Notice2024-11595
Land Acquisition Nomination and Ranking Process for Funds Made Available Through the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act Reauthorization of 2018
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 28, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
The Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act and the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act Reauthorization of 2018 (FLTFA) require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to provide public notice of new procedures to identify, by State, inholdings of land or interests therein for which the landowner has indicated a desire to sell to the United States and to prioritize the acquisition of inholdings in accordance with the FLTFA. The FLTFA land acquisition program is managed through an Interagency Implementation Agreement among the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and National Park Service (NPS) (collectively referred to as the Agencies).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 103 (Tuesday, May 28, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 28, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46157-46158]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11595]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_HQ_FRN_MO4500177674]
Land Acquisition Nomination and Ranking Process for Funds Made
Available Through the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act
Reauthorization of 2018
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of nomination and ranking process.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act and the Federal
Land Transaction Facilitation Act Reauthorization of 2018 (FLTFA)
require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture
to provide public notice of new procedures to identify, by State,
inholdings of land or interests therein for which the landowner has
indicated a desire to sell to the United States and to prioritize the
acquisition of inholdings in accordance with the FLTFA. The FLTFA land
acquisition program is managed through an Interagency Implementation
Agreement among the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (FWS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and National Park
Service (NPS) (collectively referred to as the Agencies).
DATES: The processes identified in this notice will take effect
immediately upon publication of this notice. They will remain in effect
until changed by the Agencies and announced through a notice published
in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erica Pionke, BLM Headquarters Office,
(202) 570-2624 or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0a6f7a636564616f4a686667246d657c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6702170e08090c0227050b0a49000811">[email protected]</span></a>. 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 FLTFA was reauthorized on March 23,
2018, under title III of Public Law 115-141 (43 U.S.C. 2301 through
2306). The FLTFA allows the Agencies to use proceeds from the sale or
exchange of public land to purchase lands or interests therein in
Alaska and the 11 contiguous Western States of Arizona, California,
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington,
and Wyoming. The FLTFA requires public notification of the procedures
used to identify, by State, inholdings of land or interests therein for
which the landowner has indicated a desire to sell to the United States
and to prioritize the acquisition of inholdings. The FLTFA does not
require the Agencies to acquire any land or interest in land that has
been nominated by a willing landowner.
Definitions in the FLTFA Which Are Used in This Notice
(a) Exceptional resource means a resource of scientific, natural,
historic, cultural, recreational access and use, or other recreational
value that has been documented by a Federal, State, or local
governmental authority, and for which there is a compelling need for
conservation and protection under the jurisdiction of a Federal agency
in order to maintain the resource for the benefit of the public.
(b) Federally designated area means land in Alaska and the 11
contiguous Western States of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming that
is within the boundary of:
(1) A national monument, area of critical environmental concern,
national conservation area, national riparian conservation area,
national scenic area, research natural area, national outstanding
natural area, priority species and habitats designated in a land use
plan in accordance with subpart E (entitled ``Fish and Wildlife'') of
part I of appendix C of BLM Land Use Planning Handbook H-1601-1 (Rel 1-
1693), a special recreation management area, or a national natural
landmark managed by the BLM;
(2) A unit of the National Park System;
(3) A unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System;
(4) A National Forest or National Grassland in the National Forest
System; or
(5) An area within which the Secretary of the Interior or the
Secretary of Agriculture is otherwise authorized by law to acquire
lands or interests therein that is designated as:
(i) Wilderness under the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.);
(ii) A wilderness study area;
(iii) A component of the Wild and Scenic Rivers System under the
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq.); or
(iv) A component of the National Trails System under the National
Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1241 et seq.).
(c) Inaccessible lands that are open to public hunting, fishing,
recreational shooting, or other recreational purposes means public
lands (as defined in section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702)) in Alaska and the 11
contiguous Western States consisting of at least 640 contiguous acres
on which the public is allowed under Federal or State law to hunt,
fish, target shoot or use the land for other recreational purposes,
but:
(1) To which there is no public access or egress; or
(2) To which public access or egress to the land is significantly
restricted, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior.
(d) Inholding means any right, title, or interest, held by a non-
Federal entity, in or to a tract of land that lies within the boundary
of a federally designated area.
(e) Public land means public lands as defined in section 103 of the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702).
Nomination of Land or Interest on Land for Acquisition by the Agencies
Effective upon publication of this notice, at any time, a landowner
or their authorized representative may nominate their land for
acquisition by the Agencies if their land meets the following criteria:
(a) The landowner must be a citizen of the United States or an
entity that is lawfully authorized to conduct business in the relevant
State and who voluntarily indicated a desire to sell land or interest
in land to the United States;
(b) The nominated parcel must be located in Alaska or any of the 11
contiguous Western States of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming; and
(c) The nominated parcel must either:
(1) Meet the criteria to be identified as an inholding, which is
located within a federally designated area;
(2) Be located adjacent to a federally designated area and contain
exceptional resources; or
(3) Be adjacent to inaccessible lands open to public hunting,
fishing, recreational shooting, or other recreational purposes.
Nominations may be presented to a local BLM Field Office; FWS
Refuge
[[Page 46158]]
Office; USFS Supervisor's Office; or NPS Park Office having
jurisdiction over the federally designated area in proximity to the
nominated parcel. The acquisition of land or interest in land nominated
by a landowner is a discretionary action by the Agencies and not
required by the FLTFA.
Procedures Used To Prioritize Land or Interest in Land Nominated for
Acquisition by the Agencies
Nominations to sell land or interest in land to the United States
is subject to available funding and will be prioritized and reviewed by
the following groups:
(a) Regional Interagency FLTFA Team (Regional Team) consisting of
at least one member from each of the Agencies having jurisdiction over
the nominated parcel. Each State listed in this notice shall have a
Regional Team;
(b) State and regional leadership consisting of the BLM State
Director; Regional Directors of the FWS and NPS; and Regional Forester
for the USFS;
(c) A National Interagency FLTFA Team consisting of one or more
representatives from each of the Agencies (FLTFA Team); and an
Executive Committee consisting of the BLM Director; the FWS Director;
the FS Chief; and the NPS Director, or their designated representative.
Funds made available under the FLTFA shall be supplemental to any
funds appropriated under the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
Act (16 U.S.C. 4601-4 et seq.).
Upon receipt from its local office of a nomination to sell land or
interest in land to the United States, the nominating Agency will make
a discretionary determination if the parcel fits within the priorities
of the Agency; if the parcel provides a benefit to the federally
designated area; and other criteria as determined by the Agency. If the
Agency determines to move forward with the acquisition, it will submit
a request for funding to the Regional Team having jurisdiction over the
nominated parcel. The Regional Team will first determine if there are
sufficient funds available within the State having jurisdiction over
the nominated parcel to complete the acquisition. Contributions from
the LWCF will be identified by the submitting Agency at the time of
submission. If sufficient funds are available, the Regional Team will
review and rank the nomination based on the public benefits of a
potential acquisition and availability of funds. The Regional Team will
then forward the proposal to the State and Regional Leadership for
review and concurrence of the recommendation. Nominations approved by
the State and Regional Leadership will then be forwarded to the FLTFA
Team, whose duties are to consolidate nominations from multiple regions
and develop a ranking recommendation to present to the Executive
Committee for final funding approval. The proposed acquisition may be
re-submitted in the future if sufficient funds are not available within
the State having jurisdiction over the nominated parcel to complete the
acquisition. There is no process for appeal if a nominated parcel is
not selected or approved for funding.
(Authority: 43 U.S.C. 2301 through 2306)
Lonny R. Bagley,
Acting Assistant Director, Energy, Minerals and Realty Management,
Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2024-11595 Filed 5-24-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-29-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 28, 2024.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.