March 3, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board announced on February 16, 2006 that they will sponsor a roundtable May 10, 2006, at the Commission's headquarters in Washington, DC, to discuss second-year experiences with the reporting and auditing requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 related to companies' internal control over financial reporting. The roundtable discussion will include issuers, auditors, investors and other interested parties. ``Last spring's informative roundtable resulted in valuable guidance,'' said SEC Chairman Christopher Cox. ``We look forward to an update on compliance efforts after year two. I'm pleased that the PCAOB is coordinating this year's roundtable with the SEC. We will carefully consider the facts presented to help develop policies to effectively and efficiently improve the reliability of financial statements for the benefit of investors.'' ``I am very much open to suggestions to make the internal control assessment process more efficient, including modifications of the PCAOB's auditing standard and other actions the Board could undertake,'' said PCAOB Acting Chairman Bill Gradison. ``This is the PCAOB's highest priority policy issue.'' The Commission and the PCAOB further announced today that, in addition to the roundtable, they are seeking written feedback from registrants, auditors, investors and others on their experiences with complying with the Section 404 requirements. The Commission is not soliciting feedback on a particular set of inquiries. The information that is submitted to either organization will become part of the public record of the Section 404 roundtable.

This action deletes from the Procurement List products previously furnished by such agencies.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a proposed collection of information has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

Agenda items for the meeting of the Royalty Policy Committee (RPC) will include remarks from the Director, MMS, and the Associate Director, Minerals Revenue Management (MRM), as well as updates from the following subcommittees: Coal, Federal Oil and Gas Valuation, Oil and Gas Royalty Reporting, and Indian Oil Valuation. The RPC will also hear an update on the Royalty In Kind program. The RPC membership includes representatives from states, Indian tribes, individual Indian mineral owner organizations, minerals industry associations, the general public, and other Federal departments.

The inventions listed below are owned by an agency of the U.S. Government and are available for licensing in the U.S. in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 207 to achieve expeditious commercialization of results of federally-funded research and development. Foreign patent applications are filed on selected inventions to extend market coverage for companies and may also be available for licensing.

This publication gives notice that, pursuant to the Trade Act of 2002, and consistent with Executive Order 13141 (64 FR 63169) (Nov. 18, 1999) and its implementing guidelines (65 FR 79442), the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), through the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC), is initiating an environmental review of the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between the United States and Korea. The TPSC is requesting written comments from the public on what should be included in the scope of the environmental review, including the potential environmental effects that might flow from the free trade agreement and the potential implications for U.S. environmental laws and regulations, and identification of complementarities between trade and environmental objectives such as the promotion of sustainable development. The TPSC also welcomes public views on appropriate methodologies and sources of data for conducting the review. Persons submitting written comments should provide as much detail as possible on the degree to which the subject matter they propose for inclusion in the review may raise significant environmental issues in the context of the negotiation.

Background On June 15, 1984, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) delegated to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) its approval authority under the Paperwork Reduction Act, as per 5 CFR 1320.16, to approve of and assign OMB control numbers to collection of information requests and requirements conducted or sponsored by the Board under conditions set forth in 5 CFR 1320 Appendix A.1. Board-approved collections of information are incorporated into the official OMB inventory of currently approved collections of information. Copies of the OMB 83-Is and supporting statements and approved collection of information instruments are placed into OMB's public docket files. The Federal Reserve may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection that has been extended, revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) will hold Public Scoping Meetings on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Proposed 5-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007-2012. Pursuant to the regulations implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the MMS will hold Public Scoping Meetings on the Draft EIS for the 2007- 2012 OCS Oil and Gas 5-Year Leasing Program. The MMS stated its intent to prepare an EIS in the August 24, 2005, Federal Register notice and Request for Information (RFI). In the Draft Proposed Program (DPP) and Federal Register notice and RFI on February 9, 2006, the MMS again solicited comments and provided procedures for submitting them, and again stated its intent to hold Public Scoping Meetings. The following Public Scoping Meetings are planned for the DEIS development.

EPA is announcing the meeting of the Forum on State and Tribal Toxics Action (FOSTTA) to enable state and tribal leaders to collaborate with EPA on environmental protection and pollution prevention issues. Representatives and invited guests of the Chemical Information and Management Project (CIMP), the Pollution Prevention (P2) Project, and the Tribal Affairs Project (TAP), components of FOSTTA, will be meeting March 13-14, 2006. The meeting is being held to provide participants an opportunity to have in-depth discussions on issues concerning the environment and human health. This notice announces the location and times for the meeting and sets forth some tentative agenda topics. EPA invites all interested parties to attend the public meeting.

The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA (AA), on behalf of the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), publishes annual management measures promulgated as regulations by the IPHC and approved by the Secretary of State governing the Pacific halibut fishery. The AA also announces modifications to the Catch Sharing Plan (CSP) for Area 2A and implementing regulations for 2006, and announces approval of the Area 2A CSP. These actions are intended to enhance the conservation of Pacific halibut and further the goals and objectives of the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC).

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (1976) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (1972), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Pinedale Anticline Working Group (PAWG) will meet in Pinedale, Wyoming, for a business meeting. Group meetings are open to the public.

The Forest Service is issuing a final directive to Forest Service Manual 1330, Environmental Management Systems (EMS), to provide overall guidance to Forest Service line officers and employees on how to include EMS in carrying out national forest land management planning regulations at 36 CFR part 219, subpart A, published in the Federal Register on January 5, 2005 (70 FR 1023), as it relates to Forest Service units and facilities.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 204: 406 MHz Emergency Locator Transmitters.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 159: Global Positioning System.

This action modifies Class E airspace at Sand Point, AK to provide adequate controlled airspace to contain aircraft executing three new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs), one revised SIAP, and a revised Departure Procedure (DP). This rule results in revised Class E airspace upward from 700 feet (ft.) and 1,200 ft. above the surface at Sand Point, AK.