As used in this subpart, the term:

(a) Authorized officer means any employee of the Bureau of Land Management who has been delegated the authority to perform the duties described in this subpart.

(b) Segregation means the removal for a limited period, subject to valid existing rights, of a specified area of the public lands from the operation of some or all of the public land laws, including the mineral laws, pursuant to the exercise by the Secretary of regulatory authority for the orderly administration of the public lands.

(c) Land or public lands means any lands or interest in lands owned by the United States within the several States and administered by the Secretary of the Interior through the Bureau of Land Management, without regard to how the United States acquired ownership, except: (1) Lands located on the Outer Continental Shelf; and (2) lands held for the benefit of Indians, Aleuts and Eskimos.

(d) Mineral laws means those laws applicable to the mineral resources administered by the Bureau of Land Management. They include, but are not limited to, the mining laws, the mineral leasing laws, the material disposal laws and the Geothermal Steam Act.

(e) Public lands records means the Tract Books, Master Title Plats and Historical Indices maintained by the Bureau of Land Management, or automated representation of these books, plats and indices on which are recorded information relating to the status and availability of the public lands. The recorded information may include, but is not limited to, withdrawals, restorations, reservations, openings, classifications applications, segregations, leases, permits and disposals.

(f) Opening means the restoration of a specified area of public lands to operation of the public land laws, including the mining laws, and, if appropriate, the mineral leasing laws, the material disposal laws and the Geothermal Steam Act, subject to valid existing rights and the terms and provisions of existing withdrawals, reservations, classifications, and management decisions. Depending on the language in the opening order, an opening may restore the lands to the operation of all or some of the public land laws.

(g) Opening order means an order issued by the Secretary or the authorized officer and published in the Federal Register that describes the lands, the extent to which they are restored to operation of the public land laws and the mineral laws, and the date and time they are available for application, selection, sale, location, entry, claim or settlement under those laws.

(h) Public land laws means that body of laws dealing with the administration, use and disposition of the public lands, but does not include the mineral laws.

(i) Revocation means the cancellation of a Public Land Order, but does not restore public lands to operation of the public land laws.

(j) Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior or a secretarial officer subordinate to the Secretary who has been appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, and to whom has been delegated the authority of the Secretary to perform the duties described in this part as being performed by the Secretary.