The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service are proposing to make geothermal leasing decisions on pending lease applications submitted prior to January 1, 2005 and to facilitate geothermal leasing decisions on other existing and future lease applications and nominations. To achieve this, the BLM and FS are proposing to do the following: 1) Identify public and National Forest Service (NFS) lands with geothermal potential as being legally open or closed to leasing, and 2) issue or deny geothermal lease applications pending as of January 1, 2005. The BLM would also identify public lands that are administratively closed or open to leasing, and under what conditions, develop a comprehensive list of stipulations, best management practices, and procedures to serve as consistent guidance for future geothermal leasing and development on public and NFS lands, and amend BLM land use plans to adopt the resource allocations, stipulations, best management practices, and procedures. All lands that are currently closed by statute to geothermal leasing would remain closed and would not be affected by the proposal. Examples of these lands include but are not limited to National Park System lands, wilderness areas, wilderness study areas, National Recreation Areas, Indian trust or restricted lands, and the Island Park Geothermal Area in Wyoming and Montana.