLM 
Barstow Field Office, phone: 951-972-7849, email: [email protected]. 
Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of 
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or 
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals 
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within 
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in 
the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The public lands are located approximately 
one-half mile west of the city of Barstow in San Bernardino County, 
California, and are legally described below.

San Bernardino Meridian, California

T. 9 N., R. 3 W.,
    Sec. 23, N\1/2\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\SE\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\SE\1/4\SE\1/
4\, and S\1/2\SE\1/4\SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;

[[Page 68925]]

    Sec. 26, NW\1/4\NE\1/4\NE\1/4\ and N\1/2\SW\1/4\NE\1/4\NE\1/14\.

    The areas described aggregate 30 acres, according to the official 
plat of the survey on file with the BLM.
    The proposed sale of the parcels described above is in conformance 
with the land use plan as the parcels have been designated as 
Development Focus Areas available for disposal in the California Desert 
Conservation Area Plan of 1980, as amended by the Desert Renewable 
Energy Conservation Plan of 2016. Conveyance of any mineral interests 
pursuant to section 209 of FLPMA have been analyzed as a part of this 
transaction, and the authorized officer determined that all mineral 
interests will be reserved to the United States. The land sale meets 
the criteria for a direct sale under 43 CFR 2711.3-3(a) and is 
consistent with Section 203(a)(3) of FLPMA, which states: ``Disposal of 
such tract will serve important public objectives, including but not 
limited to expansion of communities and economic development.''
    Publication of this notice in the Federal Register will segregate 
the above-described lands from appropriation under the public land 
laws, including the mining laws, except the sale provisions of FLPMA, 
pursuant to the requirements of 43 CFR 2711.1-2(d). All parcels are 
subject to valid existing rights. Parcels may also be subject to mining 
claims, rights-of-way, or other land use applications received prior to 
publication of this notice if processing the application would have no 
adverse effect on the marketability of title or the federally approved 
FMV of a parcel. Encumbrances of record, appearing in the BLM public 
files for the parcels proposed for sale, are available for review 
during business hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through 
Friday, at the BLM Barstow Field Office (see ADDRESSES). Subject to 
limitations prescribed by law and regulation, prior to patent issuance, 
a holder of any right-of-way within the parcels may be given the 
opportunity to amend the right-of-way for conversion to a new term, 
including perpetuity, if applicable, or to an easement. Until 
completion of the sale, 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. Conveyance of the 
identified public land would be subject to valid existing rights of 
record and the following terms, conditions, and reservations:
    1. A reservation of a right-of-way 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, pursuant to 
43 CFR 2720.0-6.
    3. An appropriate indemnification clause protecting the United 
States from claims arising out of the purchaser's use, occupancy, or 
operations on the conveyed lands.
    4. Additional terms and conditions that the authorized officer 
deems appropriate.
    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 of this notice in 
the Federal Register, unless extended by the BLM State Director in 
accordance with 43 CFR 2711.1-2(d) prior to the termination date. 
Detailed information concerning the proposed land sale including the 
Environmental Assessment, maps, appraisal report, environmental site 
assessment, and mineral potential report are available for review at 
the BLM Barstow Field Office listed in the ADDRESSES section earlier.
    In addition to publication in the Federal Register, the BLM will 
also publish this notice in the Los Angeles Times, Daily Press, High 
Desert Star, and the San Bernardino Sun news sources once a week for 3 
consecutive weeks.
    Interested parties may submit substantive written comments 
regarding the proposed sale and environmental assessment DOI-BLM-CA-
D080-2024-0012-EA via the BLM National NEPA Register at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2033900/510 or by mail to the 
realty specialist at the above address on or before October 15, 2024. 
Adverse comments regarding the proposed sale will be reviewed by the 
BLM California State Director or other authorized official of the 
Department of the Interior, who may sustain, vacate, or modify this 
realty action in whole or in part. In the absence of timely 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, be advised 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 from public review your personal identifying 
information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

(Authority: 43 CFR subpart 2711)

Joseph Stout,
State Director, California Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2024-19256 Filed 8-27-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-15-P