As a result of the Alaska Lands Act $163,000 and 2 additional positions are being requested for Mining Law Administration to implement various sections of the Act. One position and $58,000 of this increase will be used to implement Sections 402/404 of the Act and will provide for inventories to be used in the Bureau's land use planning system, compliance checks under 43 C.F.R. 3809 and recordation of mining claims under 43 C.F.R. 3833. Procurement of aerial photographs to monitor mining activities will be a major cost item. $13,000 will be used to implement Section 605 of the Act. This will provide funds for mining claim adjudication. $92,000 and one position will be used to implement Section 905(a) of the Act. This will enable the Bureau to conduct mineral in character examinations and prepare appropriate reports on 50 native allotments.

The object class detail for this proposed $457,000 increase is as follows:

Mineral Leasing - Base Program

The nation relies on Federal lands for 40 percent of domestic sodium production, 12 percent of domestic phosphate production, and 86 percent of domestic potash production. However, significant mineral imports are still needed to meet national demand. For example, 60 percent of the potash consumed in the United States annually is now imported.

BLM administers approximately 480 existing non-energy mineral leases and 244 permits. The program provides for processing applications, making field exans, preparing necessary environmental analyses, and conducting compliance checks to assure proper application of protective stipulations in the leases or pemits. This program also provides mineral expertise to support other BLM resource management activities such as withdrawals, exchanges, and grazing environmental impact statements.

In FY 1979 receipts from nomenergy mineral leases amounted to $40 million; and they are estimated to be $45 million in FY 1980, $50 million in FY 1981, and $55 million in FY 1982. The majority of receipts are royalties from production.

The backlog of 150 leases which were overdue for renewal or readjustment at the beginning of FY 1981 is expected to increase by 10 by the beginning of FY 1982.

Since

Delay in issuing minimum royalty regulations for nonenergy minerals has resulted in a backlog of approximately 160 leases awaiting renewal for readjustment of terms. The regulations are intended to encourage production and to insure a fair return to the Treasury for disposition of mineral rights. Less than 20% of existing leases are currently in production. the regulations are now final, BLM needs added capability to process the pending backlog expeditiously, and clear the way for production. The requested increase includes $148,000 to enable the Bureau to address the pending actions on 150 additional leases in FY 1982, leaving only 10 holdover actions pending.

The object class detail for this proposed $148,000 increase is as follows:

43 U.S.C. 1748 $43,264

P.L. 94-579

P.L. 95-352

43 U.S.C. 1713 P.L. 94-579

43 U.S.C. 1714

43 U.S.C. 1716

43 U.S.C. 1721

Authorization

The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), Section 318 (a) and (b), and the Quadrennial Authorization Act of 1978 authorize the appropriation of such sums as are necessary to carry out the purposes and provisions of FLPMA based on a period of four fiscal years.

The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), authorizes the Secretary:

- to sell a tract of public land if the sale
of such tract meets certain disposal criteria;

- to review, over fifteen years, certain withdrawals existing as of October 21, 1976, to determine whether, and for how long, the existing withdrawal should be continued;

- to exchange public lands if the public interest will be well-served by making that exchange;

- to convey omitted public lands to a qualified occupant if it is in the public interest to do

4-939 0-80-5

43 U.S.C. 1722

43 U.S.C. 1732

43 U.S.C. 1744

43 U.S.C. 1761-1771

43 U.S.C. 1711

30 U.S.C. 185 P.L. 66-146

43 U.S.C. 315 48 Stat. 1269 P.L. 73-482

43 U.S.C. 1616

to process by October 21, 1981 all applications for unintentional trespass filed under the Act of September 26, 1968 and sale of those lands as appropriate;

to manage the use, occupancy, and development
of the public lands through leases and permits;

to record mining claims that have been filed;

to determine whether public lands are suitable for
right-of-way purposes (other than those for oil
and gas pipelines) and to specify the boundaries of
each right-of-way; and

to prepare and maintain inventories of all public lands.

Section 28 of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920,
as amended, authorizes the Secretary to determine
whether public lands are suitable for oil and gas
pipeline rights-of-way.

Section 7 of the Taylor Grazing Act authorizes
the Secretary to classify lands within grazing
districts or withdrawn or reserved by Executive
Orders 6910 and 6964 1/, and to open lands as
appropriate to entry, selection, or disposal after
classification. Disposal, settlement, or occupation
of such lands are not permitted before classifica-
tion and opening.

Section 17 (d) of the Alaska Native Claims Settle-
ment Act authorizes the Secretary to classify or
reclassify lands in Alaska and to withdraw 2/ or open
such lands as appropriate after classification.

1/ Executive Order 6910 (November 26, 1934) and Executive Order 6964 (February 5, 1935) withdrew all public lands, with certain exceptions (including Alaska), from settlement, location, sale or entry under the nonmineral public land laws.

2/ Under various Public Land Orders, public lands in Alaska are subject to classification and reclassification and have been withdrawn from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, with some exceptions, including State selections, location and entry under the mining laws, except locations for metalliferous minerals (30 U.S.C. 2); and leasing under the Mineral Leasing Act of February 25, 1920, as amended (30 U.S.c. Sections 181-287 (1970)).