The first step in obtaining segregation of lands for Carey Act development shall be the filing of an application in the appropriate State office of the Bureau of Land Management requesting that the authorized officer make a determination regarding the suitability and availability of lands for a Carey Act Project. The application shall consist of a map of lands proposed to be reclaimed, containing sufficient detail to clearly show which lands are included in the Project, the mode of irrigation and the source of water. The map shall bear a certification by the State official authorized to file the application that the lands are applied for subject to the provisions of subpart 2093 of this title.

The authorized officer shall evaluate the suitability and availability of the lands for agricultural development under the Carey Act utilizing the criteria and procedures in part 2400 of this title.

If it is determined that lands are suitable and available for agricultural development under the Carey Act, the State shall submit the following, in duplicate, to the appropriate Bureau of Land Management office (43 CFR part 1821):

(a) A plan of development that includes:

(1) A report on the economic feasibility of the project and the availability of an adequate supply of water to thoroughly irrigate and reclaim the lands to raise ordinary agricultural crops.

(2) Procedures for avoiding or mitigating adverse environmental impacts and for rehabilitation of the lands if all or part of the project fails.

(3) A map in sufficient detail to show the proposed major irrigation works and the lands to be irrigated. Map material and dimensions shall be as prescribed by the authorized officer and shall be drawn to a scale not greater than 1,000 feet to 1 inch. The map shall connect canals, pipelines larger than 8 inches in diameter, reservoirs and other major facilities in relationship to public survey lines or corners, where present. The map shall show other data as needed to enable retracement of the proposed major irrigation works on the ground. The engineer who prepared the map shall certify that the system depicted therein is accurately and fully represented and that the system proposed is sufficient to fully reclaim the lands.

(4) Additional data concerning the specifics of the plan and its feasibility as required by the authorized officer.

(b) A grant contract in a form prescribed by the Director, Bureau of Land Management, in duplicate, signed by the authorized State official, shall also be filed. A carbon copy of the contract shall not be accepted. The person who signs the contract on behalf of the State shall furnish evidence of his/her authority to do so. The contract shall obligate the State to all terms and conditions of the Act and all specifications of the approved plan, and shall obligate the United States to issue patents to the State upon actual reclamation of the lands according to the plan or to settlers who are its assignees, as provided in subpart 2093 of this title.

(a) After making a determination that the proposed project is economically feasible, that sufficient water can be furnished to thoroughly irrigate and reclaim the lands, that measures to avoid or mitigate adverse environmental impacts and to rehabilitate the lands if the project fails are adequate, and that State laws and regulations concerning the disposal of the lands to actual settlers are not contrary to the provisions and restrictions of the Act, the authorized officer may approve the plan. Before making this determination and approving the plan, the authorized officer may, in agreement with the State, modify the plan.

(b) Upon approval of the plan, the grant contract may be signed by the Secretary of the Interior, or an officer in the Office of the Secretary who has been appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. A notice that the contract has been signed and the lands are segregated shall be published in the Federal Register. As a condition to entering into the contract, the Secretary or his delegate may require additional terms and conditions. If such is done, the new contract form shall be returned to the State for signing.

(c) The contract is not final and binding until approved by the President.

(d) After the plan has been approved, and the contract signed and approved, the lands may be entered by the State and its agents for reclamation and for residency, if appropriate.

Properly filed applications under § 2611.1-1 or § 2611.1-3 of this title shall have priority over any subsequently filed agricultural applications for lands within the project boundaries. However, the rejection of a Carey Act application will not preclude subsequent agricultural development under another authority.

(a) The States are allowed 10 years from the date of the signing of the contract by the Secretary in which to cause the lands to be reclaimed. If the State fails in this, the State Director may, in his discretion, extend the period for up to 5 years, or may restore the lands to the public domain at the end of the 10 years or any extension thereof. If actual construction of the reclamation works has not been commenced within 3 years after the segregation of the land or within such further period not exceeding 3 years as may be allowed for that purpose by the State Director, the State Director may, in his discretion, restore the lands to the public domain.

(b) All applications for extensions of the period of segregation must be submitted to the State Director. Such applications will be entertained only upon the showing of circumstances which prevent compliance by the State with the requirements within the time allowed, which, in the judgment of the State Director, could not have been reasonably anticipated or guarded against, such as the distruction of irrigation works by storms, floods, or other unavoidable casualties, unforeseen structural or physical difficulties encountered in the operations, or errors in surveying and locating needed ditches, canals, or pipelines.

When the canals, ditches, pipelines, reservoirs or other facilities required by the plan of development will be located on public lands not applied for by the State under the Carey Act, an application for right-of-way over such lands under Title V of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1761 et seq.), shall be filed separately by the proposed constructor. Rights-of-way shall be approved simultaneously with the approval of the plan, but shall be conditioned on approval of the contract.