2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(c), and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR part 1500-1508), the National Park Service has prepared and announces the availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed general management plan (GMP) for Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve located in Island County, Washington. In addition to a ``no-action'' alternative which would maintain current management, the FEIS describes and analyzes two ``action'' alternatives which respond to concerns and issues the public identified during the scoping process, as well as various conservation planning requirements. The alternatives present varying management strategies that address visitor use and preservation of cultural and natural resources that protect and interpret the rural community on Whidbey Island from 19th century exploration and settlement in Puget Sound to the present time. Development concept plans for three sites are described. The potential environmental consequences of all the alternatives, and mitigation strategies, are identified and analyzed; a determination as to the ``environmentally preferred'' alternative is also provided. Background: A Notice of Intent announcing preparation of the Draft EIS and general management plan was published in the Federal Register on May 22, 2000. Public engagement and information measures have included public meetings, presentations and meetings with organizations located within Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve (Reserve) and additional organizations, newsletter mailings, local press releases, website postings, and postcards. Preceding the formal GMP planning process, the National Park Service (NPS) organized an interdisciplinary planning team to initiate a new general management plan for the Reserve. The team included both the Reserve's Trust Board (which included members from the NPS, Washington State, Island County and Town of Coupeville) and staff, and staff from the NPS Pacific West Regional Office in Seattle, Washington. The purpose of these initial meetings was to help characterize the scale and extent of the planning process. The official public scoping process began in June 2000 when NPS staff produced and mailed a newsletter to approximately 650 people on the Reserve's mailing list. In addition, over 2800 newsletters were distributed at local public places such as libraries, civic buildings, businesses, and local parks. The planning team held a series of public scoping meetings in Seattle (June 20) and Coupeville (June 21). In total, 141 verbal comments were recorded from three meetings. Individual scoping meetings were also held between August 2000 and January 2001 to meet with organizations located within the Reserve to discuss issues of mutual interest. Other meetings with additional organizations were scheduled. Scoping letters and comments were received until August 15, 2000 (a total of 36 letters were received during the public scoping period). On August 18, 2005, the NPS mailed 230 copies of the draft GMP/EIS to agencies, governmental representatives, organizations, and interested individuals. Copies of the draft GMP/EIS were placed in the Coupeville public library for public review. The Reserve's Notice of Availability was published in the Federal Register on September 2, 2005 to announce release of the Draft GMP/EIS for public review. The EPA's notice of filing of the draft EIS (August 26, 2005) and a revised Notice of Availability (September 13, 2005) provided opportunity for public comment through December 1, 2005. All comments received until December 15 are included in the official record. The NPS and Reserve staff placed advertisements announcing locations, times, and dates for public meetings in the Puget Consumer Cooperative Sound Consumer, in Seattle, Washington, the Whidbey News- Times in Oak Harbor, and the Coupeville Examiner in Coupeville, Washington. Press releases were sent to the following local and regional newspapers to publicize release of the draft GMP/EIS and dates, times, and locations of public meetings: Coupeville Examiner, Whidbey News-Times, Skagit Valley Herald, Everett-Herald, Anacortes American, Journal of the San Juan Islands, South Whidbey Record, Bellingham Herald, Market Place, Peninsula Daily News, and Sequim Gazette. A total of 2,000 newsletters were printed containing a summary of the draft GMP, also announcing the public meetings. Each newsletter included a postage-paid return form for public comments. Newsletters were available at the following locations: Island County Planning Office, the Town of Coupeville Planning Office, the Coupeville Public Library, Island Country Historical Museum in Coupeville, and Fort Ebey and Fort Casey state parks, the Coupeville Post Office, Coupeville Wharf, Coupeville Arts Center, the Oak Harbor and Coupeville Chamber of Commerce offices, local restaurants and other Coupeville businesses. Additional copies were also available at the Reserve's Trust Board office. All material was also made available online at https:// parkplanning.nps.gov/ebla. The public was also able to provide comments electronically through this Web site. The NPS and the Reserve's Trust Board hosted three public open houses, one in Seattle (September 12, 2005) and two in Coupeville (both on September 15, 2005). The purpose of the meetings was to provide an opportunity for the public to meet with Reserve Trust Board members and staff, and NPS staff to discuss the draft GMP/EIS and provide comments. A total of 74 people attended the sessions and 179 comments were recorded. In addition to these oral comments, at the close of the draft GMP/EIS public comment period a total of 51 pieces of written correspondence had been received from individuals, agencies and organizations. Minor changes to the Preferred Alternative were made as a result of public comment; however, there were no substantive modifications. Responses to comments are provided in the FEIS. Throughout the planning process, the public's comments and recommendations have provided the foundation for the proposed GMP, represented in the Reserve's purpose and significance, interpretive themes, and proposed actions. Proposed Plan and Alternatives: Alternative A constitutes the No Action alternative and assumes that existing programs, facilities, staffing, and funding, would generally continue at their current levels. The NPS would dispose of NPS-owned and managed farms within the Reserve to the private sector after placing conservation easements on them. Alternative B is the Preferred Alternative. The Reserve's Trust Board, and the NPS, in cooperation with partners, would enhance existing programs and resources management, as well as administrative, maintenance, and visitor services within the Reserve. To maintain and protect the rural landscape, the NPS would continue to purchase conservation easements on priority properties based upon a new land protection plan. The NPS would exchange two NPS-owned farms, Farms I and II, to private owners for additional protection on other properties within the Reserve. As part of the exchange of Farm II, the new farm owner would be required to construct a new maintenance building on the West Ridge property, which would remain in NPS ownership. The Sheep Barn at West Ridge would be rehabilitated for dry storage using preservation funds. Additional historic buildings would also be rehabilitated to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. In addition, a minor boundary adjustment would be recommended. To orient and inform the visitor about the Reserve, three gateway kiosks would be developed along State Route 20 and a visitor center/contact station would be sited in an historic building in Coupeville or within the historic district. As noted above, several minor modifications were made to the preferred alternative based upon public comments. A recommendation that Island County adopt a regulatory overlay zone for historic preservation over the unincorporated portion of the Reserve has been removed; the proposed GMP has also been updated to include historic preservation and land use measures undertaken by Island County since project planning was initiated. A second change involved recognizing the efforts by others and not the NPS to establish a marine science center within the Reserve and encouraging those on-going efforts. Also, since release of the draft GMP/EIS, Bell Farm has been removed from the proposed boundary in both Alternatives B and C at the owner's request. Alternative C changes the management structure of the Reserve from a Trust Board of volunteers to a paid Commission structure. Many actions are similar to Alternative B but with some distinctions. Approximately five acres of NPS-owned land at Farm II would be retained for administrative and maintenance use before exchanging the remaining farmland to a private farm owner for additional protection on other properties within the Reserve. One of the three gateways would be in a historic building in the north of the Reserve. The Reserve would also partner for a visitor contact facility at a proposed marine science center. Copies: The Final EIS/GMP is now available. Interested persons and organizations wishing to review the Final EIS/GMP may obtain the document by contacting Rob Harbor, Reserve Manager, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, P.O. Box 774, Coupeville, WA 98239, or via telephone at (360) 678-6084. This document may also be reviewed at the Coupeville Library, or a copy can be obtained electronically at https:// parkplanning.nps.gov/ebla. Please note that names and addresses of all respondents will become part of the public record. It is the practice of the NPS to make all comments, including names, home addresses, home phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of respondents, available for public review. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their names and/or home addresses, etc., but if you wish us to consider withholding this information you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments. In addition, you must present a rationale for withholding this information.This rational must demonstrate that disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy. Unsupported assertions will not meet this burden. In the absence of exceptional, documentable circumstances, this information will be released. We will always make submissions from organizations or business, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives of or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety. Decision Process: Following release of the Final GMP/EIS, a Record of Decision will be prepared and approved not sooner than 30 days after the EPA has published its notice of filing of the document in the Federal Register. A notice regarding the approved GMP will be similarly published. As a delegated EIS, the official responsible for the final decision is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region. Subsequently, official responsibilities for implementing the approved GMP reside with the Trust Board, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve and the Reserve Manager.

This notice describes the changes made to the TRICARE DRG- based payment system in order to conform to changes made to the Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS). It also provides the updated fixed loss cost outliner threshold, cost-to-charge ratios and the Internet address for accessing the updated adjusted standardized amount and DRG relative weights to be used for FY 2007 under the TRICARE DRG-based payment system.

This notice announces the ninth meeting of the American Health Information Community in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. No. 92-463, 5 U.S.C., App.) The American Health Information Community will advise the Secretary and recommend specific actions to achieve a common interoperability framework for health information technology (IT).

The Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary is seeking applicants for the following vacant seats on its Sanctuary Advisory Council (Council): Non Government Seat: Fishing/Western Pacific Fisheries Management Council member (voting). Applicants are chosen based upon their particular expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying; community and professional affiliations; philosophy regarding the protection and management of marine resources; and possibly the length of residence in the area affected by the Sanctuary. Applicants who are chosen as members should expect to serve 2-year terms, pursuant to the Council's Charter.

The FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) revision of a current information collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on July 12, 2006, Vol. 71, No. 133, page 39386. FOQA is a voluntary program for the routine collection and analysis of digital flight data from airplane operations.

The FAA will hold an informal public meeting to seek aviation weather user input on convective weather products. Details: October 17, 2006; Orlando Orange County Convention Center, 9800 International Drive, Room N210A, Orlando, Florida 32819, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The objective of this meeting is to provide an opportunity for interested Government and commercial sector representatives who use Government- provided aviation weather information in operational decision-making to provide input on FAA's plans for implementing new weather products.

This notice solicits written comments and suggestions on the membership qualifications for Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils established under Subsistence Management Regulations. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) requires that advisory councils be constituted with a balanced membership. The current Federal regulations set a goal of 70 percent subsistence users to 30 percent sport and commercial users on the Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils. This notice is the first step in an administrative action with respect to that regulation, made necessary because of an order entered by the U.S. District Court for Alaska. Because the U.S. District Court has enjoined application of the current 70/30 percent goal after 2006, it is necessary to give further reconsideration to alternative methods for assuring balance in membership for Regional Advisory Councils in time to make any decision applicable to the 2007 appointments. Therefore, no extension of the review deadline will be granted.

This action removes regulations pertaining to the deployment of contractor personnel in support of military operations. The regulations are superseded by a higher regulation, Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) Subpart 225.74, Defense Contractors Outside the United States.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are revising critical habitat for the Perdido Key beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus trissyllepsis) and Choctawhatchee beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus allophrys) and designating critical habitat for the St. Andrew beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus peninsularis) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 6,193 acres (ac) (2,506 hectares (ha)) are being designated as critical habitat for the three subspecies. This action adds approximately 135 ac (44 ha) to the amount of currently designated critical habitat for the Perdido Key beach mouse and 1,629 ac (659 ha) to the area designated for the Choctawhatchee beach mouse. The critical habitat is located in Baldwin County, Alabama; and Escambia, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, and Gulf Counties, Florida.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act that a meeting of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House will be held at the White House at 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 26, 2006.

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) has received Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the following public information collections pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number.

The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection(s), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Public Law 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act that does not display a valid control number. Comments are requested concerning (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

FRA is proposing direct final rulemaking procedures to expedite the processing of noncontroversial regulatory changes to which no adverse comment is anticipated. Under the proposed procedures, FRA could choose to make routine or otherwise noncontroversial changes in a direct final rule which would become effective a specified number of days after its publication in the Federal Register, provided that no written adverse comment, or no request for a public hearing, was received before the rule's scheduled effective date. FRA would not use direct final rulemaking for complex or controversial matters.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invites interested parties to attend a meeting on November 1, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. at the NIST main campus in Gaithersburg, MD to discuss collaboration, between NIST and industry, in the Autonomous Guided Vehicle (AGV) Consortium. The objective of this meeting will be to briefly explain the proposed consortium tasks and to solicit interested AGV companies to join the consortium. The consortium is open to members joining prior to November 17, 2006. Beyond this date, joining the collaboration will not be allowed. The consortium will research advanced 3D imaging techniques for AGVs over a three phase effort.

The Department of Commerce (``Department'') is conducting new shipper antidumping duty reviews of freshwater crawfish tail meat from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') in response to requests by Nanjing Merry Trading Co., Ltd. (``Nanjing Merry''), Leping Lotai Foods Co., Ltd. (``Leping Lotai''), Weishan Hongrun Aquatic Co., Ltd. (``Weishan Hongrun''), and Shanghai Strong International Trading Co., Ltd. (``Shanghai Strong''). These reviews cover shipments to the United States for the period September 1, 2005, to February 28, 2006, by these four respondents. For the reasons discussed below, we are extending the preliminary results of the new shipper reviews of Nanjing Merry, Leping Lotai, and Weishan Hongrun by an additional 90 days, and the new shipper review of Shanghai Strong by an additional 65 days, to no later than January 23, 2007.

Under 49 U.S.C. 10502, the Board is granting a petition for exemption from the prior approval requirements of 49 U.S.C. 11323-25 for petitioners to provide for the joint use and joint rail freight operations over 7.69 miles of abandoned rail line of the former Staten Island Railway Corporation \1\ in New York and New Jersey, lying generally between the Conrail Chemical Coast Line and points on Staten Island, NY, subject to appropriate employee protective conditions.\2\ The line consists of two segments as follows: (a) The North Shore Line between the end of track at milepost 4.6 at Union Avenue east of Arlington Yard, Richmond County, NY, and milepost 7.4, via the Chemical Coast Connector, at the proposed point of switch at the connection between the Chemical Coast Connector and Conrail's Chemical Coast Line in Union County, NJ, a distance of 2.8 miles; and (b) the Travis Branch between milepost 0.00 Arlington Yard Station and milepost 4.41 in Richmond County, a distance of 4.41 miles. Included within the North Shore Line segment are all tracks in Arlington Yard together with lead tracks on both the east and west ends of the yard, the so-called Wye Connector, that provides a direct connection to the Travis Branch from the North Shore Line and a track designated as the Travis Lead that provides a connection to and from the Travis Branch to the east end of Arlington Yard.\3\ Petitioners have asked for expedited consideration of the petition.

Pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A-130, the United States Trustee Program (USTP), Department of Justice, proposes to modify the following existing Privacy Act systems of records: JUSTICE/UST-001, ``Bankruptcy Case Files and Associated Records'' (last substantively revised on March 4, 2004, at 69 FR 10255; as amended June 15, 2004, 69 FR 33403); JUSTICE/UST-002, ``Bankruptcy Trustee Oversight Records'' (last substantively revised on March 4, 2004, at 69 FR 10255; as amended June 15, 2004, 69 FR 33403); JUSTICE/ UST-003, ``U.S. Trustee Program Timekeeping Records'' (last substantively revised on March 4, 2004, at 69 FR 10255; as amended June 15, 2004, 69 FR 33403); and JUSTICE/UST-004, ``U.S. Trustee Program Case Referral System'' (last substantively revised on March 4, 2004, at 69 FR 10255; as amended June 15, 2004, 69 FR33403). In addition, the USTP proposes to establish a new system of records entitled, JUSTICE/ UST-005, ``Credit Counseling and Debtor Education Files and Associated Records.'' The modified system notices and the new system notice are published in their entirety below.

The EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office is announcing a public teleconference of the SAB Environmental Economics Advisory Committee (EEAC) to discuss the valuation of mortality risk reduction.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined not to review the presiding administrative law judge's (``ALJ'') initial determination (``ID'') (Order No. 4) terminating the above-captioned investigation on the basis of a binding term sheet.

TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. has applied to the United States Department of State for a Presidential Permit for the proposed construction, connection, operation, or maintenance, at the border of the United States of facilities for the importation of petroleum from a foreign country. The Department of State receives and considers applications for Presidential Permits for such energy-related pipelines pursuant to authority delegated to it by the President under Executive Order 13337 of April 30, 2004 (69 FR 25299). To issue a Permit, the Department of State must find that issuance would serve the national interest. It consults extensively with concerned Federal and State agencies, and invites public comment in arriving at its determination. With respect to the application submitted by TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P., the Department of State has concluded that the issuance of the Presidential Permit would constitute a major Federal action that may have a significant impact upon the environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). For this reason, Department of State intends to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to address reasonably foreseeable impacts from the proposed action and alternatives, to include the proposed Cushing extension. The purpose of this Notice of Intent is to inform the public about the proposed action, announce plans for scoping meetings, invite public participation in the scoping process, and solicit public comments for consideration in establishing the scope and content of the EIS. As the proposed project may involve an action in a floodplain or wetland, the EIS will include a floodplain and wetlands assessment and floodplain statement of findings.