(a) In order to implement the requirements of law for Federal-state cooperation in the management of Federal lands, a Department-state regional coal team shall be established for each coal production region defined pursuant to §3400.5. The team shall consist of a Bureau of Land Management field representative for each state in the region, who will be the Bureau of Land Management State Director, or, in his absence, his designated representative; the Governor of each state included in the region or, in his absence, his designated representative; and a representative appointed by and responsible to the Director of the Bureau of Land Management. The Director's representative shall be chairperson of the team. If the region is a multi-state region under the jurisdiction of only one Bureau of Land Management State Office, each State Director shall designate a Bureau of Land Management representative for each state.

(b) Each regional coal team shall guide all phases of the coal activity planning process described in §§3420.3 through 3420.3-4 of this title which relate to competitive leasing in the region.

(c) The regional coal team shall also serve as the forum for Department/state consultation and cooperation in all other major Department coal management program decisions in the region, including preference right lease applications, public body and small business setaside leasing, emergency leasing and exchanges.

(d) The regional coal team recommendations on leasing levels under §3420.2(a)(4) of this title and on regional lease sales under §3420.3-4(g) shall be accepted except:

(1) In the case of an overriding national interest; or

(2) In the case the advice of the Governor(s) which is contrary to the recommendations of the regional coal team is accepted pursuant to §3420.4-3(c) of this title. In cases where the regional coal team's advice is not accepted, a written explanation of the reasons for not accepting the advice shall be provided to the regional coal team and made available for public review.

(e) Additional representatives of state and Federal agencies may participate directly in team meetings or indirectly in the preparation of material to assist the team at any time at the request of the team chairperson. Participation may be solicited from state and Federal agencies with special expertise in topics considered by the team or with direct surface management responsibilities in areas potentially affected by coal management decisions. However, at every point in the deliberations, the official team spokespersons for the Bureau of Land Management and for the Governors shall be those designated under paragraph (a) of this section.

(f) If a state declines to participate under this section in the coal-related activities of the Department:

(1) The Department may take action authorized in Group 3400 of this title in a coal production region wholly within such a state without forming a regional coal team, and

(2) The Department may form a regional coal team without a representative of the Governor of such a state in any multi-state coal production region.

(g) The regional coal team will function under the public participation procedures at §§1784.4-2, 1784.4-3, and 1784.5 of this chapter.

[44 FR 42609, July 19, 1979; 44 FR 56339, Oct. 1, 1979, as amended at 47 FR 33134, 33135, July 30, 1982; 51 FR 18887, May 23, 1986; 64 FR 52242, Sept. 28, 1999]