February 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The USDA, Forest Service will prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) to address the order of Judge Paul Papak, United States District Court, District of Oregon (Hells Canyon Preservation Council, and Northwest Environmental Defense Center v. Richard J. Haines, Steve Ellis, and United States Forest Service, August 4, 2006). Specifically the court found that the April 2004 North Fork Burnt River Final Environmental Impact Statement was deficient because the Agency: (1) Did not require a certificate of compliance under 33 U.S.C. 1341(a)(1), also referred to as 401 under the Clean Water Act, prior to approvals of the Plans of Operations, (2) failed to ensure that authorized mining activities will comply with 313 of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1323(a), on the 303(d) listed waters for water-quality limited for sedimentation, (3) failed to adequately analyze the selection of buffer widths for the riparian habitat conservation areas (RHCAs) and as such is inconsistent with INFISH standard MM-1, (4) failed to adequately analyze the necessity of new roads and whether alternatives exist and to provide specific assurances that the new road construction will comply with INFISH standard MM-2, (5) incorrectly determined that settling ponds are not structures subject to INFISH standard MM-2 and therefore failed to perform the required analysis under MM-2 as to alternative locations; and (6) failed to adequately analyze whether mining and private property access needs, administrative use and needs of other forest users are warranted exceptions to the open-road density guidelines of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Land Management Plan. The SEIS will provide additional information and analysis to address the deficiencies noted by the court in the 2004 FEIS, and record the analysis of a proposed non-significant project-specific amendment to the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest's Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) to change Standard 12 and Standard 13 for Management Area 1(LRMP pg. 4-58), and Standard 9 for Management Area 3, 3a (LRMP pg. 4-62) to reflect a more realistic and achievable open road density for these management areas in subwatersheds 83B, 83C, 83D, 83E, 83F and 83G within the North Fork Burnt River Mining planning area in light of the current and projected land uses and management activities for the foreseeable future.

The EPA's EFAB will hold an open meeting of the full board in Atlanta, GA on March 19-20, 2007. EFAB is an EPA advisory committee chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) to provide advice and recommendations to EPA on creative approaches to funding environmental programs, projects, and activities. The purpose of this meeting is to hear from informed speakers on environmental finance issues, proposed legislation, Agency priorities, and to discuss progress with work products under EFAB's current Strategic Action Agenda. Environmental financing topics expected to be discussed include: Financial Assurance Mechanisms, Environmental Management Systems, Smartway Transport Program, and Water Infrastructure Financing. This meeting is open to the public, however, seating is limited. All members of the public who wish to attend the must register in advance, no later than Friday, March 2, 2007.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended) this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below which will be forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on November 2, 2006 (71 FR 64605). No comments were received.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received four scientific research permit application requests relating to Pacific salmon. The proposed research is intended to increase knowledge of species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to help guide management and conservation efforts.

On December 12, 2006, HUD published a notice in the Federal Register seeking public comment on HUD's use of multi-race data in the computation of the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program formula. This notice reopens the public comment period.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for sablefish with fixed gear managed under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program. The season will open 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 10, 2007, and will close 1200 hrs, A.l.t., November 15, 2007. This period is the same as the 2007 IFQ and Community Development Quota season for Pacific halibut adopted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). The IFQ halibut season is specified by a separate publication in the Federal Register of annual management measures pursuant to 50 CFR 300.62.

NMFS is rescinding the trawl closure in the Chiniak Gully Research Area. This action is necessary to allow vessels using trawl gear to participate in directed fishing for groundfish in the Chiniak Gully Research Area.

This notice updates the delegation of authority of the Office of the Inspector General to require by subpoena the production of all information, documents, reports, answers, records, accounts, papers, and other data and documentary evidence necessary in the performance of the functions assigned by the Inspector General Act to the Deputy Inspector General, the Assistant Inspectors General, the Deputy Assistant Inspectors General, the Special Agents in Charge, the Regional Inspectors General for Audit, and the Directors within the Office of Audit. This notice also redelegates to the above-mentioned officials the authority of the Inspector General to cause the seal of the Department to be affixed to certain documents and to certify that a copy of any book, record, paper, microfilm or other document is a true copy of that in the files of the Department. This notice also delegates the authority to the Deputy Inspector General, the Assistant Inspector General for Investigation, the Deputy Assistant Inspectors General for Investigation, and the Special Agents in Charge, to request information under 5 U.S.C. section 552a(b)(7).

This is a proposed rule to amend PBGC's regulations on Premium Rates and Payment of Premiums to implement certain provisions of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-171) and the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-280) that are effective beginning in 2006 or 2007. The provisions that would be implemented by this rule change the flat premium rate, cap the variable-rate premium in some cases, and create a new ``termination premium'' that is payable in connection with certain distress and involuntary plan terminations. This rule does not address other provisions of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 that deal with PBGC premiums.