Rule2025-13391
Rescission of Regulations Regarding Annual Fees for Oil Shale Placer Mining Claims
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
July 17, 2025
Effective
September 15, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
This direct final rule rescinds the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) regulations that address the payment of annual maintenance fees for oil shale placer mining claims under the U.S. mining laws.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 135 (Thursday, July 17, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 135 (Thursday, July 17, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 33330-33332]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-13391]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
43 CFR Part 3834
[Docket No. BLM-2025-0014; Order #4820000251; Order #02412-014-004-
047181.0]
RIN 1004-AF35
Rescission of Regulations Regarding Annual Fees for Oil Shale
Placer Mining Claims
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Direct final rule; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: This direct final rule rescinds the Bureau of Land
Management's (BLM) regulations that address the payment of annual
maintenance fees for oil shale placer mining claims under the U.S.
mining laws.
DATES: The final rule is effective September 15, 2025, unless
significant adverse comments are received by August 18, 2025. If
significant adverse comments are received, notice will be published in
the Federal Register before the effective date either withdrawing the
rule or issuing a new final rule that responds to significant adverse
comments.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
In the Search box, enter the Docket Number ``BLM-2025-0014'' and click
the ``Search'' button. Follow the instructions at this website.
<bullet> Mail, personal, or messenger delivery: U.S. Department of
the Interior, Director (630), Bureau of Land Management, 1849 C St. NW,
Room 5646, Washington, DC 20240, Attention: 1004-AF35.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kirk Rentmeister, National Mining Law
Program Lead, telephone: 775-435-5514; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a1cad3c4cfd5ccc4c8e1c3cdcc8fc6ced7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2e455c4b405a434b476e4c424300494158">[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. For a summary of the final rule, please see the
abstract description of the document in Docket Number BLM-2025-0014 on
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of the Interior's
(Department) regulations governing payment of maintenance, location,
and oil shale fees for mining claims and sites under the U.S. mining
laws are contained in 43 CFR part 3834. Section 3834.11 addresses which
fees mining claim owners must pay and when the fees must be paid. Upon
reviewing these regulations, the Department has determined that
paragraph (b) of 43 CFR 3834.11 should be rescinded due to obsolescence
resulting from the fact that there are no longer any oil shale placer
mining claims in the Bureau of Land Management's records. The content
of existing paragraph (a) of 43 CFR 3834.11 will become the entire
remaining section. The only changes made to the content of the existing
section is to remove ``(except oil shale placer claims)'' from the
introductory language in paragraph (a) and to redesignate the remaining
section paragraphs.
The Department has determined that this reason, independently and
alone, justifies rescission of 43 CFR 3834.11(b). The Department has no
interest in maintaining a rule that is obsolete.
[[Page 33331]]
The Department is issuing this rule as a direct final rule.
Although the Administrative Procedure Act (APA, 5 U.S.C. 551-559)
generally requires agencies to engage in notice and comment rulemaking,
section 553 of the APA provides an exception when the agency ``for good
cause finds'' that notice and comment are ``impracticable, unnecessary,
or contrary to the public interest.'' Id. section 553(b)(B). The
Department has determined that notice and comment are unnecessary
because this rule is noncontroversial; of a minor, technical nature;
involves little agency discretion; and is unlikely to receive any
significant adverse comments. Significant adverse comments are those
that oppose the rescission of the rule and raise, alone or in
combination; (1) reasons why the rescission of the rule is
inappropriate, including challenges to the rescission's underlying
premise, or (2) serious unintended consequences of the rescission. A
comment recommending an addition to the rule will not be considered
significant and adverse unless the comment explains how this direct
final rule would be ineffective without the addition.
Procedural Matters
Executive Order (E.O.) 12866--Regulatory Planning and Review and E.O.
13563--Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review
E.O. 12866 provides that the Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs (OIRA) in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will review
all significant rules. OIRA has determined that this rule is not
significant.
E.O. 13563 reaffirms the principles of E.O. 12866, while calling
for improvements in the Nation's regulatory system to promote
predictability, reduce uncertainty, and use the best, most innovative,
and least burdensome tools for achieving regulatory ends. E.O. 13563
directs agencies to consider regulatory approaches that reduce burdens
and maintain flexibility and freedom of choice for the public where
these approaches are relevant, feasible, and consistent with regulatory
objectives. E.O. 13563 emphasizes further that agencies must base
regulations on the best available science and that the rulemaking
process must allow for public participation and an open exchange of
ideas. The Department developed this rule in a manner consistent with
these requirements.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA, 5 U.S.C. 601 through 612)
requires an agency to prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis for all
rules unless the agency certifies that the rule will not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
The RFA applies only to rules for which an agency is required to first
publish a proposed rule. See 5 U.S.C. 603(a) and 604(a). As the
Department is not required to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking
for this direct final rule, the RFA does not apply.
Congressional Review Act
This rule is not a major rule under the Congressional Review Act, 5
U.S.C. 804(2). Specifically, the direct final rule: (a) will not have
an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (b) will not
cause a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, individual
industries, Federal, State, or local government agencies, or geographic
regions; and (c) will not have significant adverse effects on
competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or on
the ability of United States-based enterprises to compete with foreign-
based enterprises in domestic and export markets.
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
This rule does not impose an unfunded mandate on State, local, or
Tribal governments, or the private sector, of more than $100 million
per year. The rule does not have a significant or unique effect on
State, local, or Tribal governments, or the private sector. The rule
merely revises the Federal regulations to remove an obsolete provision
that is no longer used. Therefore, a statement containing the
information required by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1531
et seq.) is not required.
E.O. 12630--Governmental Actions and Interference With Constitutionally
Protected Property Rights
This rule does not result in a taking of private property or
otherwise have regulatory takings implications under E.O. 12630. The
rule rescinds an obsolete regulatory provision; therefore, the rule
will not result in private property being taken for public use without
just compensation. A takings implication assessment is therefore not
required.
E.O. 13132--Federalism
Under the criteria of section 1 of E.O. 13132, this rule does not
have sufficient federalism implications to warrant the preparation of a
federalism summary impact statement. This rule will not have
substantial direct effects on the States, on the relationship between
the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power
and responsibilities among the various levels of government. A
federalism summary impact statement is not required.
E.O. 12988--Civil Justice Reform
This direct final rule complies with the requirements of E.O.
12988. Among other things, this rule:
(a) Meets the criteria of section 3(a) requiring that all
regulations be reviewed to eliminate errors and ambiguity and be
written to minimize litigation;
(b) Meets the criteria of section 3(b)(2) requiring that all
regulations be written in clear language and contain clear legal
standards.
E.O. 13175--Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal
Governments
The Department of the Interior strives to strengthen its
government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes through a
commitment to consultation with Tribes and recognition of their right
to self-governance and Tribal sovereignty. The Department evaluated
this direct final rule under E.O. 13175 and the Department's
consultation policies and determined that it has no substantial, direct
effects on federally recognized Indian tribes and that consultation
under the Department's Tribal consultation policies is not required.
The rule merely revises the Federal regulations to remove unnecessary
regulatory language.
Paperwork Reduction Act
OMB previously approved the information collection activities
contained in the existing regulations and assigned OMB Control Number
1004-0114. This rule does not impose any new or materially revised
information collection requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), and a submission to the Office of Management
and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act is not required.
National Environmental Policy Act
This direct final rule does not constitute a major Federal action
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. A
detailed statement under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA,
42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) is not required because this rule is covered by
a categorical exclusion applicable to regulatory functions ``that are
of an administrative, financial, legal, technical, or procedural
nature.'' 43 CFR
[[Page 33332]]
46.210(i). In addition, the Department has determined that this rule
does not involve any of the extraordinary circumstances listed in 43
CFR 46.215 that would require further analysis under NEPA.
E.O. 13211--Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect
Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use
This direct final rule is not a significant energy action as
defined in E.O. 13211. Therefore, a Statement of Energy Effects is not
required.
List of Subjects in 43 CFR Part 3834
Mines, Public lands--mineral resources, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
Adam G. Suess,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management.
For the reasons stated in the preamble, the Bureau of Land
Management amends 43 CFR part 3834 as follows:
PART 3834--REQUIRED FEES FOR MINING CLAIMS OR SITES
0
1. Revise the authority citation for part 3834 to read as follows:
Authority: 43 U.S.C. 1201, 1740; 30 U.S.C. 28f.
Subpart A--Fee Payment
0
2. Revise Sec. 3834.11 to read as follows:
Sec. 3834.11 Which fees must I pay to maintain a mining claim or
site and when do I pay them?
For all mining claims or sites--paying the maintenance fee(s) in
lieu of performing assessment work satisfies the requirements of the
mining law and FLPMA. See Sec. 3830.21 of this chapter for fee
amounts.
(a) Location fee and initial maintenance fee. When you first record
a mining claim or site with the BLM, you must pay a location fee and an
initial maintenance fee for the assessment year in which you located
the mining claim or site.
(b) Annual maintenance fee. You must pay an annual maintenance fee
on or before September 1st of each year in order to maintain a mining
claim or site for the upcoming assessment year.
[FR Doc. 2025-13391 Filed 7-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-29-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on July 17, 2025.
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