Notices. Notice of availability of the Chas Coal LLC lease by application KYES-50213 environmental assessment and Federal coal notice of public hearing, and request for Environmental Assessment, Maximum Economic Recovery, and Fair Market Value comments

9,782 words·~44 min read·/register/2006/02/10/06-1307

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

BILLING CODE 4910-62-M DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [ES-020-06-1320-EL] Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment and Public Hearing for Coal Lease by Application KYES-50213 AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability of the Chas Coal LLC lease by application KYES-50213 environmental assessment and Federal coal notice of public hearing, and request for Environmental Assessment, Maximum Economic Recovery, and Fair Market Value comments. SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management, Eastern States Office, Springfield, Virginia, hereby gives notice that an Environmental Assessment

(EA)is available and a public hearing will be held to lease Federal coal pursuant to 43 Code of Federal Regulations

(CFR)3425.4. The EA analyzes and discloses direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts of issuing competitively a Federal coal lease for 314.53 acres in the Daniel Boone National Forest

(DBNF)Clay County, Kentucky. The purpose of the public hearing is to solicit comments from the public on

(1)The proposal to issue a Federal coal lease;

(2)the proposed competitive lease sale;

(3)the Fair Market Value

(FMV)of the Federal coal; and

(4)Maximum Economic Recovery

(MER)of the Federal coal included in the tracts. DATES: Written comments must be post-marked by March 13, 2006 and provided to the BLM Jackson Field Office (listed below). The public hearing will be held at the Clay County Public Library on February 27, 2006 at 6 pm. ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to the Bureau of Land Management, Jackson Field Office, 411 Briarwood, Suite 404, Jackson, MS 39206 where copies of the EA are available upon request or for inspection. The public hearing will be held on February 27, 2006 at 6 p.m. at the Clay County Public Library located at 211 Bridge Street, in Manchester, Kentucky. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stuart Grange, Bureau of Land Management, Jackson, Mississippi 39206, at

(601)977-5400. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 3, 1998 Chas Coal LLC submitted a lease by application serialized as KYES-50213. The coal in the LBA is to be developed by conventional underground methods. The tracts, designated 545b and 3094 Parcel 1 and Parcel 2 in the National Forest System, are located on the upper end of the Left Fork of Blue Hole Creek in southern Clay County on the DBNF and encompass 314.53 acres. Estimated recoverable federal reserves of bituminous coal from the Hazard No. 8 seam are 792,335 tons. The proximate analysis of the coal is as follows: 14,033 BTU/lb. with 2.12% moisture, 0.87 sulfur, 5.03 ash, 54.26 fixed carbon, and 38.58 volatile matter. The EA consists of an analyst of environmental impacts that could result from leasing Federal coal and the alternatives. In accordance with the Federal coal management regulations 43 CFR 3422 and 3425, not less than 30 days prior to the publication of a notice of sale, the Secretary shall solicit public comments on the EA, FMV and MER of the tracts proposed to be offered for lease and on factors that may affect FMV and MER. In addition, notice is also given that a public hearing will be held on (insert hearing date) requesting comments on the EA, FMV, and MER. Procedures for leasing Federal coal are provided by 43 CFR 3400. The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (lead agency) the Bureau of Land Management-Eastern States' Jackson Field Office, the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Surface Mining, and the Kentucky Department of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, cooperative agencies, prepared a Land Use Analysis and Environmental Assessment (LUA/EA) to address coal lease application KYES-50213. The DBNF, Redbird Ranger District mailed scoping letters to all individuals on the district mailing list requesting public input on the LUA/EA in 1999, and again on May 28, 2004. Public Notices requesting input concerning this tract was published in the Manchester Enterprise, Manchester, Kentucky, on June 3, 2004, and June 10, 2004, and on the DBNF web site. The DBNF signed a Decision Record consenting to allow leasing and signed a Finding of No Significant Impact. Comments on the EA, FMV, and MER should address, but are not limited to the following factors: 1. The method of mining to be employed in order to obtain MER; 2. The method of determining FMV for the coal to be offered; 3. The quality and quantity of the coal resource; 4. If this resource is likely to be mined as part of an existing mine; 5. The price that the mined coal would bring when sold; 6. Costs, including mining and reclamation, of producing the coal and the times of production and impacts the leasehold may have on the area; 7. Depreciation and other tax accounting factors; 8. The percentage rate at which anticipated income streams should be discounted, either in the absence of inflation or with inflation, in which case the anticipated rate of inflation should be given; 9. Any comparable sales data of similar coal lands; and 10. Restrictions to mining which may affect coal recovery. The values given above may or may not change as a result of comments received from the public and changes in market conditions between now and when final economic evaluations are completed. As provided by 43 CFR 3422.1(a), proprietary data marked as confidential may be provided in response to this solicitation of public comments. Data so marked shall be treated in accordance with the laws and regulations governing the confidentiality of such information. A copy of the comments submitted by the public on FMV and MER, except those portions identified as proprietary and meeting exemptions stated in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), will be available for public inspection at the Bureau of Land Management office noted above. If you wish to withhold your name or address from public review or from disclosure under the FOIA, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your written comments. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by the FOIA. All submissions from organizations, businesses and individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses will be available for public inspection in its entirety. David Stout, Acting Associate State Director, Eastern States. [FR Doc. E6-1870 Filed 2-9-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-GJ-P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [UT-080-05-1310-DB] Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Greater Deadman Bench Region, Uintah County, UT AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and associated regulations, the Bureau of Land Management

(BLM)announces the availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement

(DEIS)that evaluates, analyzes, and discloses to the public direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts of a proposal to extract and transport natural gas and oil in Uintah County, Utah. DATES: The DEIS will be available for review for 45 calendar days following the date that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its NOA in the **Federal Register** . The BLM can best use comments and resource information submitted within this 45-day review period. ADDRESSES: Written comments on the DEIS may be mailed directly or delivered to the BLM at: GDBR DEIS, Bureau of Land Management, Vernal Field Office, 170 South 500 East, Vernal, UT 84078. Comments may be submitted by facsimile to the Vernal Field Office at 435-781-4410. At this time BLM is unable to accept electronic comments. A copy of the DEIS has been sent to the affected Federal, State, and local government agencies, Indian Tribes and to interested parties. Copies of the DEIS are available for public inspection at the address above and the Bureau of Land Management Utah State Office, 440 West 200 South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, UT 84101 and the Bureau of Land Management, Vernal Field Office, 150 South 500 East, Vernal, UT 84078. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie Howard, Project Manager, BLM Vernal Field Office 170 South 500 East, Vernal, UT 84078. Ms. Howard may also be reached at 435-781-4400. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In response to a proposal submitted by Questar E&P (QEP), the BLM published in the December 19, 2003, **Federal Register** a Notice of Intent

(NOI)to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Greater Deadman Bench Region

(GDBR)involves approximately 98,785 acres located in Townships 6 to 8 South, Ranges 21 and 25 East, Salt Lake Base Meridian, about 20 miles south of Vernal, Uintah County, Utah. The DEIS analyzes the effects of a maximum natural gas and oil development scenario within the GDBR that is conceptual in nature. The final location of well pads, roads, and pipelines would be determined through future site-specific assessments required for each facility. QEP's proposal includes drilling an additional 1,020 natural gas and 219 oil wells and constructing associated ancillary transportation and transmission facilities within the project area. BLM-administered lands account for about 85% (83,860 acres) of surface and mineral estate lands within the BDGR. The State of Utah's Utah State School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration accounts for about 12% (1,440 acres) of surface and mineral estate lands; and the remaining 4% (3,470 acres) consists of various privately owned surface and mineral estate lands within the project area. QEP proposes to drill 1,239 wells at the rate of 100-120 wells per year over a period of 10 years, or until the resource base is fully developed. Of this total number, 891 wells would be drilled at new locations and 348 wells would be drilled from existing well pads. As set out in the NOI, as of March 2003, the GDBR includes about 278 existing oil and water-injection wells producing from or injecting water into the Green River formation and 300 gas wells producing from the Wasatch formation. About 57 miles of primary roads and 314 miles of secondary roads have been constructed within the region. The new gas wells would be drilled to the Uinta, Green River, Wasatch, Mesaverde, Blackhawk/Mancos, and the Frontier/Dakota formations. The new oil wells would be drilled to the Green River formation. The DEIS describes in detail and analyzes the impacts of QEP's Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative. The Proposed Action incorporates standard operating procedures and applicant-committed best management practices currently employed on BLM-administered public lands in the Uintah Basin that mitigate impacts to the environment. Six additional alternatives were considered but eliminated from detailed analysis. The following is a summary of the alternatives: 1. *Proposed Action* —Up to 1,020 natural gas and 219 oil wells would be drilled to the Uinta, Green River, Wasatch, Mesaverde Group, Blackhawk/Mancos and the Frontier/Dakota formations. About 170 miles of new roads and 235 miles of pipelines, 22 new central tank facilities and 15 new gas compressor stations would be constructed to support this proposed development. At this time the Proposed Action is the BLM's preferred alternative. 2. *No Action Alternative* —Oil and gas development on Federal lands under the Proposed action would not be implemented. However some level of development would continue to occur under APDs previously approved by the authority of the 1985 Book Cliffs RMP. An additional 130 wells would be located on State of Utah and private leases. 3. *Alternatives Considered, But Eliminated From Further Analysis—* a. No new development on Federal lands. b. Suspension of operations for an extended period of time. c. Exchange of leases. d. Full-field directional Drilling. e. Conventional oil and gas development. f. Best Management Practices (BMP). The public is encouraged to comment on any of these alternatives. The BLM welcomes your comments on the Greater Deadman Bench Region DEIS. The BLM asks that those submitting comments make them as specific as possible with reference to chapters, page numbers, and paragraphs in the DEIS document. Comments that contain only opinions or preferences will not receive a formal response; however, they will be considered as part of the BLM decision-making process. The most useful comments will contain new technical or scientific information, identify data gaps in the impact analysis, or will provide technical or scientific rationale for opinions or preferences. It is BLM's practice to make comments, including the names and street addresses of each respondent, available for public review at the BLM office listed above during business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m), Monday through Friday, except for Federal holidays. Your comments may be published as part of the EIS process. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name or street address, or both, from public review, or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your written comments. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. BLM will not consider anonymous comments. All submissions from organizations or businesses will be made available for public inspection in their entirety. William Stringer, Vernal Field Manager. [FR Doc. E6-1796 Filed 2-9-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-22-P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [UT-080-05-1310-EJ] Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Gasco Production Company Natural Gas Field Development, Duchesne and Uintah Counties, UT AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Intent to conduct public scoping and to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS)for the Gasco Natural Gas Field Development, Duchesne and Uintah Counties, Utah. SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Vernal Field Office, Vernal, Utah, will prepare an EIS on the proposed expansion of existing natural gas field development operations. The EIS area encompasses approximately 236,165 acres predominately in the West Tavaputs Exploration and Development Area with some overlap into the Monument Butte-Red Wash, and East Tavaputs Exploration and Development Areas. The project is located primarily on BLM administered lands (203,357 acres). The project area also includes lands administered by the State of Utah (27,765 acres), and several private landowners (5,043 acres). Gasco has mineral lease rights underlying both the public and private lands. The Vernal Field Office Manager will be the authorized officer for this project. DATES: This notice announces the public scoping process. A public scoping period of at least 30 days will commence on the date this notice is published in the **Federal Register.** Comments on issues, potential impacts, or suggestions for additional alternatives can be submitted in writing to the address listed below within 30 days of the date this Notice is published, or within 15 days after the last public meeting is held. Public open meetings will be conducted during the scoping period in Vernal, Duchesne, and Price, Utah. All public meetings will be announced through the local news media at least 15 days prior to the event. In addition, formal opportunities for public participation will be provided through comment on the alternatives and upon publication of the BLM Draft EIS. ADDRESSES: Written scoping comments should be sent to the Environmental Coordinator, Bureau of Land Management, Vernal Field Office, 170 South 500 East, Vernal, Utah 84078, ATTN: Gasco Field Development EIS; Fax 435-781-4410. Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Vernal Field Office located in Vernal, Utah. Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the Vernal Field Office located in Vernal, Utah during regular business hours 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays, and will be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). They may be published as part of the EIS and other related documents. Individual respondents may request confidentially. If you wish to withhold your name or street address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations and businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have your name added to our mailing list, contact Stephanie Howard, 435-781-4469. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Gasco Production Company proposes to expand its operations by drilling 1,538 wells within the Monument Butte-Red Wash, West Tavaputs, and East Tavaputs Exploration and Development Areas (as delineated in the Draft Vernal RMP) through the year 2020 based on a 40, 80, and 160 acre spacing pattern. This EIS is directly north of, but not related to, the West Tavaputs EIS that is ongoing in the Price Field Office BLM. Estimated new surface disturbance associated with the construction of well pads, new access roads, and pipelines would be approximately 10,302 acres. Existing roads within the project area and approximately 400 miles of newly constructed roads would provide the primary access routes to the new well sites. Approximately 525 miles of pipelines would be constructed and buried where conditions allow. Additional compression and processing facilities will be required to accommodate the new wells. Major issues include potential impacts to special status plants and animals, vegetation, socio-economics, cultural resources, air quality, and soils. The EIS will consider and analyze potential impacts of natural gas development at the levels projected by Gasco, or as refined during the scoping process. This analysis will include a site-specific evaluation of Gasco's proposal and an appropriate range of alternatives. Alternatives identified at this time include the proposed action and the no action alternatives. Additional alternatives such as application of additional mitigation measures based on best management practices and/or higher well density may be developed if necessary based on issues and concerns identified through the scoping process. The management of BLM public lands and resources encompassed by the project area is directed and guided by the BLM's Record of Decision for the Diamond Mountain Resource Management Plan. The majority of the proposed project lies within an area that was previously partially developed for oil and gas production and is designated as Category 2 for oil and gas leasing by the BLM. Category 2 areas are those that are open to oil and gas leasing with stipulations to protect sensitive surface resources. Dated: October 26, 2005. William Stringer, Field Manager, Vernal Field Office. [FR Doc. E6-1868 Filed 2-9-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [OR-027-1110-JM-H2KO; G-05-0219] Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the North Steens Ecosystem Restoration Project AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, and the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000, the BLM has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement to analyze and undertake the North Steens Ecosystem Restoration Project. The proposed project area lies within the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area, designated by the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000, and the Andrews Management Unit, lands outside the boundary of the Cooperative Management and Protection Area but within the boundary of the Andrews Resource Area. The project is located in Harney County, Oregon, and affects approximately 336,000 acres of public and private lands. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement evaluates five alternative management approaches including two No Action (continuation of current management and no treatment) Alternatives. DATES: Written comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be accepted for 45 days following publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of Availability for this Draft Environmental Impact Statement in the **Federal Register** . Future public meetings and any other public involvement activities will be announced in advance through notices, media news releases, and/or mailings. ADDRESSES/COMMENTS: Written comments should be sent to North Steens Ecosystem Restoration Project Environmental Impact Statement Lead, BLM Burns District Office, 28910, Highway 20 West, Hines, Oregon 97738;

(541)573-4543; fax

(541)573-4411; or e-mail ( *ornseis@blm.gov* ). Comments, including names, street addresses, and other contact information of respondents, will be available for public review. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to request that BLM consider withholding your name, street address, and other contact information such as internet address, fax or phone number from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. The BLM will honor requests for confidentiality on a case-by-case basis to the extent allowed by law. The BLM will make available for public inspection in their entirety all submissions from organizations or businesses and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses. Copies of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be sent to affected Federal, Tribal, State and local government agencies, and to interested publics and will be available at the BLM Burns District Office. The supporting record for the analysis for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement is available for inspection at the BLM Burns District Office during normal business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have your name added to our mailing list, contact Douglas Linn

(541)573-4543 at the BLM Burns District Office. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The North Steens Ecosystem Restoration Project is a landscape-level project proposing to utilize a combination of western juniper treatments (mechanical and nonmechanical methods) and wildland (prescribed and natural) fire to treat fuels and to restore habitat. Implementation of the project would reduce the increased influence of western juniper and related fuels in mountain big sagebrush, low sagebrush, quaking aspen, mountain mahogany, old growth juniper (established before 1870), and riparian plant communities. Section 113(c) of the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000 states, “The Secretary shall emphasize the restoration of the historic fire regime in the Cooperative Management and Protection Area and the resulting native vegetation communities through active management of western juniper on a landscape level. Management measures shall include the use of natural and prescribed burning.” The Resource Management Plans for the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area and the Andrews Management Unit contain overall direction and guidance for proposed management actions such as those analyzed in the North Steens Ecosystem Restoration Project Environmental Impact Statement. Management actions analyzed include seeding of native species, reduction of western juniper (established before 1870), fencing, and management of wildland fire. Preliminary issues and management concerns were identified by BLM and through public scoping. Major issues addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement include management of woodlands, rangeland vegetation, Steens Mountain Wilderness, wilderness study areas, wild and scenic river corridors, wildlife habitat, special status species, wildland fire/fuels, recreation, cultural resources, noxious weeds, water quality, aquatic resources, fisheries, biological soil crusts, and social and economic values. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement considered American Indian traditional practices. Cooperating agencies having specific expertise or interests in the project were invited to participate. The public and interest groups also participated and will continue to have every opportunity to participate during formal comment periods. The public and interest groups will also have opportunities for participation through the regularly scheduled Steens Mountain Advisory Council meetings. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement contains five alternatives. The Continuation of Current Management No Action Alternative does not propose any increase above current levels of western juniper management or fuels reduction within the North Steens Ecosystem Restoration Project area. Private lands could still be treated according to landowner management objectives. Management of naturally occurring wildland fires would still occur in the North Steens Ecosystem Restoration Project area under this alternative, but management would be for purposes of restoring natural fire to the Cooperative Management and Protection Area. The No Treatment No Action Alternative does not propose any fuels reduction through western juniper treatments. This alternative is not consistent with the Andrews Management Unit or Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area Resource Management Plan direction. This alternative does not meet the objectives of the North Steens Ecosystem Restoration Project but is analyzed for purposes of effect analysis and comparison. Under this alternative, encroaching juniper would not be managed in the North Steens Ecosystem Restoration Project area. Natural wildland fires would still occur in the project area and would be managed in a manner consistent with the Resource Management Plans and the BLM Burns District's Fire Management Plan. The Partial Landscape Alternative proposes active fuels reduction and juniper management on private and public lands outside of wilderness, wilderness study areas, and wild and scenic river corridors. Management of naturally occurring wildland fires would still occur in the aforementioned areas under this alternative. The Limited Landscape Alternative incorporates many of the description and features of the Partial Landscape Alternative. Management of naturally occurring wildland fires would occur in wilderness, wilderness study areas, and wild and scenic river corridor areas under this alternative and would include the use of prescribed wildland fire for western juniper management and fuels reduction and restoration of natural fire regimes. The Full Landscape Alternative incorporates many of the description and features of the Partial Landscape Alternative and Limited Landscape Alternatives. The Full Landscape Alternative proposes active, landscape-level, western juniper management and fuels reduction on private and public lands including wilderness, wilderness study areas, and wild and scenic river corridors. Management of naturally occurring wildland fires would occur in the aforementioned areas under this alternative. Management could include the use of prescribed wildland fire, nonmotorized hand tools and nonmechanized transportation for western juniper management and fuels reduction. Additional treatment methods, including the use of other tools following publication of a minimum requirement decision guide, could be considered after a project review occurring on a 3- to 5-year basis. Public input during scoping as well as internal scoping identified at least 20 issues for analysis in the Environmental Impact Statement. These issues are outlined in Chapter 1 of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Opportunities for public involvement have included two separate public scoping periods. Along with participation by the Steens Mountain Advisory Council, the BLM Burns District has worked with Harney County Court, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, Burns Paiute Tribe, and Harney Soil and Water Conservation District. Dana R. Shuford, BLM Burns District Manager. [FR Doc. E6-1869 Filed 2-9-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-33-P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [MT-020-1020-PK] Notice of Public Meeting, Eastern Montana Resource Advisory Council Meeting AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Eastern Montana Resource Advisory Council will meet as indicated below. DATES: A meeting will be held March 22, 2006, at the Ft. Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory, 243 Ft. Keogh Road, Miles City, Montana, 59301, beginning at 8 a.m. The public comment period will begin at 11:30 a.m. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 15-member Council advises the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management, on a variety of planning and management issues associated with public land management in eastern Montana. All meetings are open to the public. The public may present written comments to the Council. Each formal Council meeting will also have time allocated for hearing public comments. Depending on the number of persons wishing to comment and time available, the time for individual oral comments may be limited. Individuals who plan to attend and need special assistance, such as sign language interpretation, or other reasonable accommodations, should contact the BLM as provided below. The Council will hear updates on the Miles City Resource Management Plan, the Pumpkin Creek land exchange,the coal bed natural gas SEIS, weed funding, and other issues. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Apple, Resource Advisory Council Coordinator, Montana State Office, 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, Montana, 59101, telephone 406-896-5258 or Sandra S. Brooks, Field Manager, Billings Field Office, telephone 406-896-5013. Dated: February 1, 2006. Sandra S. Brooks, Billings Field Manager. [FR Doc. E6-1824 Filed 2-9-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-$$-P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [MT-922-06-1310-FI-P; NDM 87262] Notice of Proposed Reinstatement of Terminated Oil and Gas Lease NDM 87262 AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Per 30 U.S.C. 188(d), Valentine Peck timely filed a petition for reinstatement of oil and gas lease NDM 87262, Slope County, North Dakota. The lessee paid the required rental accruing from the date of termination, September 1, 2005. No leases were issued that affect these lands. The lessee agrees to new lease terms for rentals and royalties of $10 per acre and 16 2/3 percent or 4 percentages above the existing competitive royalty rate. The lessee paid the $500 administration fee for the reinstatement of the lease and $155 cost for publishing this Notice. The lessee met the requirements for reinstatement of the lease per Sec. 31(d) and

(e)of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 188). We are proposing to reinstate the lease, effective the date of termination subject to: • The original terms and conditions of the lease; • The increased rental of $10 per acre; • The increased royalty of 16 2/3 percent or 4 percentages above the existing competitive royalty rate; and • The $155 cost of publishing this Notice. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen L. Johnson, Chief, Fluids Adjudication Section, BLM Montana State Office, 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, Montana 59101-4669, 406-896-5098. Dated: February 2, 2006. Karen L. Johnson, Chief, Fluids Adjudication Section. [FR Doc. E6-1872 Filed 2-9-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-$$-P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [CO-923-1430-ET; COC-28576] Public Land Order No. 7655; Partial Revocation of Executive Order dated July 2, 1910; Colorado AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Public land order. SUMMARY: This order partially revokes an Executive Order insofar as it affects 40 acres of public land withdrawn for the Bureau of Land Management's Power Site Reserve No. 32. This order also opens the land to surface entry subject to valid existing rights and other segregations of record. EFFECTIVE DATE: May 12, 2006. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris E. Chelius, BLM Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, Colorado 80215-7093, 303-239-3706. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action will allow for completion of a pending land exchange and clear the records of an unneeded withdrawal. The land is open to mining under the provisions of the Mining Claims Rights Restoration Act, 30 U.S.C. 621 (2000). Since this act applies only to land withdrawn for power purposes, the provisions of the act are no longer applicable to the land included in this revocation order. Order By virtue of the authority vested in the Secretary of the Interior by section 204 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, 43 U.S.C. 1714 (2000), and pursuant to the determination by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in DVCO-561-000, it is ordered as follows: 1. The Executive Order dated July 2, 1910, which established the Bureau of Land Management's Power Site Reserve No. 32, is hereby revoked insofar as it affects the following described land: Sixth Principal Meridian T. 1 S., R. 80 W., Sec. 34, SE 1/4 NW 1/4 . The area described contains 40 acres in Summit County. 2. At 9 a.m. on May 12, 2006, the land described in Paragraph 1 will be opened to the operation of the public land laws generally, subject to valid existing rights, the provisions of existing withdrawals, other segregations of record, and the requirements of applicable law. All valid applications received on or prior to 9 a.m. on May 12, 2006, shall be considered as simultaneously filed at that time. Those received thereafter shall be considered in the order of filing. 3. The State of Colorado, with respect to the land described in Paragraph 1, has a preference right for public highway rights-of-way or material sites until May 11, 2006, and any location, entry, selection, or subsequent patent shall be subject to any rights granted the State as provided by the Act of June 10, 1920, section 24, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 818 (2000). 4. The land described in Paragraph 1 has been open to mining under the provisions of the Mining Claims Rights Restoration Act of 1955, 30 U.S.C. 621 (2000), and these provisions are no longer applicable. Dated: January 25, 2006. Mark Limbaugh, Assistant Secretary of the Interior. [FR Doc. E6-1894 Filed 2-9-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [WO-300-1330-EO] Notice of a 30-Day Public Comment Period To Affirm the Policy for the Standards To Establish the Potash Enclave As Used To Administer the Secretarial Order of 1986 Entitled “Oil and Gas and Potash Leasing and Development Within the Designated Potash Area of Eddy and Lea Counties, New Mexico” AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of correction. SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management

(BLM)originally published this notice on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 [70 FR 51364] and solicited public comments on the report which affirms the existing policy on the criteria used to establish the potash enclave. The BLM gave the public 30 days to comment on these Policy Standards. The public comment period ended on Thursday, September 29, 2005. The BLM received numerous requests to lengthen the comment period. The BLM extended the comment period an additional 120 days. The BLM has again received requests to lengthen the comment period. The BLM will again extend the comment period an additional 120 days. DATES: Comments should be submitted to the address below no later than June 12, 2006. ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to Group Manager, Solid Minerals, 1620 L Street NW., Mail Stop 501 LS, Washington DC 20036. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ted Murphy, Group Manager, Solid Minerals, 1620 L St. NW., Mail Stop 501 LS, Washington, DC 20036, telephone

(202)452-0351. Thomas Lonnie, Assistant Director, Minerals, Realty and Resource Protection. [FR Doc. E6-1891 Filed 2-9-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-AG-P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Minerals Management Service Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior. ACTION: Notice of extension of an information collection (1010-0137). SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), MMS is inviting comments on a collection of information that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB)for review and approval. The information collection request

(ICR)concerns the paperwork requirements in a Notice to Lessees and Operators

(NTL)discussed below. DATES: Submit written comments by April 11, 2006. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods listed below. Please use the Information Collection Number 1010-0137 as an identifier in your message. • Public Connect on-line commenting system, *https://ocsconnect.mms.gov.* Follow the instructions on the Web site for submitting comments. • E-mail MMS at *rules.comments@mms.gov.* Identify with Information Collection Number 1010-0137 in the subject line. • Fax: 703-787-1093. Identify with Information Collection Number 1010-0137. • Mail or hand-carry comments to the Department of the Interior; Minerals Management Service; Attention: Rules Process Team (RPT); 381 Elden Street, MS-4024; Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817. Please reference “Information Collection 1010-0137” in your comments. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Blundon, Rules Processing Team at

(703)787-1600. You may also contact Cheryl Blundon to obtain a copy, at no cost, of the subject collection of information. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: *Title:* Historical Well Data Cleanup Project; Wells Without Assigned MMS API Numbers—Notice to Lessees. *OMB Control Number:* 1010-0137. *Abstract:* The Outer Continental Shelf

(OCS)Lands Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1331 *et seq.* and 43 U.S.C. 1801 *et seq.* ), authorizes the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to prescribe rules and regulations to administer leasing of the OCS. Such rules and regulations will apply to all operations conducted under a lease. Operations on the OCS must preserve, protect, and develop oil and natural gas resources in a manner that is consistent with the need to make such resources available to meet the Nation's energy needs as rapidly as possible; to balance orderly energy resource development with protection of human, marine, and coastal environments; to ensure the public a fair and equitable return on the resources of the OCS; and to preserve and maintain free enterprise competition. The OCSLA at 43 U.S.C. 1332(6) states that “operations in the [O]uter Continental Shelf should be conducted in a safe manner by well-trained personnel using technology, precautions, and techniques sufficient to prevent or minimize the likelihood of blowouts, loss of well control, fires, spillages, physical obstruction to other users of the waters or subsoil and seabed, or other occurrences which may cause damage to the environment or to property, or endanger life or health.” The MMS's Historical Well Data Cleanup Project is currently underway and is expected to last several years to allow operators ample time to provide the missing or corrected data. This notice announces our intention to request a 3-year extension for this information collection. The information we collect under this NTL, is missing data for wellbores that MMS has not assigned API numbers and other well data discovered as missing while completing the well database cleanup project. We are not able to manage and utilize data from drilling operations accurately without the information for the missing wells. We will use the information to identify other well data ( *e.g.* , logs, surveys, tests) missing from our records, geologically map existing MMS data to the correct wellbore/location, and correctly exchange information with the operators and industry. Our geoscientists can use the information to evaluate resources for lease sales for fair market value. With respect to safety concerns, we believe that there may be anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 unidentified completed and abandoned wellbores (bypasses and sidetracks), some of which may contain stuck drill pipe or other materials. In approving permits and other operations in an area, it is important for us to know what may be adjacent to or near the vicinity of the activity we are approving to minimize the risk of blowouts, loss of well control, and endangerment to life, health, and the environment. This is particularly important as, over the years, the number of wells drilled constantly increases, thereby increasing the risk to adjacent activities if operators are not aware of what might be in the area. We will protect information respondents submit that is considered proprietary under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2) and 30 CFR 250.196, “Data and information to be made available to the public.” No items of a sensitive nature are collected. Responses are mandatory. *Frequency:* On occasion. *Estimated Number and Description of Respondents:* Approximately 130 Federal OCS oil, gas, and sulphur lessees. *Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping “Hour” Burden:* The currently approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 56,250 hours for approximately 25,000 wells, based on:

(1)1/4 hour to locate and copy a summary of drilling operations ( *e.g.* , scout tickets) for each well.

(2)2 hours to retrieve and analyze each well file and retrieve other missing data. There are no recordkeeping requirements. *Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping “Non-Hour Cost” Burden:* We have identified no cost burdens for this collection. *Public Disclosure Statement:* The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, *et seq.* ) provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Until OMB approves a collection of information, you are not obligated to respond. *Comments:* Before submitting an ICR to OMB, PRA section 3506(c)(2)(A) requires each agency “ * * * to provide notice * * * and otherwise consult with members of the public and affected agencies concerning each proposed collection of information * * *.” Agencies must specifically solicit comments to:

(a)Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the agency to perform its duties, including whether the information is useful;

(b)evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information;

(c)enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(d)minimize the burden on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Agencies must also estimate the “non-hour cost” burdens to respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information. Therefore, if you have costs to generate, maintain, and disclose this information, you should comment and provide your total capital and startup cost components or annual operation, maintenance, and purchase of service components. You should describe the methods you use to estimate major cost factors, including system and technology acquisition, expected useful life of capital equipment, discount rate(s), and the period over which you incur costs. Capital and startup costs include, among other items, computers and software you purchase to prepare for collecting information, monitoring, and record storage facilities. You should not include estimates for equipment or services purchased:

(i)Before October 1, 1995;

(ii)to comply with requirements not associated with the information collection;

(iii)for reasons other than to provide information or keep records for the Government; or

(iv)as part of customary and usual business or private practices. We will summarize written responses to this notice and address them in our submission for OMB approval. As a result of your comments, we will make any necessary adjustments to the burden in our submission to OMB. *Public Comment Procedures:* MMS's practice is to make comments, including names and addresses of respondents, available for public review. If you wish your name and/or address to be withheld, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. MMS will honor this request to the extent allowable by law; however, anonymous comments will not be considered. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their entirety. *MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer:* Arlene Bajusz

(202)208-7744. Dated: January 26, 2006. E.P. Danenberger, Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs. [FR Doc. E6-1871 Filed 2-9-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Minerals Management Service Request for Comments on the Draft Proposed 5-Year Outer Continental Shelf

(OCS)Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007-2012 and Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS)for the Proposed 5-Year Program SUMMARY: The Minerals Management Service

(MMS)requests comments on the Draft Proposed 5-year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007-2012. This is the first proposal for a new program to succeed the current program that expires on June 30, 2007, and forms the basis for conducting the studies and analyses the Secretary will consider in making future decisions on what areas to include in the program. Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344) specifies a multi-step process of consultation and analysis that must be completed before the Secretary of the Interior may approve a new 5-year program. The required steps following this notice include the development of a proposed program, a proposed final program, and Secretarial approval. Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the MMS also will prepare an EIS for the new 5-year program. DATES: Please submit comments and information to the MMS no later than April 11, 2006. Public Comment Procedure The MMS will accept comments in one of two formats: by mail or our Internet commenting system. Please submit your comments using only one of these formats, and include full names and addresses. Comments submitted by other means may not be considered. We will not consider anonymous comments, and we will make available for inspection in their entirety all comments submitted by organizations and businesses or by individuals identifying themselves as representatives of organizations and businesses. Our practice is to make comments, including the names and home addresses of respondents, available for public review. An individual commenter may ask that we withhold his or her name, home address, or both from the public record, and we will honor such a request to the extent allowable by law. If you submit comments and wish us to withhold such information, you must so state prominently at the beginning of your submission. ADDRESSES: Mail comments and information to: Renee Orr, 5-Year Program Manager, Minerals Management Service (MS-4010), Room 3120, 381 Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170. Please label your comments and the packaging in which they are submitted according to the subject matter. Mark those pertaining to program preparation, “Comments on Draft Proposed 5-Year Program for 2007-2012,” and mark those pertaining to EIS preparation, “Scoping Comments on the EIS for the 5-Year Program for 2007-2012.” If you submit any privileged or proprietary information to be treated as confidential, please mark the envelope, “Contains Confidential Information.” *Internet:* The MMS will accept comments submitted to our electronic commenting system. This system can be accessed at *http://www.mms.gov/5-year/2007-2012main.htm.* We also will provide access to information concerning the 5-year program and EIS, including copies of comments we receive in response to this notice, at the MMS Internet website ( *www.mms.gov* ). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Renee Orr, 5-Year Program Manager, at

(703)787-1215. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MMS requests comments from states, local governments, Native groups, tribes, the oil and gas industry, federal agencies, environmental and other interest organizations, and all other interested parties to assist in the preparation of a 5-year OCS oil and gas leasing program for 2007-2012 and the applicable EIS. The draft proposed program document may be downloaded off the MMS website at *www.mms.gov.* The document also is available as part of our electronic commenting system noted above. Hard copies will be made available by contacting the 5-Year Program Office at 703-787-1215. Background Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act requires the Secretary of the Interior to prepare and maintain a schedule of proposed OCS oil and gas lease sales determined to “best meet national energy needs for the 5-year period following its approval or reapproval.” This draft proposed program is the first proposed schedule of OCS lease sales for the 2007-2012 timeframe. The areas identified as proposed program areas in this notice are ones that warrant further study and analysis based on oil and gas resource estimates and comments received in response to the August 24, 2005 Request for Information. Inclusion of areas in the draft proposed lease sale schedule provides a basis for gathering information and conducting analyses to inform policy makers whether to include these areas for leasing consideration in the new 5-year program. Before the new 5-year program is approved and implemented, the MMS must accept and consider comments on the draft proposed program and issue for public review a proposed program, a draft EIS, a proposed final program, and a final EIS. Summary of the Draft Proposed Program In developing the draft proposed program for 2007-2012, the MMS considered leasing in the areas of the OCS that are included in the current 5-year program for 2002-2007 and additional areas off Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic coast. Some of these areas are currently withdrawn from disposition by leasing through June 30, 2012, under section 12 of the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1341) and have been subject to annual congressional moratoria. There will be no leasing of such areas unless the President chooses to modify the withdrawal and Congress discontinues the annual statutory moratoria. The analyses conducted for the proposed program may provide the information necessary for a potential modification of the withdrawal areas. The draft program proposes sales in offshore areas that have the highest oil and gas resource values and highest industry interest or are off the coasts of states that have expressed interest in learning more about potential energy exploration off their coasts. The proposed schedule is responsive to the recommendations of affected state and local governments. New Planning Area Boundaries On January 3, 2006, the MMS published a notice in the **Federal Register** announcing the setting of Federal OCS administrative boundaries beyond state submerged lands for planning, coordination, and administrative purposes. The Supplementary Information in the January notice contained a section entitled “methodology.” Using equidistance as a method to establish maritime boundaries, in the absence of special circumstances or agreement to the contrary, is consistent with customary domestic and international law and conventions. It should also be noted that, although the three maps appended to the January 3, 2006 Notice depicted an extension of the shelf beyond the U.S. exclusive economic zone only in the Gulf of Mexico, this did not suggest that the United States does not have an extended shelf in other areas. Further, the depicted limits and boundaries do not prejudice or affect in any way United States sovereign rights or jurisdiction within or seaward of these limits and boundaries. Some of the planning area boundaries have been moved to correspond to the new administrative lines. The number of planning areas has not changed; it remains at 26. See Maps 1 and 2 for the redrawn planning areas. Some aspects of this draft proposed plan use these administrative boundaries. Congress has recently considered several legislative proposals that would establish state seaward lateral boundaries for OCS revenue sharing and other purposes. If such legislation is passed before this plan becomes final, we would consider adjustments to the areas offered in this 5-year plan to reflect the same boundary lines, if appropriate. Proposed Lease Sales for Consideration The draft program proposes a total of 21 OCS lease sales in 7 areas (4 areas off Alaska, 2 areas in the Gulf of Mexico, and 1 area in the Atlantic). Maps A and B show the areas proposed for leasing. Table A lists the location and timing of the proposed lease sales in areas that are available for leasing consideration, *i.e.* , not withdrawn or subject to congressional moratoria. Table B lists the location and timing of the proposed lease sales in areas that are withdrawn and/or subject to moratoria. Alaska Region In the Alaska Region, the draft program proposes multiple lease sales in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas and North Aleutian Basin Planning Areas, which are three areas of interest to Alaska, the MMS, and the oil and gas industry. Multiple sales are consistent with the Governor of Alaska's recommendations. The North Aleutian Basin Planning Area is currently withdrawn by presidential order under section 12 of the OCS Lands Act. In response to the August Request for Information, the Governor of Alaska stated that “[t]he borough governments and regional Native corporations in the vicinity of the North Aleutian Basin have all expressed support for including this area in the next draft of the 2007-2012 program. During the comment period on the draft, I hope that public and industry input will provide the Secretary and the state with adequate information to decide whether or not to ask the President to lift the current withdrawal and allow a sale during the 2007-2012 program.” In order to have this opportunity, the North Aleutian Basin is included in this proposal. The Cook Inlet Planning Area is included on the schedule for a “special interest sale” as a potential source of natural gas for local residents and businesses. This approach was first used in the current program for 2002-2007. A special interest sale is one that may be held on a date chosen by the Secretary, after consideration of the comments received in response to annual calls for information. Gulf of Mexico Region In the Central and Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Areas, which are the two areas of highest resource potential and interest, the draft proposed program would continue the customary practice of scheduling annual areawide lease sales. As a result of the reconfiguration of some planning areas to follow the new administrative lines, some of the areas formerly in the Eastern and Western Gulf Planning Areas are now part of the Central Gulf Planning Area. As part of this draft proposed program, there are no lease sales scheduled in the newly configured Eastern Gulf Planning Area. Under this proposal, the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area would include a portion of the area that was identified for Sale 181 in the 5-year program for 1997-2002. This portion of the previous Sale 181 area is proposed for offering in 2007. The MMS has no intention of offering for leasing areas within 100 miles of the Florida coast that used to be part of the Eastern Gulf Planning Area. The original Sale 181 area is not under Presidential withdrawal and is not subject to congressional moratorium. Subsequent annual Central Gulf sales may consider the area to the south of the original Sale 181 area that is currently under Presidential withdrawal and has been subject to annual congressional moratorium, if both of those restrictions were to be lifted. Atlantic OCS There are four planning areas in the Atlantic OCS—North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida. The draft proposed program proposes a “special interest sale” in the Mid-Atlantic in late 2011. The area proposed for consideration is in the Mid-Atlantic Planning Area off the coastline of Virginia. In its response to the August Request for Information, Virginia expressed a willingness to continue a dialogue that explores options regarding the energy resources off its coastline. Inclusion of this area in the draft proposed program will provide additional information to the State, the public, industry, and other interested parties about the impacts of exploration off this coast. This will also provide further information to the Secretary to consider whether or not to propose a “special interest sale” in the 2007-2012 program, should the President lift the current withdrawal and should Congress discontinue the annual moratorium. In addition, pursuant to Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act, no sale will be proposed until all affected states have the opportunity to comment. There have not been any lease sales in the Atlantic since the early 1980's. At this time, there are no active leases. Table A.—Draft Proposed Program for 2007-2012—Lease Sale Schedule for Available Areas Sale no. Area Year 204 Western Gulf of Mexico 2007 205 Central Gulf of Mexico (Portion) 2007 193 Chukchi Sea 2007 206 Central Gulf of Mexico 2008 207 Western Gulf of Mexico 2008 208 Central Gulf of Mexico 2009 209 Beaufort Sea 2009 210 Western Gulf of Mexico 2009 211 Cook Inlet 2009 212 Chukchi Sea 2010 213 Central Gulf of Mexico 2010 215 Western Gulf of Mexico 2010 216 Central Gulf of Mexico 2011 217 Beaufort Sea 2011 218 Western Gulf of Mexico 2011 219 Cook Inlet 2011 221 Chukchi Sea 2012 222 Central Gulf of Mexico 2012 Table B.—Draft Proposed Program for 2007-2012—Potential Lease Sale Schedule for Areas Subject to Restrictions* Sale no. Area Year 214 North Aleutian Basin 2010 220 Mid-Atlantic 2011 223 North Aleutian Basin 2012 *Lease sales would only be held if the President chooses to modify the withdrawal in both areas and Congress discontinues the annual statutory moratorium off the coast of Virginia. Assurance of Fair Market Value Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act requires receipt of fair market value for OCS oil and gas leases and the rights they convey. The draft proposed program provides for setting minimum bid levels by individual lease sale based on market conditions and for continuing to use a two-phase bid evaluation process. Information Requested for the Draft Proposed Program We request all interested and affected parties to comment on the size, timing, and location of leasing and the procedures for assuring fair market value that are proposed in the Draft Proposed 5-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007-2012. Respondents who submitted information in response to the August 24, 2005 **Federal Register** notice requesting comments on preparing the 5-year program for 2007-2012, may wish to reference that information, as appropriate, rather than repeating it in their comments on the draft proposed program. We also invite comments and suggestions on how to proceed with the section 18 analysis for the next draft of the new program, the proposed program. Section 18(g) authorizes confidential treatment of privileged or proprietary information that is submitted. In order to protect the confidentiality of such information, respondents should include it as an attachment to other comments submitted and mark it appropriately. On request the MMS will treat such information as confidential from the time of its receipt until 5 years after approval of the new leasing program, subject to the standards of the Freedom of Information Act. The MMS will not treat as confidential any aggregate summaries of such information, the names of respondents, and comments not containing such information. Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS)Preparation In accordance with section 102(2)(C) of the NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)), MMS intends to prepare an EIS for the OCS oil and gas 5-year leasing program for 2007-2012 as we specified in the August 2005 notice. As part of the scoping under NEPA, this notice again solicits information regarding issues and alternatives that should be evaluated in the EIS. Comments submitted in response to the August notice need not be re-submitted. The EIS will address the potential impacts of the adoption of the proposed 5-year program. The MMS requests respondents to focus comments on significant environmental issues attendant to OCS oil and gas leasing and development which should be evaluated in the EIS. Public Scoping Meetings are planned for the EIS development. Further information will be posted on the 5-year webpage at *www.mms.gov* and other public notice. Dates and localities for all scoping meetings are being determined. For Atlantic scoping, information can be obtained from Norman Froomer at 703-787-1644 or via e-mail at *Norman.Froomer@mms.gov.* For Alaska scoping, information can be obtained from the Alaska OCS Region at 1-800-764-2627 or via e-mail at *akwebmaster@mms.gov.* For Gulf of Mexico scoping, information can be obtained from Dennis Chew at 504-736-2793 or via e-mail at *Dennis.Chew@mms.gov.* We are considering possible alternatives to the proposed action, such as offering for lease only those areas offered during the previous 5-year program, or excluding areas currently under congressional moratoria or presidential withdrawal. We will also evaluate the No Action alternative as required by NEPA and its implementing regulations. For further information about preparation of the EIS, contact: James Bennett, Chief, Branch of Environmental Assessment at the Minerals Management Service, 381 Elden Street, MS 4042, Herndon, Virginia 20170, telephone

(703)787-1660. Next Steps in the Process The MMS plans to issue the proposed program and draft EIS in mid-summer 2006 for a 90-day comment period. We plan to issue the proposed final program and final EIS in winter 2007. The Secretary may approve the new 5-year program 60 days later to go into effect as of July 1, 2007. Dated: February 1, 2006. R.M. Johnnie Burton, Director, Minerals Management Service. BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P EN10FE06.087 EN10FE06.088 EN10FE06.089 EN10FE06.090 [FR Doc. 06-1307 Filed 2-9-06; 8:45 am]

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Reimbursements for reproduction and processing costs.
§ 250.196

4 references not yet in our index

43 CFR 3422
43 CFR 3400
43 CFR 3422.1(a)
43 CFR 2

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Notices

Notice of availability of the Chas Coal LLC lease by application KYES-50213 environmental assessment and Federal coal notice of public hearing, and request for Environmental Assessment, Maximum Economic Recovery, and Fair Market Value comments

Cite43 CFR 3422

Cite43 CFR 3400

Cite43 CFR 3422.1(a)

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