Land Law Examiner (Minerals

Job Title

This position involves two vacancies focusing on fluid minerals and one vacancy focusing on solid minerals.

Major duties include:

• Processing and adjudication of record title and operating rights assignments, including research and review of the assignments and related material to determine compliance with pertinent laws and regulations.
• Analyzing, researching, and verifying entire and undivided interest in record title assignments and operating rights transfers for compliance with regulations, abstracts lessee interests.
• Determining that lease account status is in good standing using the Business Information System; and if deficiencies are identified, requesting additional information.
• Researching BLM Records to verify acreage and legal land description.
• Preparing assignments for approval, ensuring case abstract reflects current interest holdings, and notifying appropriate agencies of approved assignment (e.g., surface managing agency, Office of Resources Revenue, etc.).
• Writing letters and decisions requesting additional evidence of further compliance with regulations and precedent decisions.

Major duties include:

• Bond adjudication for surface management and mineral materials operations, involving coordination with field offices, other agencies, and operators to manage reclamation and performance bonds for authorized operations. Work focuses on ensuring the bond is legally binding, fully funded, and enforceable. This includes intake, form verification, solvency checks, database and file management, riders and amendments, forfeiture notification, and collection.
• Mining claim adjudication, involving coordination with operators and interagency staff to process filings. Work focuses on reviewing filings, verifying compliance with federal and state laws, and timely coordination. This includes preparing decision documents and or notices, requests for additional information or curative actions, land status determinations, responses to appeals, requests for missing or deficient fees, and database and file management.
• Minerals program support, involving providing support for cross-functional areas in the Branch. This includes providing support to the public room staff, the business administration staff, and management for questions, inquiries, data calls, and other relevant tasks.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.