§15871 Coordination of geothermal leasing and permitting on Federal lands

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture must, within 180 days after August 8, 2005, make and send Congress a written agreement about how they will coordinate geothermal leasing and permits on public lands and National Forest System lands. The agreement must set up a clear process for handling lease applications (who does what, the steps, and time limits). It must create a 5-year leasing plan for National Forest lands and update that plan every 5 years. It must cut the backlog of geothermal lease applications pending on January 1, 2005 by 90 percent within the 5-year period beginning on August 8, 2005, by issuing leases, rejecting noncompliant applications, or finding applicants no longer interested. It must also create a shared tracking system that tells applicants the status of their lease or permit and gives an estimated time for action.