Notice of Realty Action: Proposed Conveyance of Public Lands for Airport Purposes in Mesa County, CO
| Published date | 21 December 2018 |
| Record Number | 2018-27848 |
| Court | Land Management Bureau |
Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 245 (Friday, December 21, 2018)
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 245 (Friday, December 21, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65719-65721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27848]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCOS08000.L71220000.FR0000.LVTFC1300040-18X]
Notice of Realty Action: Proposed Conveyance of Public Lands for
Airport Purposes in Mesa County, CO
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of realty action.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has examined certain
public lands in Mesa County, Colorado totaling 188.04 acres, and found
them suitable for conveyance to the Grand Junction Regional Airport
Authority (Airport Sponsor) under the provisions of Sec. 516 of the
Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982.
DATES: Written comments must be received no later than February 4,
2019.
ADDRESSES: Mail written comments to Wayne Werkmeister, Acting Field
Manager, BLM Grand Junction Field Office, 2815 H Road, Grand Junction,
CO 81506. Written comments may also be submitted electronically at
BLM_CO_GJ_Public_Comments@blm.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robin Lacy, Realty Specialist, BLM
Grand Junction Field Office, by email at rlacy@blm.gov or by telephone
at 970-244-3028. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339
to contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FRS
is
[[Page 65720]]
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question
with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal
business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Airport Sponsor has requested the
conveyance for a runway improvement project at the Grand Junction
Regional Airport (Airport). The subject lands are adjacent to the
northern boundary of the Airport. The proposal aligns with the
Administration's priority to restore trust and be a good neighbor by
engaging with the Airport Sponsor to provide ongoing, safe operations
at the Airport that helps to modernize America's infrastructure. The
proposal also aligns with the Administration's priority to increase
revenues to support the Department and national interests through
creating over 1,700 jobs for the local community over seven to ten
years.
The BLM proposes to convey the following described lands:
Parcel A
Ute Principal Meridian
T. 1 N, R. 1 W,
Sec. 23, S\1/2\NE\1/4\.
Parcel B
Ute Principal Meridian
T. 1 N, R. 1 E,
Sec. 19, lot 6;
Sec. 30, lots 6, 8, 9, and 11.
T. 1 N, R. 1 W,
Sec. 24, lots 2 and 3.
The area aggregates 188.04 acres.
The proposed conveyance conforms to the BLM Grand Junction Resource
Management Plan (RMP), approved August 2015. The parcels are identified
as appropriate for land tenure for airport purposes in the RMP Record
of Decision (L&R-AU-07). The BLM used the land tenure criteria found in
Sec. 203(a)(3) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA),
which states ``disposal of such tract will serve important public
objectives, including but not limited to, expansion of communities and
economic development, which cannot be achieved prudently or feasibly on
land other than public land and which outweigh other public objectives
and values, including, but not limited to, recreation and scenic
values, which would be served by maintaining such tract in Federal
ownership.''
The Airport Sponsor, through the U.S. Department of Transportation
(DOT), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has requested
conveyance of the parcels in connection with the Airport Runway
Improvement Project. The FAA determined that the public lands are
necessary for the runway improvement project. The project involves
correcting several non-standard airfield components to meet FAA design
standards and enhance public safety, which includes replacing and
relocating the primary commercial service runway, to meet FAA design
standards and enhance public safety. The existing runway will remain in
use until the new runway is constructed. The FAA has determined that
the identified public lands are necessary for airport purposes.
The BLM proposes to convey title to the Airport Sponsor under Sec.
516 of the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982 (49 U.S.C.
47125), and processed in accordance with regulations at 43 CFR part
2640. In accordance with the DOT Act Sec. 4(f) (49 U.S.C. 303), the
Airport Sponsor will provide up to $250,000 to construct a parking/
staging area on public land for recreation users visiting the Grand
Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Open Area. The Grand Valley Open Area is
adjacent to the airport and the parking/staging will mitigate removing
the proposed conveyance lands from public recreational use. In
conformance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the BLM
prepared a site-specific Environmental Assessment (EA) document (DOI-
BLM-CO-130-2013-0020-EA) for this Notice of Realty Action. A copy of
the EA is available online at https://go.usa.gov/xPrMW. Based on the
EA, the BLM approved a Finding of No Significant Impact and a Decision
Record on March 15, 2018, to implement the conveyance of the lands.
By publishing this notice in the Federal Register, the above-
described lands will segregate from all forms of appropriation under
the public land laws, including the mining laws, except for conveyance
under the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982. The segregation
will terminate automatically upon issuance of a patent or on December
21, 2019, whichever occurs first.
The patent, if issued, will contain the following reservations to
the United States:
1. A right-of-way for ditches or canals constructed under the
authority of the United States, pursuant to the Act of August 30, 1890
(43 U.S.C. 945); and
2. All minerals in the lands, together with the right to access,
mine and remove the same under applicable laws and regulations. The
Secretary of the Interior reserves the right to determine whether such
mining and removal of minerals will interfere with the development,
operation and maintenance of the airport.
Conveyance of the lands will be subject to valid existing rights of
record, including those rights for power transmission line purposes
granted by right-of-way No. COC-061164, pursuant to the Act of February
15, 1901 (43 U.S.C. 959).
Conveyance of the public lands will contain the following
covenants:
1. The Airport Sponsor will use the conveyed property for airport
purposes and will develop that property for airport purposes within
five years or as set forth in the conveyance instrument, deed or
quitclaim instrument. Any interim use will be subject to terms and
conditions as set by the FAA.
2. The Airport Sponsor will operate the Airport, together with its
appurtenant areas, buildings, and facilities, regardless of whether
they are on the land being conveyed, as a public use airport on fair
and reasonable terms and without unjust discrimination.
3. The Airport Sponsor will not grant or permit any exclusive right
in the operation and use of the Airport, together with its appurtenant
areas, buildings, and facilities, regardless of whether they are on the
land being conveyed, as required by Sec. 303 of the Federal Aviation
Act of 1938, as amended, and Sec. 308(a) of the Federal Aviation Act of
1958, as amended.
4. Any subsequent transfer of the conveyed property interest to
another non-federal public entity will be subject to the terms,
conditions and covenants set forth in the original instrument of
conveyance. If the land conveyed is no longer needed for airport
purposes, the land may revert to the U.S. Government.
5. In the event of a breach of any term, condition or covenant
contained in the conveyance instrument, the Airport Sponsor will, on
demand, take such action as required to transfer ownership of the
conveyed premises to the U.S. Government.
6. The terms, conditions, covenants and other federally obligating
provisions in conveyance instruments remain in force and effect as long
as the land is held by the Airport Sponsor, its successors or
assignees.
The EA, maps, terms and conditions, and Environmental Site
Assessment are available for review. Interested parties may submit, in
writing, any comments concerning the conveyance, including
notifications of any encumbrances or other claims relating to these
parcels, to the address above (see ADDRESSES section).
The BLM Colorado State Director or other authorized official of the
Department of the Interior (DOI) will review adverse comments regarding
the parcels and may sustain, vacate or
[[Page 65721]]
modify this realty action, in-whole or in-part. In the absence of
timely objections, this realty action will become the DOI's final
determination.
In addition to publication in the Federal Register, the BLM will
also publish this notice in the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel newspaper
once a week for three consecutive weeks.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comments, please be
aware that the BLM may make your entire comment--including your
personal identifying information--publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us, in your comment, to withhold your personal
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to do so.
(Authority: 43 CFR part 2640)
Jamie Connell,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2018-27848 Filed 12-20-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P
