(a) An application for a license to mine must include payment of the filing fee found in the fee schedule in §3000.12 of this chapter. BLM may waive the filing fee for applications filed by relief agencies as provided in §3440.1-1(b) of this chapter.

(b) An application for an exploration license must include payment of the filing fee found in the fee schedule in §3000.12 of this chapter.

(c) An instrument of transfer of a lease or an interest in a lease must include payment of the filing fee found in the fee schedule in §3000.12 of this chapter.

(d) BLM will charge applicants for a royalty rate reduction a processing fee on a case-by-case basis as described in §3000.11 of this chapter.

(e) BLM will charge applicants for logical mining unit formation or modification a processing fee on a case-by-case basis as described in §3000.11 of this chapter.

(f) The applicant who nominates a tract for a competitive lease sale must pay a processing fee on a case-by-case basis as described in §3000.11 of this chapter as modified by the provisions below. BLM will include in the sale notice under §3422.2(b)(9) of this chapter a statement of the total cost recovery fee paid to BLM by the applicant up to 30 days before the competitive lease sale. The cost recovery process for a competitive coal lease follows:

(1) The applicant nominating the tract for competitive leasing must pay the cost recovery amount before BLM will publish a notice of the competitive lease sale;

(2) Before the lease is issued:

(i) The successful bidder, if someone other than the applicant, must pay to BLM the cost recovery amount specified in the sale notice; and

(ii) The successful bidder must pay all processing costs BLM incurs after the date of the sale notice;

(3) If the successful bidder is someone other than the applicant, BLM will refund to the applicant the amount paid under paragraph (f)(1) of this section; and

(4) If there is no successful bidder, the applicant remains responsible for all processing fees.

(g) BLM will charge applicants for modification of a coal lease a processing fee on a case-by-case basis as described in §3000.11 of this chapter.

[70 FR 58876, Oct. 7, 2005]