WASHINGTON – Today, the director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Michael S. Black, announced that the BIA is publishing a final rule intended to officially reinstate to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) the correct operative version of 25 CFR Part 226—Leasing of Osage Reservation Lands for Oil and Gas Mining.
On May 11, 2015, the BIA published a final rule revising 25 CFR Part 226. That revised rule never became effective. In connection with then-pending litigation, the BIA initially delayed the effective date of the rule. On August 10, 2015, the court enjoined the rule and on November 19, 2015, the court entered BIA’s voluntary remand of the rule to the agency for further consideration. Accordingly, the version of 25 CFR Part 226 published in the April 1, 2015, edition of the CFR has remained in effect, thus today’s publication has no substantive impact.
Visit https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/06/17/2016-14127/leasing-of-osagereservation-lands-for-oil-and-gas-mining for additional information about the final rule.
