[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 36, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 36CFR228.61]

[Page 161-162]
 
              TITLE 36--PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY
 
          CHAPTER II--FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 228_MINERALS--Table of Contents
 
                 Subpart C_Disposal of Mineral Materials
 
Sec. 228.61  Preference right negotiated sales.

    (a) Qualification for sale. When applying for a preference right 
negotiated sale, the permittee must demonstrate to the satisfaction of 
the authorized officer that a suitable deposit of mineral material has 
been discovered within the area covered by the prospecting permit. 
Information concerning trade secrets and financial matters submitted by 
the permittee and identified as confidential will not be available for 
public examination except as otherwise agreed upon by the permittee.
    (b) Application for sale. The application must be submitted to the 
District Ranger's office on or before the expiration date of the 
prospecting permit or its extension. The authorized officer may grant 30 
additional days for submitting the application if requested in writing 
by the permittee before expiration of the prospecting permit or its 
extension.
    (c) Terms and conditions of contract. The terms and conditions will 
be evaluated on an individual case basis. Only those mineral materials 
specified in the contract may be removed by the purchaser. Before a 
preference right negotiated contract is awarded, the authorized officer 
must ensure that an environmental analysis is conducted. All contracts 
are subject to the conditions under Sec. Sec. 228.47 through 228.56.
    (d) Acreage limitations. The authorized officer will determine the 
amount of acreage in the preference right negotiated sale based on a 
presentation of the permittee's needs. The maximum

[[Page 162]]

acreage allowable to any individual or group must not exceed 320 acres 
on National Forest lands administered by one Forest Supervisor. The 
allowable acreage may be in one or more units which are not necessarily 
contiguous.
    (e) Volume limitations. Preference right negotiated sales are exempt 
from volume limitations.
    (f) Contract time allowable. A contract or a renewal must not exceed 
5 years; however, the purchaser may have renewal options at the end of 
each contract or renewal period. The authorized officer may renew a 
contract if it is determined that the renewal is not detrimental to the 
public interest and that the purchaser has demonstrated diligence in 
conducting operations. The authorized officer may cancel the contract, 
or the purchaser may forfeit the contract, if no substantial commercial 
production occurs during any continuous 2-year period after the award of 
the contract or if the contract terms and conditions are breached. 
However, if a delay is caused by conditions beyond the purchaser's 
control, the authorized officer may grant an extension equal to the lost 
time.
    (g) Contract renewal reappraisal. At the time of contract renewal, 
the authorized officer will reappraise the mineral material deposit in 
accordance with Sec. 228.49.