This Policy is Inactive

Checklist for SNPLMA Acquisitions - Roles and Responsibilities

NV IM-2005-043
Instruction Memorandum

In Reply Refer To:
2710 (NV-930)P

United States Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Nevada State Office
P.O. Box 12000 (1340 Financial Blvd.)
Reno, Nevada 89520-0006
http//www.nv.blm.gov/

March 24, 2005

EMS TRANSMISSION 03/25/2005
Instruction Memorandum No. NV-2005-043
Expires: 09/30/2006

To: Field Managers, Nevada

From: Deputy State Director, Natural Resources, Lands and Planning

Subject: Checklist for SNPLMA Acquisitions – Roles and Responsibilities

Program Area: Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998 (SNPLMA)

Purpose: This Instruction Memorandum (IM) sets forth guidance for Nevada BLM offices concerning the procedures, roles, and responsibilities in processing SNPLMA acquisitions for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

Policy/Action: In cooperation with the State, local governments, other Federal agencies and interested parties, the BLM in Nevada will administer the SNPLMA program to acquire environmentally sensitive land in Nevada. The SNPLMA acquisition program will be administered through the Las Vegas Field Office – Land Sales and Acquisitions Office (LSA) in coordination with the Nevada State Office (NSO). Where such acquisitions fall within the administrative jurisdiction of particular Nevada BLM Field Offices (FOs), those FOs will assume the lead and be assisted by the LSA in BLM’s acquisition process. Along with the FOs, the NSO will support the LSA in providing expertise and oversight to acquire such lands and interests in a timely and cost-effective manner.

It is expected that FOs which submit a ‘willing agency’ letter during the nomination process have the capacity to complete workloads associated with the proposed acquisition, and will complete that work timely once the acquisition has been approved by the Secretary of Interior.

In consultation with Washington Office Lands and Realty Group (WO), Nevada FOs will use the BLM Acquisition Handbook guide. We recommend that use of the released Handbook be made online through the website: http://web.blm.gov/acquisiton/handbook-toc.htm.

Timeframe: Effective immediately upon receipt.

Budget Impact: The SNPLMA Acquisition Task Checklist is modeled after the BLM Acquisition Handbook but modified for SNPLMA requirements concerning acquisition nominations under Planning, Programming, and Budgeting. The checklist identifies individual steps required to complete an acquisition, and the office responsible for each step. The use of the funds for the purchase of land and the associated costs described under the SNPLMA Implementation Agreement replaces the BLM Acquisition Handbook information under Casefile and Document Preparation section in the SNPLMA Acquisition Checklist.

Background: In the fall of 1998, Congress passed and the President signed the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA), Public Law 105-263. Under this Act, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is authorized to sell public land in the Las Vegas Valley and deposit 85% of the proceeds in a special account. The SNPLMA specifies that the Secretary of the Interior may spend the funds in the special account for the acquisition of environmentally sensitive land in the State of Nevada.

Associated with this IM are four reference tools to use for processing SNPLMA acquisitions. The four references are the 1) SNPLMA Implementation Agreement; 2) BLM Acquisition Handbook (Release 1-290); 3) SNPLMA Acquisition Task Checklist (attached); and 4) Pre-Acquisition Environmental Assessment Handbook, H-2101-4. Nevada BLM FOs should have copies of the BLM Acquisition Handbook and Pre-Acquisition Environmental Assessment Handbook, H-2101-4 in their offices. The SNPLMA Implementation Agreement may be retrieved from the SNPLMA website at:
http://www.nv.blm.gov/snplma/agreement.asp.

Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: None.

Coordination: The information pertaining to the Acquisition Task Checklist and the issuance of this IM have been coordinated through NSO and LSA, and in consultation for review with Nevada FOs, WO, and Department of Interior Appraisal Services Directorate.

Contact: For information, please contact Jim Stobaugh in the NSO at 775-861-6478, or Libby White in the LSA at 702-515-5041.

Signed by:
Gene Seidlitz
Acting

Authenticated by:
Ellyn Darrah
Staff Assistant

Attachment:
1 – SNPLMA Checklist (1 p)

Office

Nevada State Office

Fiscal Year

2005