[Federal Register: July 1, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 126)]
[Notices]
[Page 38192]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01jy05-120]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WO-320-1990-05-24 1A]
Mining Claim and Site Maintenance and Location Fees
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Restoration of location and maintenance fees.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is publishing this notice
to advise the mining community that the location fee for newly located
mining claims or sites has been restored from $25 to $30 per mining
claim or site. In addition, the annual maintenance fee has been
restored from $100 to $125 per mining claim or site. BLM reduced the
fees on December 8, 2004, as directed by statute. The statute further
provided that the fees would return to their formerly increased levels
when BLM had met certain conditions. These conditions have now been met
and the fees have returned to the levels that are reflected in the
regulations found at 43 CFR 3830.21 (2004). Mining claim holders must
pay a $30 location fee and a $125 maintenance fee for all mining claims
and sites recorded on or after June 30, 2005. In addition, the annual
maintenance fee due September 1, 2005, is $125 per mining claim or
site, as reflected in the current regulations.
DATES: Effective Date: The fees that are listed in 43 CFR 3830.21
(2004) are again effective as of June 30, 2005.
ADDRESSES: You may mail suggestions or inquiries to Bureau of Land
Management, Solid Minerals Group, Room 501 LS, 1849 C Street NW.,
Washington, DC 20240-0001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roger Haskins in the Solid Minerals
Group at (202) 452-0355. For assistance in reaching Mr. Haskins,
persons who use a tele-communications device for the deaf (TDD) may
call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-(800) 877-8339, 24
hours a day, 7 days a week.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 1, 2004, the Department of the
Interior adjusted the location and maintenance fees for mining claims
and sites based upon the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as required by the
Mining Law. See 69 FR 40,294. The Department increased the location fee
from $25 to $30 and increased the annual maintenance fee from $100 to
$125. The Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal
year 2005, Division E, Title I, Section 120 of Public Law 108-447 of
December 8, 2004, directed the Department of the Interior to roll back
these location and maintenance fees for mining claims and sites to
their pre-July 2004 level. This meant that, as of December 8, 2004, the
location fee was rolled back from $30 to $25 per new location and the
annual maintenance fee was rolled back from $125 to $100 per mining
claim or site. However, the 2005 Appropriations Act also provided that
the fees would return to their increased levels when the Department met
certain conditions, including establishing a plan of operations
tracking system and filing a report with Congress regarding the length
of time it takes the Department to approve proposed mining plans of
operations and recommending steps to reduce current delays. The
Department met these conditions on June 30, 2005. Therefore, in
accordance with the terms of the 2005 Appropriations Act, the fees have
returned to the rates established in 2004. Mining claim holders must
pay a $30 location fee and a $125 maintenance fee for all mining claims
and sites recorded on or after June 30, 2005. In addition, the annual
maintenance fee due September 1, 2005, is $125 per mining claim or
site. The complete listing of fees and service charges may be found at
43 CFR 3830.21 (2004).
Under the regulations at 43 CFR 3834.23(c), if a mining claimant
timely pays pre-increase fees, the BLM will provide notice to the
claimant and an opportunity to pay the difference. Although the fee
increase addressed by this notice was not directly a CPI-based
increase, the 2004 increase that has been restored was CPI-based.
Therefore, we believe that the cure provisions of the rule will apply
if a claimant timely pays $100 for a claim on or before September 1,
2005. However, the BLM will issue an additional rule before September
1, 2005, further clarifying that mining claimants may cure the filing
of an insufficient payment of fees when the fees have changed through
means other than a CPI adjustment, as was the case here.
Kathleen Clarke,
Director, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 05-13070 Filed 6-30-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P