(iii) Whenever the lands in a permit, lease or contract issued under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 are under the jurisdiction of an agency other than the Department of the Interior, the mining supervisor or the district manager, as appropriate, shall consult representatives of the agency administering the lands and obtain their recommendations as to whether the operation has been carried out and completed in accordance with the approved exploration or mining plan with respect to the surface protection and reclamation aspects of such plan before releasing the performance bond. If the mining supervisor or district manager, as appropriate, do not concur in the recommendations of the agency regarding compliance with the surface protection and reclamation aspects of the approved exploration or mining plan, the issues shall be referred for resolution to the Under Secretary of the Department of the Interior and the comparable officer of the agency submitting the recommendations. In the case of disagreement on issues which are so referred, the Secretary of the Interior shall make a determination which shall be final and binding. In cases in which the recommendations are not concurred in by the mining supervisor or district manager, the performance bond shall not be released until resolution of the issues or until a final determination by the Secretary of the Interior.

(iv) Whenever the lands in a permit or lease issued under the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands are under the jurisdiction of an agency other than the Department of the Interior, the mining supervisor or the district manager, as appropriate, shall obtain the concurrence of the authorized officer of such agency that the operation has been carried out and completed in accordance with the approved exploration or mining plan with respect to the surface protection and reclamation aspects of such plan before releasing the performance bond.

[34 FR 852, Jan. 18, 1969, as amended at 48 FR 27016, June 10, 1983]

§ 23.11 Notice of noncompliance: Revocation.

(a) The provisions of this section confer authority and impose duties upon mining supervisors with respect to permits or leases issued under the mineral leasing acts. The Mining supervisor shall consult with the district manager before taking any action under this section.

(b) The mining supervisor or district manager shall have the right to enter upon the lands under a permit, lease, or contract, at any reasonable time, for the purpose of inspection or investigation to determine whether the terms and conditions of the permit, lease, or contract, and the requirements of the exploration or mining plan have been complied with.

(c) If the mining supervisor or the district manager determines that an operator has failed to comply with the terms and conditions of a permit, lease, or contract, or with the requirements of an exploration or mining plan, or with the provisions of applicable regulations under this part the supervisor or manager shall serve a notice of noncompliance upon the operator by delivery in person to him or his agent or by certified or registered mail addressed to the operator at his last known address.

(d) A notice of noncompliance shall specify in what respects the operator has failed to comply with the terms and conditions of a permit, lease, or contract, or the requirements of an exploration or mining plan, or the provisions of applicable regulations, and shall specify the action which must be taken to correct the noncompliance and the time limits within which such action must be taken.

(e) Failure of the operator to take action in accordance with the notice of noncompliance shall be grounds for suspension by the mining supervisor or the district manager of operations or for the initiation of action for the cancellation of the permit, lease, or contract and for forfeiture of the performance bond required under § 23.9.

[34 FR 852, Jan. 18, 1969, as amended at 48 FR 27016, June 10, 1983]

§ 23.12 Appeals.

(a) A person adversely affected by a decision or order of a district manager or of a mining supervisor made pursuant to the provisions of this part shall have a right of appeal to the Board of Land Appeals, Office of Hearings and Appeals, whenever the decision appealed from was rendered by a district manager, or to the Director of the Geological Survey if the decision or order appealed from was rendered by a mining supervisor, and the further right to appeal to the Board of Land Appeals from an adverse decision of the Director of the Geological Survey unless such decision was approved by the Secretary prior to promulgation.

(b) Appeals to the Board of Land Appeals shall be made pursuant to Part 4 of this title. Appeals to the Director of the Geological Survey shall be made in the manner provided in 30 CFR Part 290.

(c) In any case involving a permit, lease, or contract for lands under the jurisdiction of an agency other than the Department of the Interior, or a bureau of the Department of the Interior other than the Bureau of Land Management, the officer rendering a decision or order shall designate the authorized officer of such agency as an adverse party on whom a copy of any notice of appeal and any statement of reasons, written arguments, or briefs must be served.

(d) Hearings to present evidence on an issue of fact before an administrative law judge may be ordered by the Board of Land Appeals or the Director of the Geological Survey, as the case may be, in accordance with the procedure set forth in Part 4 of this title.

[35 FR 10009, June 18, 1970, as amended at 36 FR 7206, Apr. 15, 1971; 38 FR 10009, Apr. 23, 1973]

§ 23.13 Consultation.

Whenever the lands included in a permit, lease, or contract are under the jurisdiction of an agency other than the Department of the Interior or under the jurisdiction of a bureau of the Department of the Interior other than the Bureau of Land Management, the mining supervisor or the district manager, as appropriate, shall consult the authorized officer of such

(a) In 1970, the Secretary of the Interior developed a policy statement on intergovernmental cooperation in the preservation, use and management of fish and wildlife resources. The purpose of the policy (36 FR 21034, November 3, 1971) was to strengthen and support the missions of the several States and the Department of the Interior respecting fish and wildlife. Since development of the policy, a number of Congressional enactments and court decisions have addressed State and Federal responsibilities for fish and wildlife with the general effect of expanding Federal jurisdiction over certain species and uses of fish and wildlife traditionally managed by the States. In some cases, this expansion of jurisdiction has established overlapping authorities, clouded agency jurisdictions and, due to differing agency interpretations and accountabilities, has contributed to confusion and delays in the implementation of management programs. Nevertheless, Federal authority exists for specified purposes while State authority regarding fish and resident wildlife remains the comprehensive backdrop applicable in the absence of specific, overriding Federal law.

(b) The Secretary of the Interior reaffirms that fish and wildlife must be maintained for their ecological, cultur

al, educational, historical, aesthetic, scientific, recreational, economic, and social values to the people of the United States, and that these resources are held in public trust by the Federal and State governments for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans. Because fish and wildlife are fundamentally dependent upon habitats on private and public lands managed or subject to administration by many Federal and State agencies, and because provisions for the protection, maintenance and enhancement of fish and wildlife and the regulation for their use are established in many laws and regulations involving a multitude of Federal and State administrative structures, the effective stewardship of fish and wildlife requires the cooperation of the several States and the Federal Government.

(c) It is the intent of the Secretary to strengthen and support, to the maximum legal extent possible, the missions of the States1 and the Department of the Interior to conserve and manage effectively the nation's fish and wildlife. It is, therefore, important that a Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Policy be implemented to coordinate and facilitate the efforts of Federal and State agencies in the attainment of this objective.

§ 24.2 Purpose.

(a) The purpose of the Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Policy is to clarify and support the broad authorities and responsibilities of Federal 2 and State agencies respon

1 "States" refers to all of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and other territorial possessions, and the constituent units of government upon which these entities may have conferred authorities related to fish and wildlife matters.

2 Hereinafter, the Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service will be referred to collectively as "Federal agencies."

sible for the management of the nation's fish and wildlife and to identify and promote cooperative agency management relationships which advance scientifically-based resource management programs. This policy is intended to reaffirm the basic role of the States in fish and resident wildlife management, especially where States have primary authority and responsibility, and to foster improved conservation of fish and wildlife.

(b) In developing and implementing this policy, this Department will be furthering the manifest Congressional policy of Federal-State cooperation that pervades statutory enactments in the area of fish and wildlife conservation. Moreover, in recognition of the scope of its activities in managing hundreds of millions of acres of land within the several States, the Department of the Interior will continue to seek new opportunities to foster a "good neighbor" policy with the States.

§ 24.3 General jurisdictional principles.

(a) In general the States possess broad trustee and police powers over fish and wildlife within their borders, including fish and wildlife found on Federal lands within a State. Under the Property Clause of the Constitution, Congress is given the power to "make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States." In the exercise of power under the Property Clause, Congress may choose to preempt State management of fish and wildlife on Federal lands and, in circumstances where the exercise of power under the Commerce Clause is available, Congress may choose to establish restrictions on the taking of fish and wildlife whether or not the activity occurs on Federal lands, as well as to establish restrictions on possessing, transporting, importing, or exporting fish and wildlife. Finally, a third source of Federal constitutional authority for the management of fish and wildlife is the treaty making power. This authority was first recognized in the negotiation of a migratory bird treaty with Great Britain on behalf of Canada in 1916.

(b) The exercise of Congressional power through the enactment of Federal fish and wildlife conservation statutes has generally been associated with the establishment of regulations more restrictive than those of State law. The power of Congress respecting the taking of fish and wildlife has been exercised as a restrictive regulatory power, except in those situations where the taking of these resources is necessary to protect Federal property. With these exceptions, and despite the existence of constitutional power respecting fish and wildlife on Federally owned lands, Congress has, in fact, reaffirmed the basic responsibility and authority of the States to manage fish and resident wildlife on Federal lands. (c) Congress has charged the Secretary of the Interior with responsibilities for the management of certain fish and wildlife resources, e.g., endangered and threatened species, migratory birds, certain marine mammals, and certain aspects of the management of some anadromous fish. However, even in these specific instances, with the limited exception of marine mammals, State jurisdiction remains concurrent with Federal authority.

§ 24.4 Resource management and public activities on federal lands.

(a) The four major systems of Federal lands administered by the Department of the Interior are lands administered by the Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management, units of the National Wildlife Refuge System and national fish hatcheries, and units of the National Park System.

(b) The Bureau of Reclamation withdraws public lands and acquires non-Federal lands for construction and operation of water resource development projects within the 17 Western States. Recreation and conservation or enhancement of fish and wildlife resources are often designated project purposes. General authority for Reclamation to modify project structures, develop facilities, and acquire lands to accommodate fish and wildlife resources is given to the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1946, as amended (16 U.S.C. 661-667e). That act further provides that the lands, waters and facilities designated for

fish and wildlife management purposes, in most instances, should be made available by cooperative agreement to the agency exercising the administration of these resources of the particular State involved. The Federal Water Project Recreation Act of 1965, as amended, also directs Reclamation to encourage non-Federal public bodies to administer project land and water areas for recreation and fish and wildlife enhancement. Reclamation withdrawal, however, does not enlarge the power of the United States with respect to management of fish and resident wildlife and, except for activities specified in Section III.3 above, basic authority and responsibility for management of fish and resident wildlife on such lands remains with the State.

(c) BLM-administered lands comprise in excess of 300 million acres that support significant and diverse populations of fish and wildlife. Congress in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) directed that non-wilderness BLM lands be managed by the Secretary under principles of multiple use and sustained yield, and for both wilderness and non-wilderness lands explicitly recognized and reaffirmed the primary authority and responsibility of the States for management of fish and resident wildlife on such lands. Concomitantly, the Secretary of the Interior is charged with the responsibility to manage non-wilderness BLM lands for multiple uses, including fish and wildlife conservation. However, this authority to manage lands for fish and wildlife values is not a preemption of State jurisdiction over fish and wildlife. In exercising this responsibility the Secretary is empowered to close areas to hunting, fishing or trapping for specified reasons viz., public safety, administration, or compliance with provisions of applicable law. The closure authority of the Secretary is thus a power to close areas to particular activities for particular reasons and does not in and of itself constitute a grant of authority to the Secretary to manage wildlife or require or authorize the issuance of hunting and/or fishing permits or licenses.

(d) While the several States therefore possess primary authority and responsibility for management of fish and resident wildlife on Bureau of Land Management lands, the Secretary, through the Bureau of Land Management, has custody of the land itself and the habitat upon which fish and resident wildlife are dependent. Management of the habitat is a responsibility of the Federal Government. Nevertheless, Congress in the Sikes Act has directed the Secretary of the Interior to cooperate with the States in developing programs on certain public lands, including those administered by BLM and the Department of Defense, for the conservation and rehabilitation of fish and wildlife including specific habitat improvement projects.

(e) Units of the National Wildlife Refuge System occur in nearly every State and constitute Federally owned or controlled areas set aside primarily as conservation areas for migratory waterfowl and other species of fish or wildlife. Units of the system also provide outdoor enjoyment for millions of visitors annually for the purpose of hunting, fishing and wildlife-associated recreation. In 1962 and 1966, Congress authorized the use of National Wildlife Refuges for outdoor recreation provided that it is compatible with the primary purposes for which the particular refuge was established. In contrast to multiple use public lands, the conservation, enhancement and perpetuation of fish and wildlife is almost invariably the principal reason for the establishment of a unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System. In consequence, Federal activity respecting management of migratory waterfowl and other wildlife residing on units of the National Wildlife Refuge System involves a Federal function specifically authorized by Congress. It is therefore for the Secretary to determine whether units of the System shall be open to public uses, such as hunting and fishing, and on what terms such access shall be granted. However, in recognition of the existing jurisdictional relationship between the States and the Federal Government, Congress, in the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of

1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd), has explicitly stated that nothing therein shall be construed as affecting the authority of the several States to manage fish and resident wildlife found on units of the system. Thus, Congress has directed that, to the maximum extent practicable, such public uses shall be consistent with State laws and regulations. Units of the National Wildlife Refuge System, therefore, shall be managed, to the extent practicable and compatible with the purposes for which they were established, in accordance with State laws and regulations, comprehensive plans for fish and wildlife developed by the States, and Regional Resource Plans developed by the Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation with the States.

(f) Units of the National Park System contain natural, recreation, historic, and cultural values of national significance as designated by Executive and Congressional action. Specific enabling legislation has authorized limited hunting, trapping or fishing activity within certain areas of the system. As a general rule, consumptive resource utilization is prohibited.

Those areas which do legislatively allow hunting, trapping, or fishing, do so in conformance with applicable Federal and State laws. The Superintendent may, in consultation with the appropriate State agency, fix times and locations where such activities will be prohibited. Areas of the National Park System which permit fishing generally will do so in accordance with applicable State and Federal Laws.

(g) In areas of exclusive Federal jurisdiction, State laws are not applicable. However, every attempt shall be made to consult with the appropriate States to minimize conflicting and confusing regulations which may cause undue hardship.

(h) The management of habitat for species of wildlife, populations of wildlife, or individual members of a population shall be in accordance with a Park Service approved Resource Management Plan. The appropriate States shall be consulted prior to the approval of management actions, and memoranda of understanding shall be executed as appropriate to ensure the