(a) A land use proposal shall, upon submission, be reviewed to determine if the public lands covered by the proposal are appropriate for the proposed land use and if the proposal is otherwise legal.

(b) If the proposal is found to be appropriate for further consideration, the authorized officer shall examine the proposal and make one of the following determinations:

(1) The proposed land use is in conformance with the appropriate land use plan and can be approved;

(2) The proposed land use has not been addressed in an existing land use plan and shall be addressed in accordance with the procedure in part 1600 of this title;

(3) The proposed land use is in an area not covered in an existing land use plan and shall be processed in accordance with the procedure in §1601.8 of this title; or

(4) The proposed land use is not in conformance with the approved land use plan. This determination may be appealed under 43 CFR 4.400 for review of the question of conformance with the land use plan.

(c)

(1) If a proposed land use does not meet the requirements of this subpart or is found not to be in conformance with the land use plan, the authorized officer shall so advise the proponent and shall provide a written explanation of the reasons the proposed use does not meet the requirements of this subpart and/or is not in conformance with an existing land use plan.

(2) Where a proposed land use is determined not to be in conformance with an approved land use plan, with the land use plan, the authorized officer may consider the proposal for land use as an application to amend or revise the existing land use plan under part 1600 of this title.