To begin preparation of the Five Year program, BOEM invites and considers nominations for any areas to be included or excluded from leasing, by doing the following:

(a) BOEM prepares and makes public official protraction diagrams and leasing maps of OCS areas. In any area properly included in the official Five Year diagrams and maps, any area not already leased for oil and gas may be offered for lease.

(b) BOEM invites and considers suggestions and relevant information from governors of States, local governments, industry, Federal agencies, and other interested parties, through a publication of a request for information in the Federal Register. Any local government must first submit its comments on the request for information to its State governor before sending the comments to BOEM.

(c) BOEM sends a letter to the governor of each affected State asking the governor to identify specific laws, goals, and policies that should be considered. Each State governor, as well as the Department of Commerce, is requested to identify the relationship between any oil and gas activity and the State under sections 305 and 306 of the CZMA, 16 U.S.C. 1454 and 1455.

(d) BOEM asks the Department of Energy for information on regional and national energy markets and transportation networks.