other · US Department of the Interior · Published 1995-03-08 · Effective 1995-04-07 · 60 FR 12710
Document
Document number
95-5626
Federal Register citation
60 FR 12710
CFR reference
43 CFR 2720
Type
Rule
Action
Final rule.
Category
other
Sub-agency
US Department of the Interior
Publication date
1995-03-08
Effective date
1995-04-07
Interior docket
WO-690-02-4120-24 1A
Abstract
This final rule amends 43 CFR part 2720 in order to streamline and clarify the procedures for conveying Federally-owned mineral interests to the owner of the surface estate overlying the mineral interests. Section 209 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) allows such conveyances when there are no known mineral values present, or when the reservation of the mineral rights is interfering with or precluding appropriate nonmineral development of the land that would be more beneficial than mineral development. The rule is necessary because the wording of the existing regulation has caused considerable confusion on the part of both the public and public land managers, and has been interpreted to require expensive mineral surveys in many cases where such surveys were unnecessary. The final rule will simplify the conveyance of Federally-owned mineral interests.