3100 (922.KJ) P EMAIL TRANSMISSION – Instruction Memorandum No. MT-2008-008, Change 1 Expires: 9/30/2009 To: Field Managers (Montana only) From: State Director Subject: Clarification on Guidance for Coordination with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks During Oil and Gas Lease Parcel Reviews Program Areas: Oil and Gas Leasing, Fluid Minerals and Biological Resources. Purpose: This instruction memorandum provides clarification regarding the procedures for coordination with the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) during the parcel review process and identifies timeframes for the tentative sales scheduled for calendar year 2009. Following implementation of the original IM outlining the coordination procedures, a data sharing coordination meeting was held with the FWP on April 15. This meeting resulted in a decision that the Bureau of Land Management State Office will immediately begin preparing a Geographic Information System (GIS) shapefile for each parcel that we send to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Field Offices in Montana requesting leasing recommendations. This IM addresses that process. Policy/Action: Attached are the revised procedures (Attachment 1) that incorporate under Item 1, the process of the BLM State Office preparing the GIS shapefiles for each parcel leasing request that we send to the BLM Field Office for coordination with the FWP. Timeframe: This IM is effective immediately. Budget Impact: Procedures were previously in place and being used by the Field Offices. The revised procedures eliminate the need for Field Offices to prepare GIS shapefiles for each parcel. Background: The procedures identified in Attachment 1 were presented and clarified at the coordination meeting between the BLM and MT FWP Field Offices held in the BLM State Office on July 15, 2008. The Field Office should return worksheets/DNAs to the State Office within 35 days from the date that the worksheet was electronically mailed to the Field Office for leasing recommendation. Completed worksheets and stipulations should be returned to the State Office via electronic mail. The BLM Field Offices may batch incoming parcels prior to transmitting to the MT FWP for review, but should establish timeframes for this process to ensure DNAs are returned to the State Office Leasing Staff by the cut-off date if the parcel was initially sent to the BLM Field Office for review 35 days or more from the established cut-off date for the next scheduled sale. Attached is a schedule reflecting the tentative dates for the competitive sales in 2009 (Attachment 2). The schedule reflects the sale dates, the mandatory 45-day posting date and the cut-off date for each sale. The cut-off date is the last day that the State Office Leasing Staff will accept completed DNAs for parcels they are including on the upcoming Competitive Sale Notice. The State Office Leasing Staff emails to the FWP each final Competitive Sale Notice and the GIS shapefile for all of the parcels on the sale. Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: Montana State Office Handbook 3101-1 – Issuance of Leases. Coordination: We coordinated these procedures with all Montana BLM Field Offices, the State and Field Office GIS staffs and the FWP. Contact: Karen Johnson, Chief, Fluids Adjudication Section, (406) 896-5098. Signed by: Gene R. Terland Authenticated by: Kathy Ray (MT-922) 2 Attachments Distribution (w/attms.) WO(310), LS, Rm. 501 WO(210), LS, Rm. 1075 FM, Dickinson FM, South Dakota Asst. FM Glasgow Asst. FM Havre SOMT |
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