43 C.F.R. PART 2360—NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE IN ALASKA
Title 43 - Public Lands: Interior
Source: 42 FR 28721, June 3, 1977, unless otherwise noted.
The purpose of the regulations in this subpart is to provide procedures for the protection and control of environmental, fish and wildlife, and historical or scenic values in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska pursuant to the provisions of the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 (90 Stat. 303; 42 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.). The objective of this subpart is to provide for the protection of the environmental, fish and wildlife, and historical or scenic values of the Reserve so that activities which are or might be detrimental to such values will be carefully controlled to the extent consistent with the requirements of the Act for petroleum exploration of the reserve. The Naval Petroleum Reserve Production Act of 1976 (90 Stat. 303, 42 U.S.C. 6501, et seq.) is the statutory authority for these regulations. (a) The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for the surface management of the reserve and protection of the surface values from environmental degradation, and to prepare rules and regulations necessary to carry out surface management and protection duties. (b) The U.S. Geological Survey is responsible for management of the continuing exploration program during the interim between the transfer of jurisdiction from the U.S. Navy to the U.S. Department of the Interior and the effective date of any legislation for a permanent development and production program to enforce regulations and stipulations which relate to the exploration of petroleum resources of the Reserve, and to operate the South Barrow gas field or such other fields as may be necessary to supply gas at reasonable and equitable rates to the Native village of Barrow and other communities and installations at or near Point Barrow, Alaska, and to installations of the Department of Defense and other agencies of the U.S. located at or near Point Barrow, Alaska. As used in this subpart, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (a) Act means the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 (90 Stat. 303, 42 U.S.C. 6501, et seq.). (b) Authorized officer means any employee of the Bureau of Land Management who has been delegated the authority to perform the duties of this subpart. (c) Exploration means activities conducted on the Reserve for the purpose of evaluating petroleum resources which include crude oil, gases of all kinds (natural gas, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, helium, and any others), natural gasoline, and related hydrocarbons (tar sands, asphalt, propane butane, etc.), oil shale and the products of such resources. (d) Reserve means those lands within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (prior to June 1, 1977, designated Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4) which was established by Executive order of the President, dated February 27, 1923, except for tract Numbered 1 as described in Public Land Order 2344 (the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory—surface estate only) dated April 24, 1961. (e) Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior. (f) Special areas means areas within the reserve identified by the Secretary of the Interior as having significant subsistence, recreational, fish and wildlife, or historical or scenic value and, therefore, warranting maximum protection of such values to the extent consistent with the requirements of the Act for the exploration of the Reserve. (g) Use authorization means a written approval of a request for use of land or resources. (a) Subject to valid existing rights, all lands within the exterior boundaries of the Reserve are reserved and withdrawn from all forms of entry and disposition under the public land laws, including the mining and mineral leasing laws, and all other Acts. (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section, the Secretary is authorized to: (1) Make dispositions of mineral materials pursuant to the Act of July 31, 1947 (61 Stat. 681), as amended (30 U.S.C. 601), for appropriate use by Alaska Natives. (2) Make such dispositions of mineral materials and grant such rights-of-way, licenses, and permits as may be necessary to carry out his responsibilities under the Act. (3) Convey the surface of lands properly selected on or before December 18, 1975, by Native village corporations pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1601, et seq.). (c) All other provisions of law heretofore enacted and actions heretofore taken reserving such lands as a Reserve shall remain in full force and effect to the extent not inconsistent with the Act. (d) To the extent not inconsistent with the Act, all other public land laws are applicable. (a) The authorized officer shall take such action, including monitoring, as he deems necessary to mitigate or avoid unnecessary surface damage and to minimize ecological disturbance throughout the reserve to the extent consistent with the requirements of the Act for the exploration of the reserve. (b) The Cooperative Procedures of January 18, 1977, for National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Geological Survey (GS) (42 FR 4542, January 25, 1977) provides the procedures for the mutual cooperation and interface of authority and responsibility between GS and BLM concerning petroleum exploration activities (i.e., geophysical and drilling operations), the protection of the environment during such activities in the Reserve, and other related activities. (c) Maximum protection measures shall be taken on all actions within the Utikok River Uplands, Colville River, and Teshekpuk Lake special areas, and any other special areas identified by the Secretary as having significant subsistence, recreational, fish and wildlife, or historical or scenic value. The boundaries of these areas and any other special areas identified by the Secretary shall be identified on maps and be available for public inspection in the Fairbanks District Office. In addition, the legal description of the three special areas designated herein and any new areas identified hereafter will be published in the (1) Rescheduling activities and use of alternative routes, (2) types of vehicles and loadings, (3) limiting types of aircraft in combination with minimum flight altitudes and distances from identified places, and (4) special fuel handling procedures. (d) Recommendations for additional special areas may be submitted at any time to the authorized officer. Each recommendation shall contain a description of the values which make the area special, the size and location of the area on appropriate USGS quadrangle maps, and any other pertinent information. The authorized officer shall seek comments on the recommendation(s) from interested public agencies, groups, and persons. These comments shall be submitted along with his recommendation to the Secretary. Pursuant to section 104(b) of the Act, the Secretary may designate that area(s) which he determines to have special values requiring maximum protection. Any such designated area shall be identified in accordance with the provision of §2361.1(c) of this subpart. (e)(1) To the extent consistent with the requirements of the Act and after consultation with appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies and Native organizations, the authorized officer may limit, restrict, or prohibit use of and access to lands within the Reserve, including special areas. On proper notice as determined by the authorized officer, such actions may be taken to protect fish and wildlife breeding, nesting, spawning, lambing of calving activity, major migrations of fish and wildlife, and other environmental, scenic, or historic values. (2) The consultation requirement in §2361.1(e)(1) of this subpart is not required when the authorized officer determines that emergency measures are required. (f) No site, structure, object, or other values of historical archaelogical, cultural, or paleontological character, including but not limited to historic and prehistoric remains, fossils, and artifacts, shall be injured, altered, destroyed, or collected without a current Federal Antiquities permit. (a) Except for petroleum exploration which has been authorized by the Act, use authorizations must be obtained from the authorized officer prior to any use within the Reserve. Only those uses which are consistent with the purposes and objectives of the Act will be authorized. (b) Except as may be limited, restricted, or prohibited by the authorized officer pursuant to §2361.1 of this subpart or otherwise, use authorizations are not required for (1) subsistence uses (e.g., hunting, fishing, and berry picking) and (2) recreational uses (e.g., hunting, fishing, backpacking, and wildlife observation). (c) Applications for use authorizations shall be filed in accordance with applicable regulations in this chapter. In the absence of such regulation, the authorized officer may make such dispositions absence of such regulations, the author-of mineral materials and grant such rights-of-way, licenses, and permits as may be necessary to carry out his responsibilities under the Act. (d) In addition to other statutory or regulatory requirements, approval of applications for use authorizations shall be subject to such terms and conditions which the authorized officer determines to be necessary to protect the environmental, fish and wildlife, and historical or scenic values of the Reserve. Any person who violates or fails to comply with regulations of this subpart is subject to prosecution, including trespass and liability for damages, pursuant to the appropriate laws.
Title 43: Public Lands: Interior
PART 2360—NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE IN ALASKA
Section Contents
§ 2361.0-1 Purpose.
§ 2361.0-2 Objectives.
§ 2361.0-3 Authority.
§ 2361.0-4 Responsibility.
§ 2361.0-5 Definitions.
§ 2361.0-6 [Reserved]
§ 2361.0-7 Effect of law.
§ 2361.1 Protection of the environment.
§ 2361.2 Use authorizations.
§ 2361.3 Unauthorized use and occupancy.
Subpart 2361—Management and Protection of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska
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§ 2361.0-1 Purpose.
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§ 2361.0-2 Objectives.
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§ 2361.0-3 Authority.
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§ 2361.0-4 Responsibility.
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§ 2361.0-5 Definitions.
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§ 2361.0-6 [Reserved]
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§ 2361.0-7 Effect of law.
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§ 2361.1 Protection of the environment.
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§ 2361.2 Use authorizations.
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§ 2361.3 Unauthorized use and occupancy.
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