BLM must assess the mineral values associated with the lands to be sold.  If there are no known mineral values in the land, the mineral estate will be conveyed concurrently with the surface estate.  If any mineral values are found to exist, those mineral interests will be reserved to the United States when the property is sold.

 

BLM must coordinate disposal actions with the appropriate state and local governmental entities, authorized users, adjoining land owners, and other parties that have expressed an interest.  In most cases, this coordination occurs at the beginning stages of a proposed land disposal action, and again at the conclusion when the Notice of Realty Action (see below) is published.  

 

Using the information obtained through inventory of the property and through coordination with local governments, authorized users, adjoining land owners, and interested parties, BLM completes an analysis to assess the potential impacts of the proposed disposal action.  If the analysis concludes that disposal of the land would result in impacts to resources and/or existing uses that can not be properly mitigated, the lands would likely be made unavailable for sale.

 

BLM must have the property to be sold appraised by a qualified appraiser to determine the current market value of the property.  The appraisal must then be reviewed and approved by the Department of Interior's Appraisal Services Directorate.  The minimum acceptable bid amount for a parcel of land will be established by the Federal appraisal.     

 

BLM must provide notice of the proposed sale action to the U.S. Senate and members of the House of Representatives, the Governor, the State Lands Commission, the County Board of Supervisors, adjoining land owners, authorized users, and to other known interested parties.  Notice of the proposed sale will be published in the Federal Register and in a newspaper in general circulation in the area where the lands to be sold are located.