Title 43, Part 3500 — Leasing of Solid Minerals Other Than Coal and Oil Shale

What is the authority for this part?

What is the scope of this part?

What terms do I need to know to understand this part?

What types of mineral use authorizations can I get under these rules?

Does my permit or lease grant me an exclusive right to develop the lands covered by the permit or lease?

Are there any general planning or environmental considerations that affect issuance of my permit or lease?

If BLM approves my application for a use authorization under this part, when does it become effective?

May I appeal BLM's decisions under this part?

Who may hold permits and leases?

May foreign citizens hold permits or leases?

Are there any additional restrictions on holding leases or interests in leases?

Will BLM issue a lease to me if I am not complying with the diligence requirements of the Mineral Leasing Act?

Where do I file evidence that I am qualified to hold a permit or lease?

May I supplement or update my qualifications statement?

If I am an individual, what information must I give BLM in my qualifications statement?

If I am an association or a partnership, what information must I give BLM in my qualifications statement?

If I am a guardian or trustee for a trust holding on behalf of a beneficiary, what information must I give BLM in my qualifications statement?

If I am a corporation, what information must I give BLM in my qualifications statement?

If I represent an applicant as an attorney-in-fact, do I have to submit anything to BLM?

What must I submit if there are other parties in interest?

What happens if an applicant or successful bidder for a permit or lease dies before the permit or lease is issued?

What happens to a permit or lease if the permittee or lessee dies?

What happens if the heir is not qualified?

Are all Federal lands available for leasing under this part?

Are there any other areas in which I cannot get a permit or lease for the minerals covered by this part?

For what areas may I receive a sulphur permit or lease?

For what areas may I receive a hardrock mineral permit or lease?

For what areas may I get a permit or lease for asphalt?

May I lease the gold or silver reserved to the United States on land I hold under a private land claim in New Mexico?

May I obtain permits or leases for sand and gravel in Nevada under the terms of this part?

What if another Federal agency manages the lands I am interested in?

What happens if the surface of the land I am interested in belongs to a non-Federal political subdivision or charitable organization?

When may BLM issue permits and leases for Federal minerals underlying private surface?

Does BLM incorporate any special requirements to protect the lands and resources?

How should I describe surveyed lands or lands shown on protraction or amended protraction diagrams in states which are part of the Public Land Survey System?

How should I describe lands in states which are part of the Public Land Survey System but have not been surveyed and are not shown on a protraction or amended protraction diagram?

How should I describe acquired lands?

Will BLM issue me a lease for unsurveyed lands?

Are there any size or shape limitations on the lands I can apply for?

Is there a limit to the acreage of lands I can hold under permits and leases?

How does BLM compute my acreage holdings?

Where do I file my permit or lease application and other necessary documents?

Will BLM disclose information I submit under these regulations?

When I submit confidential, proprietary information, how can I help ensure it is not available to the public?

How long will information I give BLM remain confidential or proprietary?

How will BLM treat Indian information submitted under the Indian Mineral Development Act?

How will BLM administer information concerning other Indian minerals?

When will BLM consult with Indian mineral owners when information concerning their minerals is the subject of a FOIA request?

What fees must I pay?

What forms of payment will BLM and MMS accept?

What payments do I submit to BLM and what payments do I submit to MMS?

How does BLM determine my rent?

When is my rental due after the first year of the lease?

What happens if I do not pay my rental on time?

What are the requirements for paying royalties on production?

What are the minimum royalty rates?

How will I know what the royalty rate is on my lease production?

Do I have to produce a certain amount per year?

May I create overriding royalties on my Federal lease?

Do I have to file a bond to receive a permit or lease?

How do I file my bond?

What types of bonds are acceptable?

If I have more than one permit or lease, may I combine bond coverage?

Under what circumstances might BLM elect to change the amount of my bond?

What happens to my bond if I do not meet my permit or lease obligations?

Must I restore my bond to the full amount if payment has been made from my bond?

When will BLM terminate the period of liability of my bond?

When will BLM release my bond?

What is a prospecting permit?

Do I need a prospecting permit to collect mineral specimens for non-commercial purposes?

How do I obtain a prospecting permit?

What must my application include?

Is there an acreage limit for my application?

How does BLM prioritize applications for prospecting permits?

May I amend or change my application after I file it?

May I withdraw my application after I file it?

After submitting my application, do I need to submit anything else?

What is an exploration plan?

How will I know if BLM has approved or rejected my application?

What are my obligations to BLM under an approved prospecting permit?

How long is my prospecting permit in effect?

May BLM extend the term of my prospecting permit?

Under what conditions will BLM extend my prospecting permit?

How do I apply for an extension?

What information must I include in my extension request?

If approved, when is my extension effective?

May I relinquish my prospecting permit?

What happens if I fail to pay the rental?

What happens when my permit expires?

May BLM cancel my prospecting permit for reasons other than failure to pay rental?

What is an exploration license?

What must I do to obtain an exploration license?

Who prepares and publishes the notice of exploration?

What information must I provide to BLM to include in the notice of exploration?

May others participate in the exploration program?

What will BLM do in response to my exploration license application?

After my license is issued, may I modify my license or exploration plan?

Once I have a license, what are my responsibilities?

What must I do to obtain a preference right lease?

How do I apply for a preference right lease?

Is there a fee or payment required with my application?

What information must my preference right lease application include?

What do I need to submit to show that I have found a valuable deposit?

Under what circumstances will BLM reject my application?

May I appeal BLM's rejection of my preference right lease?

What lands are available for competitive leasing?

How do I get a competitive lease?

How will BLM publish the notice of lease sale?

What information will the detailed statement of the lease sale terms and conditions include?

How will BLM conduct the sale and handle bids?

What happens if I am the successful bidder?

What happens if BLM rejects my bid?

What are future interest leases?

Under what conditions will BLM issue a future interest lease to me?

Who may apply for a future interest lease?

Do I have to pay for a future interest lease?

How do I apply for a future interest lease?

What information must I include in my application for a future interest lease?

What will BLM do after it receives my application for a future interest lease?

When does my future interest lease take effect?

For what reasons will BLM reject my application for a future interest lease?

May I withdraw my application for a future interest lease?

What are fractional interest prospecting permits and leases?

For what lands may BLM issue fractional interest prospecting permits and leases?

Who may apply for a fractional interest prospecting permit or lease?

How do I apply for a fractional interest prospecting permit or lease?

What information must I include in my application for a fractional interest prospecting permit or lease?

What will BLM do after it receives my application for a fractional interest lease?

What terms and conditions apply to my fractional interest prospecting permit or lease?

Under what conditions would BLM reject my application for a fractional interest prospecting permit or lease?

May I withdraw my application for a fractional interest prospecting permit or lease?

If I already have a Federal lease, or the mineral rights on adjacent private lands, may I lease adjoining Federal lands that contain the same deposits without competitive bidding?

What must I do to obtain a lease modification or fringe acreage lease?

What will BLM do with my application?

Do I have to pay a fee to modify my existing lease or obtain a fringe acreage lease?

What terms and conditions apply to fringe acreage leases and lease modifications?

Do certain leases allow me to mine other commodities as well?

If I am mining calcium chloride, may I obtain a noncompetitive mineral lease to produce the commingled sodium chloride?

Are there standard terms and conditions which apply to all leases?

How long will my lease be in effect?

What is meant by lease readjustment and lease renewal?

What if I object to the terms and conditions BLM proposes for a readjusted lease?

How do I renew my lease?

If I appeal BLM's proposed new terms, must I continue paying royalties or rentals while my appeal is pending?

Once BLM issues me a permit or lease, may I assign or sublease it?

Is there a fee for requesting an assignment or sublease?

How do I assign my permit or lease?

How do I sublease my lease?

How do I transfer the operating rights in my permit or lease?

Will BLM approve my assignment or sublease if I have outstanding liabilities?

Must I notify BLM if I intend to transfer an overriding royalty to another party?

If I assign my permit or lease, when do my obligations under the permit or lease end?

What are the responsibilities of a sublessor and a sublessee?

Does an assignment or sublease alter the permit or lease terms?

May BLM relieve me of the lease requirements of rental, minimum royalty, or production royalty while continuing to hold the lease?

What criteria does BLM consider in approving a waiver, suspension, or reduction in rental or minimum royalty, or a reduction in the royalty rate?

How do I apply for reduction of rental, royalties, or minimum production?

Do I have to pay a fee when I apply for a waiver, suspension, or reduction of rental, minimum royalty, production royalty, or minimum production?

How will BLM implement a reduction of rental, royalties, or minimum production?

What is a suspension of operations and production (conservation concerns)?

What is the effect of a suspension of operations and production (conservation concerns)?

How do I apply for a suspension of operations and production (conservation concerns)?

May BLM order a suspension of operations and production (conservation concerns)?

When will my suspension of operations and production (conservation concerns) take effect?

When and how does my suspension of operations and production (conservation concerns) expire or terminate?

What is a suspension of operations (economic concerns)?

What is the effect of a suspension of operations (economic concerns)?

How do I apply for a suspension of operations (economic concerns)?

When will my suspension of operations (economic concerns) take effect?

When and how does my suspension of operations (economic concerns) expire or terminate?

May I relinquish my lease or any part of my lease?

What additional information should I include in a request for partial relinquishment?

Where do I file my relinquishment?

When is my relinquishment effective?

When will BLM approve my relinquishment?

When does my lease expire?

May BLM cancel my lease?

May BLM waive cancellation or forfeiture?

Will BLM give me an opportunity to remedy a violation of the lease terms?

What if I am a purchaser and my lease is subject to cancellation?

May I exchange my lease or lease right for another mineral lease or lease right?

What regulatory provisions apply if I want to exchange a lease or lease right?

May BLM initiate an exchange?

What standards does BLM use to assess the public interest of an exchange?

Will I be notified when BLM is considering initiating an exchange that will affect my lease?

May I exchange preference rights?

What types of lands can be exchanged?

What if the lands to be exchanged are not of equal value?

May BLM require me to submit additional information?

Is BLM required to publish notice or hold a hearing?

When will BLM make a decision on the exchange?

Will BLM attach any special provisions to the exchange lease?

What are use permits?

What kinds of permits or leases allow use permits?

What activities may I conduct under a use permit?

How do I apply for a use permit?

What must I include with my application?

Is there an annual fee or charge for use of the lands?

What happens if I fail to pay the annual rental on my use permit?