Section 2 of the Classification and Multiple Use Act of September 19, 1964 (78 Stat. 986, 43 U.S.C. 1412), requires the Secretary of the Interior to take certain actions when he proposes the classification for sale or other disposal under any statute of a tract of land in excess of 2,560 acres.
The authorized officer shall publish a notice of his proposed classification in the Federal Register and an announcement in a newspaper having general circulation in the area or areas in the vicinity of the affected land. The notice shall include the legal description of the affected land, the law or laws under which the lands would be disposed of together with such other information as the authorized officer deems pertinent. Copies of the notice will be sent to the head of the governing body of the political subdivision of the State, if any, having jurisdiction over zoning in the geographic area within which the affected lands are located, the governor of that State and the BLM multiple use advisory board in that State, the land-use planning officer and land-use planning committees, if any, of the county, in which the affected lands are located, the authorized user or users of the lands or their selected representatives, all petitioner-applicants involved, and any other party the authorized officer determines to have an interest in the proper use of the lands. The authorized officer will hold a public hearing on the proposal if (a) the proposed classification will affect more than 25,000 acres or (b) he determines that sufficient public interest exists to warrant the time and expense of a hearing.
After having considered the comments received as the result of publication, the authorized officer may classify the lands any time after the expiration of 60 days following the publication of the proposed classification in the Federal Register. The authorized officer shall publicize the classification in the same manner as the proposed classification was publicized, indicating in the notice the differences, if any, between the proposed classification and the classification.
For a period of 30 days after publication in the Federal Register of a notice of classification for disposal, the classification shall be subject to the exercise of supervisory authority by the Secretary of the Interior for the purpose of administrative review. If, 30 days from date of publication, the Secretary has neither on his own motion, on motion of any protestant or the State Director exercised supervisory authority for review, the classification shall become the final order of the Secretary. The exercise of supervisory authority by the Secretary shall automatically vacate the classification and reinstate the proposed classification together with its segregative effect. In this event the final departmental decision shall be issued by the Secretary and published in the Federal Register.
(a) Publication in the Federal Register of a notice of proposed classification pursuant to § 2462.1 or of a notice of classification pursuant to § 2462.2 will segregate the affected land from all forms of disposal under the public land laws, including the mining laws except the form or forms of disposal for which it is proposed to classify the lands. However, publication will not alter the applicability of the public land laws governing the use of the lands under lease, license, or permit, or governing the disposal of their mineral and vegetative resources, other than under the mining laws.
(b) The segregative effect of a proposed classification will terminate in one of the following ways:
(1) Classification of the lands within 2 years of publication of the notice of proposed classification in the Federal Register;
(2) Publication in the Federal Register of a notice of termination of the proposed classification;
(3) An Act of Congress;
(4) Expiration of a 2-year period from the date of publication of the notice of proposed classification without continuance as prescribed by the Classification and Multiple Use Act of September 19, 1964 (78 Stat. 986, 43 U.S.C. 1411-18), or expiration of an additional period, not exceeding 2 years, if the required notice of proposed continuance is given.
(c) The segregative effect of a classification for sale or other disposal will terminate in one of the following ways:
(1) Disposal of the lands;
(2) Publication in the Federal Register of a notice of termination of the classification;
(3) An Act of Congress;
(4) Expiration of 2 years from the date of publication of the proposed classification without disposal of the land and without the notice of proposed continuance as prescribed by the Classification and Multiple Use Act; or
(5) Expiration of an additional period, not exceeding 2 years, if the required notice of proposed continuance is given.